Quick tip - be careful about state taxes too! The federal kiddie tax rules are one thing, but some states handle taxation of minor's investment income differently. I found this out the hard way last year when I handled everything correctly for federal but completely missed the state-specific forms.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my 16-year-old's custodial account. One thing I learned from my CPA is that you can also consider using I Bonds (Series I Savings Bonds) for part of your kids' investments. The interest on I Bonds isn't taxed until you cash them out, which means you can potentially defer all the tax consequences until after they turn 24 and are no longer subject to kiddie tax rules. The downside is that I Bonds are limited to $10,000 per person per year and have lower potential returns than stocks, but for the portion of their money that you want to be more conservative with anyway, it's a nice way to avoid the annual kiddie tax hassle entirely. Just another option to consider alongside the growth stock strategy that Amara mentioned!

I've been through this paper check waiting game three times now. Here's what I've learned: • Paper checks typically arrive 7-14 calendar days after the refund approval date • The IRS doesn't provide tracking numbers for refund checks • The Where's My Refund tool won't update once it shows "Your refund has been approved" • Checks are mailed from regional service centers, so your location matters • If it's been more than 4 weeks, you can request a payment trace Last year my check arrived exactly 9 days after approval. The year before that, 12 days. It's not an exact science, but the mail usually delivers within two weeks.

Based on my experience from last tax season, I received my paper check exactly 10 days after verification. I verified on a Wednesday and got the check the following Saturday. What really helped me was setting up USPS Informed Delivery like Paolo mentioned - you can actually see a preview image of your mail each morning, so you'll know the day your IRS check is coming. The envelope is pretty distinctive with the Treasury Department return address. One thing to keep in mind is that if there are any holidays or postal delays in your area, it might add a day or two. But generally, the 7-14 day window that others have mentioned seems pretty accurate. Since you verified on Friday, I'd expect your check sometime between this coming Friday and the following Tuesday, assuming normal processing times. Don't stress too much about it - the IRS is actually pretty reliable with mailing checks once they're approved, even if their phone system isn't great!

Just to add a data point here - I had this exact situation last year. LLC with S-corp election, filed 1120-S about 75 days late. I can confirm 100% that the IRC-6699 S-corporation penalties applied, not the LLC penalties. I tried to argue with the IRS that since my business is "technically" an LLC, the LLC penalty structure should apply (which would have been less in my case). They shut that down immediately. Once you elect S-corp taxation, you're treated as an S-corp for ALL tax purposes, including penalties. The good news is I was able to get a partial abatement based on reasonable cause (I had documentation showing my accountant had a family emergency). They reduced my penalty by about 40%.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - there's a difference between late FILING penalties (Form 1120-S) and late PAYMENT penalties. If you've been making your estimated tax payments as shareholders, you might only be dealing with the late filing penalty. The IRC-6699 penalty ($220 per shareholder per month) applies to late FILING of the 1120-S. But if you also have unpaid taxes at the shareholder level (on your 1040s), that's a separate penalty structure. Just something to keep in mind when calculating what you might owe.

What about using Form 5213 (Election to Postpone Determination)? I've heard this gives you protection if you have to estimate business vs hobby income which seems similar to your situation.

I've been dealing with this exact same nightmare for three years running with my partnership interest. Here's what I've learned from trial and error: First, Lucas is absolutely right that Form 8082 isn't the solution here - it's for when you're intentionally reporting something different from your K-1, not for when you don't have one yet. My experience has been that filing an extension is usually the cleanest approach, but I get the refund timing issue. If you do decide to file with estimates, here are some practical tips: 1. Document EVERYTHING - keep records of any informal communications from the partnership about expected income/losses 2. Use conservative estimates rather than optimistic ones - better to owe a small amount than have a big refund clawback 3. Consider the partnership's historical patterns - if they usually have similar year-over-year numbers, that's a reasonable starting point One thing nobody mentioned: if your partnership has significant swings in income, you might want to consider making estimated quarterly payments based on last year's tax liability to avoid underpayment penalties, regardless of when you file. The whole system really is frustrating - we shouldn't have to choose between timely filing and accurate reporting because partnerships get until September to provide essential information!

Has anyone used any specific tax software that makes reporting partial rental income easier? I'm in a similar boat renting my finished basement to my brother for $350/month and trying to figure out the best way to handle it on my return.

I'm in a very similar situation - renting out my spare bedroom to my niece who just started college nearby. I've been stressing about the tax implications too, especially since I'm only charging her $300/month when I could easily get $600+ from a non-family member. From what I've learned reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key points are: 1) Yes, we need to report the income even though it's family and below market rate, 2) We can deduct expenses but they might be limited to the amount of rental income we receive since it's not viewed as profit-seeking, and 3) It goes on Schedule E as passive income, not subject to self-employment tax. The part I'm still unclear on is how to calculate the percentage of home expenses I can deduct. Do I base it on square footage of just the bedroom, or should I include shared spaces like kitchen and bathroom access? Also, should I keep separate records of utilities during the rental period to show the actual increase in costs?