I've been doing my own business taxes for my small craft shop for 3 years now. My advice: if you have a simple situation with clear income/expenses, absolutely do it yourself. Just make sure you: 1) Keep ALL receipts (paper or digital) 2) Track mileage if you use your car for business 3) Separate business/personal expenses completely 4) Set aside at least half a day to do your taxes carefully I learned the hard way that rushing through leads to mistakes. For your first year with minimal revenue, a CPA probably isn't worth the $300-500 they'll charge.

I tried using TurboTax for my first year in business and ended up missing so many deductions. When I finally used a CPA the next year, she found over $2,000 in deductions I'd missed! Just saying sometimes paying a pro is worth it.

One thing to consider - contributions made in installments over the year. I had a client who made 4 separate contributions to a foreign partnership, each around $30k, totaling $120k for the year. Does anyone know if these are aggregated for the $100k threshold? The regulations aren't super clear on timing.

Your interpretation is absolutely correct. Since your client contributed $475,000 to the foreign partnership, they definitely meet the Category 3 filing requirements under IRC Section 6038B(b)(1). The $100,000 threshold is clear - any US person who contributes property with a fair market value exceeding $100,000 to a foreign partnership must file Form 8865, regardless of their ownership percentage. The 10% ownership test and the $100,000 contribution test are alternative triggers, not cumulative requirements. Meeting either one requires filing. In this case, even though your client only has a 2.25% interest, the substantial contribution amount makes filing mandatory. Make sure to complete Schedule O (Transfer of Property to a Foreign Partnership) along with the main form. You'll need detailed information about the property transferred, its fair market value at the time of contribution, and any gain recognized on the transfer. Given the high-net-worth nature of your client, I'd also recommend documenting your analysis thoroughly in case of future IRS inquiries.

My sister actually got busted for this exact thing last year. She was claiming my niece who lived with their dad. The IRS sent her a letter demanding proof that the child lived with her. When she couldn't provide it, they made her pay back THREE YEARS of tax refunds plus penalties! It was like $16k total and she's still paying it off. Tell your friend it's not worth it. The IRS has been getting way more aggressive about this lately with their new funding. They know exactly what to look for.

This is definitely tax fraud and your friend needs to stop immediately. The IRS has specific rules about who can be claimed as a dependent - they must live with you for more than half the year AND you must provide more than half their financial support. Just being related isn't enough. What makes this worse is that they're openly admitting to splitting the fraudulent refund money, which shows intent to defraud. The IRS has been cracking down hard on dependent fraud lately with their increased funding and better detection systems. Your friend could face serious consequences: paying back all the fraudulent refunds (potentially thousands per year), hefty penalties, interest charges, and even criminal prosecution. The "everyone does it" excuse won't hold up in court or with IRS agents. If I were you, I'd strongly encourage your friend to consult with a tax professional immediately about how to handle this situation going forward. The longer this continues, the worse the eventual consequences will be.

15 Has anyone actually had to withhold taxes from payments to Mexican freelancers? I've been producing commercials in Mexico for years and have never withheld or even collected W-8 forms, which is probably not correct but I've never had any issues.

I've been dealing with a similar situation for my production work in Mexico, and I can confirm that having proper W-8BEN documentation is crucial. Even if you're not required to withhold taxes due to the treaty, you still need these forms to prove your contractors' foreign status. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure the forms are filled out completely and correctly. I had an IRS audit where they rejected several W-8BEN forms because they were missing signatures or had incorrect treaty claims. The penalties for not having proper documentation can be steep, even if no taxes were actually owed. Also, don't forget that W-8BEN forms expire after 3 years, so if you're working with the same contractors over multiple years, you'll need to get updated forms. I keep a spreadsheet tracking expiration dates to avoid compliance issues.

One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you do decide to get married, make sure to update your W-4 withholdings at work! Many couples forget this step and end up owing money at tax time or getting a huge refund (which means you gave the government an interest-free loan all year). With your combined income of $120,000 and a baby on the way, your tax situation will be quite different than when you were both single. The IRS has a good withholding calculator on their website, or you can use the new W-4 form which has been redesigned to be more accurate for married couples. Also, don't forget about Dependent Care FSA if either of your employers offers it - you can set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax for daycare expenses once the baby arrives. This is separate from the child care tax credit and can provide additional savings!

Great advice from everyone so far! As someone who works in tax prep, I'd add one more consideration that often gets overlooked - timing your wedding date strategically within December if you do decide to get married this year. Since your tax filing status is determined by December 31st, you could literally get married on December 31st and still file as married for the entire 2024 tax year. This gives you almost the full year to see how your finances actually play out before making the commitment. Also, with a baby due in May 2025, consider that you'll be eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit starting in 2025 if you have childcare expenses. This credit can be worth up to $2,100 for one child (20-35% of up to $8,000 in expenses, depending on your income). Combined with the Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000, having a child provides significant tax benefits. One last tip: if you do get married, make sure both of you understand the "kiddie tax" rules won't apply here since we're talking about your own child, but do keep documentation of all baby-related medical expenses throughout 2025 - some may be deductible if they exceed the threshold for medical expense deductions.