I'm having the opposite problem! My company is in my state but I moved to another state mid-year and have been working remotely from there. My W-2 only shows my original state in box 15. Should I file part-year resident returns in both states?

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I think I understand now - since I physically work from Michigan and my W-2 already shows Michigan in box 15 with state withholding, I just need to file my regular Michigan resident return. It's reassuring to know that the location of the employer doesn't matter as much as where I'm actually doing the work. I was overthinking this because it's my first time dealing with remote work for out-of-state companies. The fact that Texas doesn't even have a state income tax makes this even simpler than I thought. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this - tax season is stressful enough without worrying about filing returns in multiple states unnecessarily!

Just wanted to share my success story from last month - had almost the exact same issue with misclassified capital gains. The secret sauce? 😂 I called my LOCAL TAS office instead of the national number. Got a real human in 10 minutes who actually gave me her direct extension. She told me most people don't realize each state has dedicated TAS offices with much shorter wait times than the national line. My case was resolved in 3 weeks from start to finish. The woman who helped me said investment classification issues are actually pretty straightforward for them to fix once they have the proper documentation from your broker. Good luck!

This is incredibly helpful information, everyone! I'm dealing with a similar issue where my brokerage correctly reported long-term capital gains, but the IRS is treating them as ordinary income somehow. It's creating about a $8,000 discrepancy in taxes owed. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should: 1. Call my local TAS office first (rather than the national number) 2. Have all my broker statements organized showing the correct classifications 3. Complete Form 911 with specific details about the financial hardship 4. Document all my previous attempts to resolve through normal channels One question - for those who've been through this process, did you need to provide anything beyond the original 1099-B forms and broker statements? I'm wondering if I should also include screenshots from my online brokerage account showing the transaction details and holding periods. Really appreciate this community sharing these experiences - it's giving me confidence that this can actually get resolved!

One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you're using part of your apartment as a home office, don't forget to check with your landlord and review your lease! Some leases prohibit using residential space for business purposes, and some cities have zoning regulations about home-based businesses. Just a heads up so you don't run into lease issues while trying to save on taxes.

Great thread! As someone who's been freelancing for 3 years now, I want to add a few things that helped me in my early days: **Quarterly estimated taxes**: Since you're self-employed, you'll likely need to pay quarterly estimated taxes to avoid penalties. The IRS expects you to pay as you go, not just once a year. Use Form 1040ES to calculate these. **Business credit card**: If you haven't already, consider getting a separate credit card just for business expenses. This makes tracking SO much easier and creates a clear paper trail. Even if you use your personal card sometimes, having a dedicated business card for major expenses helps with organization. **Mileage tracking**: Don't forget about mileage deductions if you drive to client meetings, co-working spaces, or business errands. The standard mileage rate for 2024 is 67 cents per mile. Apps like MileIQ can automate this tracking. **Professional development**: Courses, books, conferences, and certifications related to marketing consulting are all deductible business expenses. This includes online courses and industry publications. The documentation advice from others is spot-on - keep receipts and notes about the business purpose of each expense. A simple spreadsheet or app can save you hours during tax prep!

I have a similar issue. I bought $5,331 online course from an online guru. They have no refund policy. I am a Fitness Instructor. Is it possible to write that off? Thank you

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Just spent $8K on what was supposed to be an "advanced business scaling masterclass" that turned out to be recycled content from the instructor's old blog posts. So frustrating when you realize you've been taken advantage of. From what I've researched, the key is proving legitimate business intent at the time of purchase. Even though the course was disappointing, if you bought it genuinely believing it would help your freelance business, you should be able to deduct it. I'd recommend documenting everything - the original sales materials, what specific business improvements you were hoping to achieve, how you planned to implement what you learned. One thing I learned is that you need to show the expense was "ordinary and necessary" for your business. For freelancers, that usually means courses related to your service offerings, client management, marketing, or general business skills. The IRS publication 535 has good guidance on business education expenses. Also consider whether you might have grounds for a chargeback or consumer complaint. Just because someone says "no refunds" doesn't mean they can mislead customers about what they're selling. Might be worth exploring both the tax angle AND getting your money back entirely.

I just went through this exact process last month with our C-Corp name change. Here's what worked for us: We filed Form 8822-B as mentioned, but what really helped was calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 beforehand to confirm our approach. The agent told us that since we were close to our filing deadline, we could proceed with filing our return under the old name and check Box A for the name change election - this actually processes faster than waiting for the separate Form 8822-B. However, if you have time before your deadline, the Form 8822-B route is cleaner. Make sure to: 1. Include a copy of your state-filed articles of amendment 2. Write a brief cover letter explaining the name change effective date 3. Send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery One thing I learned - if you have employees, you'll also need to update your name with the Social Security Administration for payroll reporting. This is separate from the IRS update and requires Form W-2c corrections if you've already filed W-2s under the old name. The whole process took about 3 weeks total, which was faster than the 4-6 weeks they quoted. Good luck with your name change!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of timing your name change with your quarterly estimated tax payments if you make them. We learned this the hard way when our Q3 estimated payment was rejected because it was submitted under our new name but the IRS system still had us under the old name. If you're making estimated payments, either complete the name change process before your next payment is due, or continue making payments under your old name until the IRS processes the change. You can always call the Business Tax Line to confirm which name is currently on file in their system before submitting payments. Also, don't forget to update your name with your bank if you have a dedicated business account for tax payments. We had a payment bounce because the name on the electronic transfer didn't match what the IRS had on file. Small detail but can cause headaches if overlooked.