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Former restaurant manager here. The podcast was spot on. I've seen firsthand how easy it is for cash businesses to underreport. One place I worked would have two registers - one that was connected to their point of sale system and reported to accounting, and another "backup" register that magically handled about 30% of the cash transactions that never made it onto the books. Some owners also pay staff partly in cash "under the table" which reduces their payroll tax obligations. Not saying it's right - just saying it happens way more than people realize.
NebulaNomad
ā¢Is there any way the IRS catches these kinds of schemes? Seems like if they're careful about it, there wouldn't be any paper trail to follow.
The IRS does have ways to catch these schemes. They look at industry averages - if your restaurant is reporting significantly lower revenue per square foot than similar restaurants, that's a red flag. Also, lifestyle audits catch some business owners - if you're driving a Ferrari while reporting $40K income, questions arise. The most common way these schemes get caught, though, is disgruntled employees reporting to the IRS. There's actually a whistleblower program where you can get a percentage of the recovered taxes. I've seen businesses get completely destroyed after an employee they mistreated turned them in for tax fraud. The penalties and back taxes can be devastating.
My CPA explained that the "reporting gap" is actually by design in our tax system. Congress has repeatedly cut IRS enforcement funding over decades, especially for high-income taxpayers. It's not an accident. Here's the wildest part: the Congressional Budget Office estimates that every additional $1 spent on IRS enforcement yields $5-$9 in recovered revenue. What other government program has that kind of ROI? Yet we keep cutting their budget.
Emma Taylor
ā¢Those ROI numbers seem inflated. If that were true, wouldn't the government be pouring money into the IRS to fix the deficit? There must be more to the story.
Julia Hall
ā¢The ROI numbers are actually well-documented by the Treasury Inspector General and academic studies. The reason Congress doesn't just throw money at the IRS is political - nobody wants to be the politician who voted to "unleash the tax collectors" on constituents, even if it would reduce the deficit. There's also lobbying pressure from wealthy individuals and corporations who benefit from underenforcement. The recent IRS funding increases in the Inflation Calls Reduction Act faced massive political opposition despite the clear financial benefits to taxpayers who play by the rules.
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Zara Ahmed
Make sure you're accounting for any selling expenses to reduce your gain. Did you pay any commissions or have other costs related to the sale? Those directly offset the amount of gain you'll recognize.
Emma Wilson
ā¢Good point! I paid a business broker about $15k to help find a buyer and handle the paperwork. I'm guessing I can deduct that from the sale price before calculating my gain?
Zara Ahmed
ā¢Yes, that $15k commission to the business broker absolutely reduces your gain! You'd subtract it from the $325k sale price before calculating your gain. So instead of a $245k gain, you're looking at a $230k gain. That should save you several thousand in taxes. Also track any other expenses directly related to the sale - legal fees, appraisal costs, even travel if you had to meet with potential buyers. Every dollar in selling expenses is a dollar less in taxable gain.
Dana Doyle
This is a great learning thread! I'm facing a similar situation soon - considering selling some of my business equipment but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've gone through this, how did you handle the timing? Emma mentioned the money hit her account last month, but I'm wondering if there are strategic timing considerations for when to actually complete the sale. Like, would it make sense to wait until early in a tax year vs late in the year to have more time to plan offsetting strategies? Also, has anyone here worked with a tax professional specifically for equipment sales like this? I'm wondering if the complexity justifies hiring someone beyond just using software or online services.
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NeonNebula
For permanent residents dealing with tax issues, I'd recommend trying the International Taxpayer Services line at 267-941-1000. This is specifically for taxpayers with international tax situations, which includes permanent residents who may have had foreign income or are transitioning from non-resident to resident status. A few additional tips from my experience: - The international line typically has shorter wait times than the main number - They're better trained on issues affecting permanent residents - If you have any forms like 8833 (treaty-based return position) or dealt with the substantial presence test, mention this upfront - Keep your green card and previous year's tax returns handy The IRS also has a specific webpage for international taxpayers at irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers that might have answers to common PR-1 filing questions before you call. Sometimes you can resolve simpler issues through their online account system without needing to call at all. Hope this helps streamline your process!
Demi Lagos
Based on my recent experience as a permanent resident dealing with similar issues, I'd recommend a multi-pronged approach: **Primary Strategy:** Use the International Taxpayer Services line at 267-941-1000 (as @NeonNebula mentioned). This has been a game-changer for PR-specific questions. When you call, immediately mention you're a permanent resident with filing status questions - they'll route you to someone familiar with the transition from non-resident to resident status. **Backup Plan:** If the international line is busy, try the Practitioner Priority Line callback system. Even though you're not a practitioner, you can sometimes get added to their callback queue if you explain you've been unable to reach anyone through normal channels for weeks. **Documentation Tip:** Keep a log of every call attempt with timestamps. If you end up needing to escalate to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, this documentation will help establish that you've made good faith efforts to resolve the issue through normal channels. **Pro Tip:** The IRS has specific guidance for permanent residents in Publication 519 (U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens). Review this before calling so you can reference specific sections - it demonstrates you've done your homework and often gets you transferred to more knowledgeable representatives. The key is persistence and using the right entry points. The general 1040 line isn't equipped for the nuances of permanent resident tax situations.
@Dmitry Sokolov, for the Practitioner Priority Line callback system, you actually access it through the main business line at 800-829-4933. When you get to the automated menu, there's usually an option for "callback service" - though availability varies by season. During peak filing season, even this gets overwhelmed. Regarding the online appointment scheduling - I tried this last year and had mixed results. The system works well for basic services like getting transcripts or simple account issues, but for complex permanent resident questions, the local IRS offices often don't have staff trained on international tax situations. You might end up scheduling an appointment only to be told they can't help and you need to call anyway. One thing I learned the hard way: if you do get through to someone knowledgeable, ask for their direct callback number or extension. Some IRS departments have internal numbers that bypass the main queue system. Not all representatives will give this out, but it's worth asking politely - "Is there a direct number I can use if I need to follow up on this specific issue?" The international line at 267-941-1000 really is your best bet. I've found calling right at 7 AM EST when they open gives you the shortest wait times. Good luck with your PR-1 filing situation!
Jamal Carter
ā¢@Dmitry Sokolov The Practitioner Priority Line callback system is accessed through the main 1040 line 800-829-1040 (,)but you have to know the right sequence. After going through the initial prompts, there s'usually an option for callback "instead" of waiting on hold - though availability varies by time of day and season. Regarding in-person appointments, I ve'had mixed results. The IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers TACs (require) appointments now, and you can schedule through irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office. However, many locations have limited availability for complex issues like permanent resident status changes. They re'better for basic filing questions or document retrieval. For your specific PR-1 situation, I d'honestly stick with the phone approach using the international line. The TAC representatives often aren t'as well-versed in immigration-related tax matters as the specialized phone agents. Plus, you ll'have documentation of your call for future reference. One more tip: if you do use the international line and get disconnected it (happens ,)ask for a reference number before hanging up. Sometimes they can pull up your previous call notes, which saves you from explaining everything again. The systematic approach really is key with the IRS - treat it like debugging code, where you methodically work through each potential solution path!
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8 Has anyone else noticed that Square's transaction counting seems really inconsistent? I'm also under the 200 transaction threshold according to them, but I definitely had more individual customers than that. I'm wondering if they're counting batched payments differently.
10 Yeah, it's weird. I called Square support about this and they explained that if you use certain Square features like "Close Drawer" or if you process multiple payments at once through their system, it might count as fewer transactions. Also, their count is based on payment transactions, not individual customers or services provided. If you process a day's worth of cuts as a single batch, that's just one transaction in their system.
8 Thanks for this info! That explains a lot. I close my drawer once a day usually, which would mean all those individual haircuts are being counted as a single transaction. No wonder I'm not hitting 200 transactions despite having way more customers.
23 Just to clarify for everyone - the 1099-K threshold was actually supposed to change to $600 with NO minimum transaction count for 2022, but the IRS delayed implementing that change. They're sticking with the $20k AND 200 transactions rule for now, but be aware this will likely change in the future. When it does change, most of us with payment apps will get 1099-Ks even for much smaller amounts. So keep good records now and get in the habit of properly categorizing all your income. The IRS is getting more serious about payment app reporting.
17 Do you know if they've announced when that $600 threshold will actually take effect? I keep hearing different things. Is it for 2023 tax year (filing in 2024) or pushed back again?
The IRS has been pretty vague about the timeline, but last I heard they pushed it back again for 2023. They keep citing "implementation challenges" and wanting to avoid confusion. My accountant thinks it might not actually happen until 2024 tax year at the earliest, but honestly who knows at this point. The IRS seems to change their mind every few months on this. I'd just plan for it to happen eventually and keep detailed records regardless of what threshold is in place.
Zoey Bianchi
Does anyone know if taking classes online during covid from my home country affects my exempt period? I was physically outside the US for about 18 months during 2020-2021 even though I maintained my F1 status by taking online classes. Do those periods still count toward my 5 exempt years?
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William Schwarz
ā¢This is a great question. The exempt period for F1 students is based on your immigration status, not your physical presence. So yes, those 18 months when you were outside the US but maintaining F1 status through online classes still count toward your 5-year exempt period. However, when calculating the substantial presence test after your exempt period ends, only days you were physically present in the US count. So those 18 months wouldn't count toward the substantial presence test day count, even though they count toward using up your exempt period.
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QuantumQuester
This is such a common source of confusion for F1 students! I went through the exact same situation a few years ago. Here's what I learned that might help: Since you've been here for 6 years on F1 status (starting 2019), you're definitely past the 5-year exempt period. This means for 2024 and going forward, all your days of physical presence in the US count toward the substantial presence test. One thing to keep in mind - even though you're now counting days normally, make sure you're calculating the substantial presence test correctly. It's not just adding up all your days - it's: (all days in current year) + (1/3 of days in prior year) + (1/6 of days in year before that) = must be 183 or more. Also, since this sounds like it might be your first year transitioning from exempt to non-exempt status, you'll likely need to file as a "dual-status alien" - meaning nonresident for part of the year and resident for part of the year. This requires some special forms and calculations. Don't stress too much about "getting in trouble" - the IRS understands these situations are complex for international students. The key is filing correctly based on your actual status, and if you're unsure, it's always worth consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international student taxes or getting clarification directly from the IRS.
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