Don't forget about potential state tax implications too! What state are you in? Some states have different rules for married couples vs single filers than federal.

Another thing to consider is the timing of when you actually tie the knot! Since the IRS looks at your marital status on December 31st, even if you get married on December 30th, you'd be considered married for the entire tax year. This could work in your favor for maximizing your 2025 tax benefits. Given your situation - $95k income, 3 kids, stay-at-home parent, and new home purchase - you're likely looking at significant savings by filing married jointly. The combination of higher standard deduction, better utilization of child tax credits, and potential mortgage interest deduction benefits should outweigh any potential downsides. One practical tip: if you do decide to get married this year, make sure to update your partner's W-4 with their employer right after the wedding. They'll likely want to adjust their withholdings since the tax brackets and calculations will be different as a married couple. This can help avoid any surprises at tax time!

When I did my Schedule C for eBay last year, I used TurboSelf-Employed and it was pretty straightforward. Is that better than going to an actual accountant who might not understand the eBay selling situation?

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been selling on eBay for about 2 years now. I made the mistake in my first year of not keeping detailed records of my inventory purchases, and it made filling out Schedule C a nightmare. For anyone just starting out or struggling with record-keeping, I highly recommend setting up a simple spreadsheet to track: - Date of purchase - Item description - Purchase price (your cost basis) - Date sold - Sale price - eBay fees - Shipping costs This makes it so much easier when tax time comes around. You can clearly see what goes into Cost of Goods Sold versus what counts as business expenses. Also, if you're buying items specifically to resell, keep those receipts separate from personal purchases - it'll save you hours of sorting later. The 1099-K is just the starting point, but having your own detailed records is what really matters for accurate Schedule C reporting.

whatever u do DONT MAIL IT IN unless u absolutely have to. E-file is the way

Just to clarify for @Emma Bianchi - since you're amending your 2023 taxes, you're definitely good to e-file! The cutoff is 2021 and later, so 2023 is well within range. I amended my 2023 return last year and it took about 14 weeks via e-file. Way better than the paper nightmare everyone's describing here. Make sure you have your original return handy when you're filling out the 1040X - you'll need those numbers for comparison.

Has anyone ever been audited on their Solo 401k contributions? I'm wondering how much detail the IRS typically wants to see regarding these journal entries.

Your journal entry approach looks solid! I've been doing something very similar for my single-member LLC's Solo 401k contributions. Using separate equity accounts for profit sharing and salary deferral is definitely the way to go - it makes tracking so much easier come tax time. One small suggestion: you might want to consider adding a memo field to your journal entries noting the tax year the contribution applies to, especially if you're making contributions early in the year that could apply to the previous tax year. I learned this the hard way when I got confused about which year's limits I was working against. Also, make sure you're calculating your maximum allowable contributions correctly based on your net self-employment income. The profit sharing portion is limited to 25% of your compensation (with some adjustments for the self-employment tax deduction), while the salary deferral portion has the standard 401k limits. Getting these calculations right upfront will save you headaches later. Your bookkeeping structure is definitely on point though - keeping these as equity transactions rather than business expenses is exactly right for a disregarded entity.

The IRS is absolutely swamped right now. I had to verify my identity on March 14, 2024, and was told 120-180 days. My refund was deposited on April 29, 2024 - exactly 46 days later. I think they're just giving worst-case scenarios to everyone. Check your transcript daily - that's the best indicator of actual progress.

I went through ID verification in February and was also told 180 days - got my refund in 52 days! The key thing I learned is to check your transcript weekly rather than relying on Where's My Refund. Once you see a 846 refund code with a date, that's when you know it's actually happening. The IRS reps definitely give you the maximum timeframe to manage expectations, but most people I've talked to got their money within 6-8 weeks. Hang in there - you're probably much closer than 6 months!