Just a heads up on the Mach-E purchase - make sure you're tracking ALL your business mileage starting day one. I made the mistake of being casual about it when I first got my vehicle for my real estate business, and it caused me headaches at tax time. I recommend getting a mileage tracking app that automatically logs your trips. You'll need to categorize each trip as business or personal. For realtors, business mileage includes driving to showings, open houses, meeting clients, checking on properties, etc. Also, keep all documentation from the purchase - especially anything showing the vehicle's eligibility for the EV credit. The IRS has been known to question these claims.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - if you're buying the vehicle in December, make sure it's actually placed in service before year-end if you want the deductions for this tax year. "Placed in service" means actually using it for business purposes, not just purchasing it. Also, take photos of your odometer when you first get the vehicle and whenever you use it for business in those first few weeks. This documentation can be super helpful if questions come up later.

I waited until February 15th last year before filing because my PayPal 1099K came super late despite the January 31 deadline. Some companies just don't meet the deadline and there's basically no consequence for them. So frustrating!

Based on everything discussed here, it sounds like you're in good shape to file now without waiting. Since you made $780 through PayPal, you're well under the $5,000 threshold for 2024, so PayPal isn't required to send you a 1099-K anyway. The fact that you've already included all your PayPal income on Schedule C is exactly what you should be doing. You're legally required to report all income regardless of whether you receive tax forms for it, and it sounds like you've got detailed records which is the most important thing. I'd recommend going ahead and filing rather than waiting. If by some chance you did receive a 1099-K later (which seems unlikely given the threshold), it wouldn't create a problem since you've already reported more income than what would be on the form. The IRS is looking at your total reported income, not trying to match every individual transaction to a form. Getting your refund processed sooner is definitely a nice bonus for being organized with your record-keeping!

Is anyone else finding the IRS ITIN renewal process totally baffling in 2025??? Their website keeps giving me error messages when trying to check my ITIN status. And the PDF of Form W-7 won't even download properly on my phone. This whole system feels designed to be impossible to navigate.

Just went through this exact same process last month for my green card application! A few things that might help: First, make sure you're clear on which type of Tax ID you have. If it's an ITIN and you haven't filed taxes with it in 3+ years, it's likely expired and you'll need Form W-7 to renew. If it's an EIN for a business, those don't expire. For the renewal, you'll definitely want to get your tax compliance sorted out first - USCIS really scrutinizes tax history during the naturalization process. I had to get transcripts going back 5 years to prove I was current on all filings. One tip: if you're in a time crunch, consider visiting an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person rather than mailing everything. They can verify your documents on the spot and it tends to be faster than the mail process. You can schedule an appointment on the IRS website. Good luck with your citizenship application - having all the tax documentation properly organized will definitely help your case!

Check your bank statement carefully! Sometimes the bank takes processing fees too. My credit union charged me a $15 "transfer processing fee" for receiving my tax refund through direct deposit last year. It wasn't the tax preparer or the IRS, it was my own bank!

Similar thing happened to me but mine was actually a tax offset due to a really old unpaid parking ticket I forgot about from like 6 years ago!! The city reported it to the treasury offset program. The IRS should have sent you a letter explaining why your refund was different than expected.

Has anyone here actually been audited over depreciation issues? I've been using my "best guess" for business use percentage of my computer for years (about 75%) but don't really have detailed logs to back it up. Starting to worry if that's a red flag.

Just wanted to add something important that might help - the IRS requires "contemporaneous records" for business use claims, which means you should be tracking your laptop usage as it happens, not reconstructing it later. I learned this the hard way when my CPA told me my retroactive estimates wouldn't hold up well in an audit. For laptops and other mixed-use equipment, I now keep a simple spreadsheet noting dates, hours used for business vs personal, and what type of work I did. Takes maybe 2 minutes a day but gives you solid documentation. The IRS Publication 463 has specific guidance on what constitutes adequate records for business use of listed property (which includes computers). Also worth noting - if your business use ever drops below 50% in any year during the depreciation period, you may have to "recapture" some of the accelerated depreciation you took in earlier years. So if you're on the borderline with that 80% figure, definitely keep detailed logs to protect yourself.