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Direct Deposit Date Jan 12 - Credit Karma Card Early Deposit Possible?
Got my DDD for the 12th on my transcripts. Anyone know if Credit Karma typically deposits refunds earlier? Already getting an early deposit date but wondering if CK might release it sooner. SBT shows funded but nothing in my CK account yet. They def have the right account since my advance hit there.
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Can I hire a personal assistant as a 1099 contractor and deduct expenses?
Title: Can I hire a personal assistant as a 1099 contractor and deduct expenses? 1 I've been working as an independent contractor for about 8 months now and things have gotten crazy busy. My 1099 income has been pretty good (around $86,000 so far this year), but I'm literally working 70+ hours a week and don't have time for basic life stuff anymore. Groceries, dry cleaning, scheduling appointments - it's all piling up! I'm wondering if I can hire a part-time personal assistant to help manage some of these tasks that are cutting into my work hours. More importantly, would this be a legitimate business expense I could deduct on my taxes? I file Schedule C as a sole proprietor with my 1099 income. I'm single with no dependents, and I really need to maximize my deductions since I'm paying both sides of the FICA tax. Would appreciate any insight on whether this is allowed and how I should document it if I go this route!
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8 One thing to consider - if you hire an assistant as an employee (even part-time), you'll need to set up payroll, withhold taxes, and possibly provide benefits depending on your state laws. That's additional overhead in terms of time and money. If you go the contractor route, make sure they truly qualify as an independent contractor under IRS rules. The key factors are control and independence. If you're dictating exactly how/when/where they work, the IRS might consider them an employee regardless of how you classify them.
3 Do you have any recommendations for payroll services that handle this stuff for solo entrepreneurs? I'm in a similar situation and the paperwork feels overwhelming.
8 Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are both good options for small businesses with just a few employees. They handle all the tax calculations, filings, and direct deposits automatically. They're not free, but the time saved and peace of mind is worth it. If you're really budget-conscious, SurePayroll is slightly cheaper but still handles the essentials. The key is finding something that integrates with your accounting software to minimize manual data entry.
16 Have you considered using task-based services like TaskRabbit or other gig platforms instead of hiring someone? I'm also a 1099 contractor and I use these services for one-off tasks when I'm swamped. The benefit is you only pay for exactly what you need, when you need it.
1 I've thought about that route, but I really need someone consistent who understands my preferences and business. Having to explain everything to different people each time would probably take more time than it saves. Has anyone used a virtual assistant service? I'm wondering if that might be a middle ground - more consistent than gig workers but without the employment complexities.
Virtual assistants can be a great middle ground! I've been using a VA service for about 6 months now and it's been perfect for my consulting business. Most VAs work as independent contractors, so you avoid the payroll complexity, but you get consistency since you typically work with the same person. The key for tax purposes is still the same - make sure to clearly separate business tasks from personal ones. My VA handles things like client scheduling, invoice follow-ups, research, and basic administrative work that directly supports my business operations. I track their hours and can deduct those as legitimate business expenses on Schedule C. Just make sure whoever you choose can provide proper documentation and invoicing for your records. Many VA services are already set up to work with business clients and understand the documentation requirements.
How do I report selling scrap gold without receiving a 1099-B or brokerage statement?
So I've been hitting up estate sales for the past several months, digging through old jewelry boxes and finding gold pieces. I've been taking these finds to my local coin shop where they buy the scrap gold for cash. The thing is, they don't keep any records or give me any paperwork for these transactions. Now I'm doing my taxes with FreeTaxUsa and I'm stuck at this point where it's asking for a "summary statement of investment sales" - specifically saying I can use a Form 1099-B or brokerage statement for "SCRAP: Short-term (Box B)". I'm totally confused because I didn't get a 1099-B and didn't use any brokerage. These were just cash transactions - I paid cash for jewelry at estate sales, walked to the coin shop, sold it as scrap for cash, and walked out. I honestly didn't track individual transactions because it didn't occur to me I'd need to. All I really know is roughly how much I spent total and what I made over the year. My profit was under $1,200 after splitting with the person I was working with at the time. What am I supposed to do here? Do I need to create some kind of statement myself? This is the first time I've done anything like this and I'm worried about getting it wrong.
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For scrap gold sales specifically, you should report it on Schedule D as a capital asset. Since you held it for investment purposes (buying low, selling high), that's the appropriate place. Make sure to classify it as a "collectible" which has a different tax rate than regular capital gains. Gold is taxed at a maximum of 28% rather than the normal capital gains rates. Even though your profit is small, the classification matters for accuracy.
Thanks for mentioning the collectible aspect! I had no idea gold would be taxed differently. Does FreeTaxUSA automatically handle that classification if I enter it as scrap gold, or do I need to specifically mark it somewhere as a collectible?
FreeTaxUSA will handle the collectible classification correctly if you identify the asset type properly. When entering your capital gain, there should be a dropdown or option to select "collectible" as the asset type. The software will then automatically apply the correct tax rate. Just make sure you don't mistakenly classify it as ordinary income or a regular capital asset. The distinction is important because collectibles like gold, even as scrap, are subject to that different tax treatment regardless of how long you held them.
Quick tip from someone who's been buying/selling gold for years: start keeping a simple log NOW for next year. Just a notebook with columns for: - Date purchased - What you bought - Purchase price - Date sold - Sale price - Profit/loss Would have saved me so much headache when I first started. For this year, estimate as best you can and create that summary sheet others mentioned. IRS mainly wants to see you're making a good faith effort to report accurately.
This is great advice! Would you recommend also keeping the actual receipts from estate sales or is the log enough? Some estate sales give handwritten receipts that fade over time.
Definitely keep the receipts when you can get them! I scan or photograph any receipts I get from estate sales, even the handwritten ones. For those faded receipts, taking a photo with your phone right when you get them works great - the camera usually picks up details better than a photocopy. For estate sales that don't give receipts, I write the details in my log immediately while I'm still at the sale. Include the address of the sale if possible - it helps establish the transaction if you ever need to prove your cost basis. I also keep photos of the jewelry pieces I buy before I take them to get melted down, just in case. The combination of log + receipts/photos gives you solid documentation that the IRS will accept. Much better than trying to recreate everything from memory like you're doing now!
Has anyone actually gotten their refund after filing with FreeTaxUSA this season?
So I just filed my taxes for the first time ever (I'm 19) and used FreeTaxUSA to submit my federal return. It got accepted on February 23rd, but it's been over two weeks and there's literally zero movement on the Where's My Refund tool. It still just says "return received" but nothing else. This is super frustrating because I was counting on getting that money back soon. I thought electronic filing was supposed to be fast? Has anyone else here used FreeTaxUSA this tax season and actually received their refund yet? And if you did, how long did it take from when your return was accepted? Starting to get worried something went wrong with my filing.
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Anyone else notice that your refund date estimate in FreeTaxUSA doesn't match what WMR shows? My FreeTaxUSA account says "expected by March 18" but WMR still shows processing with no date.
The date FreeTaxUSA shows is just an estimate based on the average 21-day processing time. It's not connected to the actual IRS systems. WMR pulls data directly from the IRS database, so it's always more accurate.
I filed with FreeTaxUSA on February 20th and just got my refund deposited yesterday (March 12th) - so about 3 weeks total. I was getting worried too because the WMR tool showed "processing" for what felt like forever, then suddenly jumped to "refund approved" and "refund sent" within the same day. For what it's worth, I'm also a first-time filer (just turned 20) and only had a W-2 from my retail job. No special credits or anything complicated. The waiting was definitely nerve-wracking, but it sounds like you're still well within the normal timeframe since you filed on Feb 23rd. FreeTaxUSA itself was super easy to use - way better than paying TurboTax's crazy fees. The actual filing process went smoothly, it's just the IRS processing that takes forever during tax season. Hang in there!
Are Rakuten, Chase referral bonuses, Amex intro bonus & AdSense income under $600 taxable without 1099?
So I had a conversation with a CPA recently and I'm pretty confused about what they told me. Basically, they said that several types of income I've received this year aren't taxable and I don't need to report them unless I get a Form 1099. According to them, if I don't receive a 1099 form, the IRS won't question it, so I can just... not report it? I want to make sure I'm not making a huge mistake, so can someone confirm if this advice is legit for these specific types of income: - Rakuten referral bonuses (from getting friends to sign up) - Chase credit card referral bonuses (got like $250 for referring my brother) - Amazon/Chase card welcome bonus ($150 cash I got immediately after opening) - AdSense income from my small blog (under $600 for the year, no 1099) The CPA seemed pretty confident, but I'm nervous about following this advice. Are these really not taxable if I don't receive a 1099? Something about this feels off to me.
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So here's the real answer about small amounts of income: Yes, technically all income is taxable. But in reality, the IRS has limited resources to chase small amounts. Does this mean you should ignore small incomes? Not necessarily. But the likelihood of facing issues over small amounts without 1099s is extremely low unless you're being audited for other reasons. If you want to be 100% compliant, report everything. If you're concerned about practical risk, focus on anything documented or over the reporting thresholds. Just remember the difference between what's legal and what's likely to cause problems aren't always the same thing.
This is awful advice that could get someone in serious trouble. "The likelihood of getting caught is low" is not a valid tax strategy. The penalties and interest on unreported income can quickly multiply the original tax amount.
Your CPA gave you dangerously incorrect advice. The $600 threshold for 1099 reporting is NOT a threshold for taxable income - it's just when companies are required to send you documentation. All income is taxable regardless of whether you receive a 1099. Here's what you need to know about your specific situations: **Rakuten referral bonuses**: Taxable income. You're being compensated for marketing their service. **Chase referral bonuses**: Taxable income. Same principle - you're being paid to bring in new customers. **Credit card welcome bonus**: This depends on the structure. If it required spending to earn (like "spend $500, get $150"), it's likely a non-taxable rebate. If it was just for opening the account, it could be taxable income. **AdSense income**: Definitely taxable as self-employment income on Schedule C, even under $600. The IRS expects you to report ALL income. The absence of a 1099 doesn't make it tax-free - it just means the payer wasn't required to document it. Please find a different CPA who understands basic tax law, because following this advice could result in penalties, interest, and potential audit issues down the road. When in doubt, it's always better to report income than to risk the consequences of not reporting it.
Mia Alvarez
whats SBT? trying to track my refund too
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Carter Holmes
SBTPG - Santa Barbara Tax Products Group. They handle refund transfers if you got an advance or paid fees from refund
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Ava Rodriguez
CK has been pretty inconsistent with tax refunds in my experience. Sometimes they release a day early, sometimes right on the DDD. Since your advance already hit there, the routing is definitely set up correctly. I'd expect it to drop either tonight or tomorrow morning if your DDD is the 12th. Keep checking overnight - that's when they usually process!
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