One thing to consider - the CPA exam itself is BRUTAL. I failed FAR twice before passing. If you didn't major in accounting, you might need to spend extra time on exam prep. I'd recommend starting the study process while you're still completing your educational requirements.

Just wanted to add that I'm a CPA who came from a biology background! It took me about 2.5 years to complete all the requirements while working full time. The online route is totally doable. I took courses through my state university's online program and a community college. Don't get discouraged when the courses get tough - accounting builds on itself, so the beginning is always the hardest part for career changers. By the time you're in intermediate accounting, you'll have a solid foundation!

I went through almost this exact situation at a dermatology clinic last year! Controlled schedule, on-site work, using their equipment, yet they wanted to classify me as an independent contractor. Here's what I learned: 1. Don't fill out that W-9 if you believe you're an employee. You can provide a written statement explaining why you believe you're misclassified instead. 2. The SS-8 form is exactly what you need. It asks detailed questions about your work arrangement so the IRS can make a determination. 3. Document EVERYTHING. Save all communications, work schedules, evidence of supervision, etc. 4. If they've already paid you, you'll need to report that income regardless. But you can file Form 8919 with your taxes to pay only the employee portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. My former employer was furious when they got contacted by the IRS, but ultimately the determination came back that I was indeed an employee. They had to pay their portion of employment taxes plus penalties. It took about 7 months for the whole process.

Hey, just a heads up - my wife is an accountant and says you should request a copy of your Homebase time records ASAP before they potentially "disappear." Those records are gold for proving you were treated as an employee. One of her clients was in a similar situation and getting those timekeeping records was crucial to their successful misclassification case. Also, her firm sees these cases all the time and they've had great success with the SS-8 process. The typical turnaround time is 6-8 months for a determination, but it's absolutely worth doing. From what you've described, this is pretty much a textbook case of misclassification. One last thing - don't worry too much about the SSN issue. Your employer already has your SSN if you worked there, and filing the SS-8 doesn't create additional risk. If anything, having an open case with the IRS might actually provide some protection because they'll be more aware if something suspicious happens with your tax records.

One option that might help - check if your employer offers commuter benefits through payroll deduction. My company lets me set aside up to $280/month pre-tax for qualified parking expenses. It reduces my taxable income so I'm not paying income tax on the money I use for parking. It's not a deduction, but it's still tax savings!

Just an outside-the-box thought - have you looked into carpooling with coworkers to split the parking cost? I was paying $175/month until I found two colleagues who live near me. Now we rotate driving each week and my parking cost is effectively $58/month. Not a tax solution but definitely helps the budget!

Another option is to check with your local office supply stores. Stores like Staples, Office Depot, or even Walmart sometimes sell tax form kits that include templates (usually on CD or as a download code) along with the physical forms. These are usually made by companies like Adams or TOPS. I used one last year and the templates were pretty basic Excel files, but they were precisely formatted to line up with the official forms. Cost me around $40 for the kit but it saved a ton of headache.

Just a reminder for everyone that the rules changed in recent years - most independent contractor payments that used to go on 1099-MISC now need to be reported on 1099-NEC instead. Make sure you're using the right form!

8 Quick tip from someone who went through this: make sure you get clarity on what your acquisition cost is considered to be for CGT calculations. Is it when you originally bought together? Or does the divorce create a new acquisition value? This makes a huge difference to the gain calculation. Also don't forget to factor in any improvements you made to the property (extensions, major renovations, etc.) as these can be added to your acquisition cost to reduce the taxable gain. I nearly forgot about the loft conversion we did that added £40k to the base cost!

22 Has anyone dealt with the stamp duty implications when buying a new place after divorce? I'm in a similar situation where I'll get a portion of our house sale but I'm worried I'll have to pay the higher stamp duty rate on my next purchase since technically I'll still be "owning" part of a property until completion day of our family home sale.