Small business owner here. Weirdest legit deduction? My therapy sessions. I run a high-stress business and my doctor literally prescribed therapy for managing work-related anxiety. Deducted as a medical expense related to business operations. Also: dog food and vet bills (office dog that greets customers), Netflix (research for my content creation business), fancy coffee machine (client hospitality), part of my smartphone bill, audio books for commute (industry-related), and even some art for my office walls (client environment). Document. Everything. Keep photos, notes on business purpose, and save ALL receipts. I use my phone to take pics of receipts immediately and tag them with the business purpose.

As someone who's been running a small tech consulting business for 3 years, I've found some surprisingly legitimate deductions that my accountant initially raised eyebrows at: **Coworking space day passes** - When I need to meet clients in a professional setting or escape home distractions, these are fully deductible as office expenses. **LinkedIn Premium and other networking subscriptions** - Essential for lead generation and maintaining professional connections. **Books and audiobooks** - Even fiction can be deductible if it relates to understanding your target market or improving communication skills. **Partial gym membership** - I deduct about 30% since I often have informal client meetings there and it's part of maintaining the energy needed for demanding projects. **Domain names I never used** - Bought several domains for potential projects that never materialized, but they're still legitimate business expenses. The key I've learned is that the IRS cares more about *intent* and *reasonable business purpose* than whether something seems conventional. Just make sure you can articulate why each expense helps generate income for your specific business, and keep detailed records of the business purpose. My rule of thumb: if I can't explain in two sentences why it's business-related, I don't deduct it.

Check your wage and income transcript too. Sometimes employers mess up reporting and that triggers the 570

Been through this exact situation! Code 570 with multiple credits can be really stressful but it's actually pretty common. The IRS often puts a hold when there are several credits on one return (like your EIC, multiple 766 codes) - they just want to verify everything is legit. The code 960 (appointed representative) likely means they've assigned a specific examiner to your case, which can actually be good since it means someone is actively working on it rather than it just sitting in a pile. Don't file an amended return unless you get a specific letter asking for one - that could actually slow things down more. Most of these resolve within 60-90 days from the 570 date. Keep checking your transcript weekly and watch your mail for any IRS correspondence. Hang in there! 💪

Has your daughter already started working there? If not, this could be a huge red flag about how they run their business. A company that misclassifies employees might also cut corners on other important things like safety, breaks, or paying minimum wage.

You're absolutely right to be concerned - this is a clear case of employee misclassification. The IRS has a simple test: if the employer controls what work is done, how it's done, and when it's done, then the worker is an employee. Your daughter will have set hours, receive training, wear their uniform, and work under their supervision - that's textbook employee status. I'd recommend having your daughter politely explain that she believes she should be classified as an employee and ask for a W-4 instead. She can mention that the IRS guidelines for her type of work arrangement indicate employee status. Most small businesses make this mistake out of confusion rather than malicious intent. If they refuse to correct it, you can file IRS Form SS-8 to get an official determination. But in most cases, a friendly conversation with the employer about the proper classification resolves the issue quickly.

Ugh, I feel your pain. The IRS is seriously understaffed and overworked. It's not just you - the whole system is broken. Have you considered reaching out to a tax professional? They might have better ways to contact the IRS.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! What finally worked for me was calling the Practitioner Priority Service line (if you have a tax pro help you) or trying the main number but calling exactly at 7am EST when they open. Also, don't hang up when you get the busy signal - sometimes if you wait a few seconds it'll actually put you in the queue. The key is persistence and timing. I know it's frustrating but keep at it! You might also want to check if your issue can be resolved online through your IRS account first - sometimes that saves you the call entirely. Hang in there! 💪

I used to work at one of the major tax prep companies and can tell you the pricing tiers often include the features you need. For TurboTax, you need the Premier version to get the investment data import feature, which is why it costs more than FreeTaxUSA. Some tips: 1. Check if any financial institutions offer discounted or free tax software. Many brokers offer TurboTax at a discount to their customers. 2. If you decide to pay for TurboTax, buy it directly through their website, not in-store. There are often online-only discounts. 3. Consider a multi-year strategy: Use TurboTax in years with heavy trading, FreeTaxUSA in quieter years. 4. Often overlooked: TaxAct has import capabilities for major brokerages at a lower price than TurboTax. Don't dismiss the time value - if you have hundreds of transactions, paying $70 more for software that saves you 3+ hours of data entry is worth it for most people.

Another option to consider is TaxHawk - I've been using it for the past couple years and it's significantly cheaper than TurboTax but has better import capabilities than FreeTaxUSA. They support direct import from most major brokerages including Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, and E*TRADE. The interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but for investment transactions it gets the job done. I was able to import about 150 transactions last year without any issues. They also handle wash sale calculations automatically which saved me a lot of headache. Price-wise, their Deluxe version (which includes investment features) runs about $40-50, so it's a nice middle ground between FreeTaxUSA and TurboTax Premier. Might be worth checking if they support your specific broker before you decide on going back to TurboTax.