Do you know if this works if you got insurance through healthcare.gov and not a state exchange? Some states don't have their own marketplace and use the federal one instead. Would the state line still help in that case?

If you got insurance through healthcare.gov rather than a state exchange, then you'd need to contact the federal marketplace directly. States that don't have their own exchanges wouldn't have dedicated support for this. But there's another angle you could try - contact your specific insurance company's customer service. Sometimes they can at least confirm details about your coverage that might help, even if they can't provide the actual 1095-A form (which has to come from the marketplace).

Thanks for this suggestion! If I can't get this resolved in the next week or so, I'll definitely file the extension. Really hoping it doesn't come to that though - I was planning to use my refund for some urgent car repairs. Does filing an extension delay when I would get my refund too?

Yes, filing an extension will delay your refund since the IRS can't process and issue a refund until you actually file your complete tax return. The extension only gives you more time to file the paperwork - it doesn't extend the time to pay any taxes due or receive refunds. If you're counting on that refund money, definitely try the suggestions others have mentioned for getting your 1095-A as quickly as possible. That Form 8962 is absolutely required if you received advance premium tax credits, and there's unfortunately no way around it.

Would this still apply if the crowdfunding happens in late 2024 but they don't purchase the equipment until early 2025? Or do they need to buy the equipment in the same tax year they receive the funds?

The timing matters significantly. If you receive crowdfunding in 2024, that's when the income would be recognized for tax purposes, regardless of when you purchase the equipment. If you buy the equipment in 2025, you'd take the deduction or begin depreciation in the 2025 tax year. This timing difference could create a tax burden in 2024 without the offsetting deduction until 2025. One potential solution is to use accrual accounting rather than cash basis, but that depends on your overall business structure and may require formal election with the IRS.

Be careful with that approach! I tried something similar with my small retail business. If you don't properly document the loans with terms, interest rates, and repayment schedules, the IRS could reclassify them as income anyway. Plus you need to track and report all repayments. It ended up being more paperwork than it was worth for us.

I've been checking my mail obsessively and haven't received any CP05 notices - just the identity verification request months ago. I double-checked my bank account info on the return and it's definitely correct. This is so frustrating because they keep saying to check for errors but won't tell me what errors they're looking for!

That is definitely frustrating. If they confirmed your identity verification was successful, there's likely another issue they're not communicating clearly. When you call, are you speaking with the refund department specifically? Sometimes different departments have different visibility into what's happening with your return. One other thing to try is to request a tax advocate through the Taxpayer Advocate Service as mentioned earlier. They have more authority to investigate and resolve issues than regular IRS representatives. Given the excessive delay, you would qualify for hardship assistance through TAS.

I've had several clients successfully use Form 911 to resolve extended delays. The key is documenting financial hardship - be specific about bills you can't pay or financial obligations you're struggling with because of the missing refund. Make sure to include all relevant information: your tax ID, filing status, tax year, and copies of any correspondence you've received. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is currently backlogged as well, but they typically respond within 30 days and can often resolve issues that regular channels can't. They have special access and authority within the IRS systems.

I did check that actually - FreeTaxUSA doesn't let you just do the state return separately unfortunately. You have to buy the whole package. Based on everyone's advice, I'm going to try the Oregon Department of Revenue direct filing option instead. Seems silly to pay $50 for a $5 refund!

Yep, same happened to my cousin. Ignored a small state return and got hit with a $125 penalty two years later. The state tax departments definitely do cross-check with federal returns.

Thanks for the warning! I'll definitely file the Oregon return then. I was leaning that way already but this confirms it's not worth the risk of penalties. I'm going to try the direct filing option through Oregon's website that others mentioned.

Yes, you can deduct the business percentage of expenses for mixed-use items. There's no specific percentage threshold - you just need to have a reasonable method for determining the business portion. Some people track hours of use, others track the number of projects, and some use square footage for workspace deductions. The most important thing is documentation. Keep a log showing when equipment is used for business vs. personal purposes. Take photos of business projects vs. personal ones. Track the income from business projects. In case of an audit, you need to be able to justify your allocation percentage.

Thanks for the clarification on mixed-use deductions! I've been keeping receipts but haven't been tracking usage time. I'll start keeping a simple log of hours spent on personal vs. sellable projects to document my business percentage. Do you think a spreadsheet would be sufficient documentation or should I be doing something more formal? I'm trying to do this right without creating an overwhelming amount of paperwork for what's still a relatively small operation.

This is really helpful advice, thank you! Do you have a specific method you'd recommend for tracking the business vs. personal usage? I'm thinking of creating a spreadsheet or maybe using a time-tracking app, but I'm not sure what would be most acceptable to the IRS if I ever got audited.

For my photography business, I now use a simple but effective system. I have a digital calendar where I color-code business shoots versus personal use. I take a screenshot at the end of each month showing the breakdown. I also keep a simple spreadsheet tracking hours of use, project names (business clients vs. personal), and income generated from business projects. The key is consistency - whatever method you choose, use it regularly. The IRS doesn't require any specific format, but they need to see that your tracking is reasonable and applied consistently. Contemporaneous records (created at the time of use, not recreated later) are much more credible in an audit situation. Finally, keep all this documentation for at least 7 years along with your tax returns.