But that assumes you'd otherwise be working during that time. If you're doing taxes on a weekend when you'd just be watching Netflix anyway, isn't the calculation different?

You make a fair point about the weekend time value! I hadn't considered that angle, and you're right that if it's time you wouldn't be earning money anyway, the calculation changes. My main point was just to be mindful that sometimes we focus so much on saving the prep fee that we don't consider the value of our time or potential mistakes. But for a simple return like OP described, I agree it's likely worth it regardless of when you do it.

I've used FreeTaxUSA for 3 years now and love it. Federal filing is free and state is like $15. Interface isn't as slick as TurboTax but it does everything you need. I have W-2, mortgage interest, and retirement contributions too - worked great.

22 Do you need to go to the post office for certified mail or can you do it online somehow? I'm trying to avoid standing in those crazy post office lines.

7 You do need to go to the post office for certified mail, unfortunately. There's no way to do it completely online since they need to give you the tracking receipt in person. But here's a tip - you can use the USPS website to pre-fill all the certified mail forms and pre-pay, then just drop it off at the counter. Much faster than waiting in the regular line. If you absolutely can't make it to the post office, you could use a private service like UPS or FedEx which also provides tracking, and you can schedule those pickups online. Just make sure you're sending it to the correct IRS mailing address if you use a private delivery service.

13 You can also save the PDF versions to your computer instead of printing them, right? That's what I usually do.

No letter from them, just my pay stubs. I'll try calling their finance dept though - that's a good idea. Did your letter specifically state that you were an employee rather than a contractor?

My letter simply stated the total earnings and noted I was an "election worker" with a statement that the amount was below the W-2 threshold. It didn't specifically classify me as an employee vs contractor, but the election commission HR person told me I was definitely considered an employee for tax purposes. It's worth calling - most counties have dealt with this question before since they hire thousands of election workers.

This is the right answer. I've been an election judge for years. Election workers are employees, not independent contractors. I'm surprised your town committee gives W-2s for $170 but your county doesn't for $350. Different payroll systems I guess.

That's a really interesting idea I hadn't considered! Can you really open a retirement account for a minor? And does it matter that they don't make that much?

You absolutely can open a retirement account for a minor, but it will need to be a custodial Roth IRA that you manage until they turn 18. The only requirement is that they have earned income - they can contribute up to 100% of their earned income with a max of $6,500 for 2024. The beauty of starting so young is the power of compound interest. Even small contributions now can grow tremendously by retirement age. My daughter's $3,000 contribution could potentially grow to over $100,000 by retirement age without adding another penny. Plus, it's teaching her about investing early.

The kiddie tax mainly applies to investment income though, not earned income from jobs. Since OP's kids have earned income from working, they should be fine as long as they don't also have significant investment income.

That's a red flag. If they're paying you via Venmo and saying "don't worry about it," they're not handling payroll taxes correctly. Venmo is now required to report payments over a certain threshold to the IRS via 1099-K. Your employer might be trying to avoid payroll taxes, but you'll still be responsible for the income. Definitely keep good records of all these payments!

Thanks for the warning! I've started taking screenshots of all the payments as they come in, with the notes that explicitly say "Q2 performance bonus" and similar descriptions. It sounds like I should be preparing to pay taxes on this myself rather than expecting it to show up on my W2. I'm going to check out some of the resources mentioned in this thread too. Definitely not looking forward to having this conversation with HR though.

The gift card situation is different but still problematic. Gift cards are actually taxable income regardless of amount (despite what many employers think). The "de minimis" exception is really meant for small occasional benefits like coffee in the break room or a holiday turkey. Regularly scheduled gift cards of significant value definitely don't qualify!