Thank you so much for the straight answer! Just to make sure I understand completely - if I file without the 1099 and I'm off by like $100 on my calculated gains, will I definitely get flagged for an audit? Or is there some margin of error the IRS is ok with?

The IRS doesn't have a specific "margin of error" they officially accept. Any discrepancy between what's reported on the 1099 forms and what you report on your return could potentially trigger an automated notice. It doesn't necessarily mean a full audit, but you would receive a letter asking for clarification or additional tax payment. Even small differences can cause issues because the IRS's automated matching system flags returns where the numbers don't match the forms they've received from financial institutions. This is especially true with crypto transactions where the IRS has been increasing scrutiny in recent years.

Yep, happened to me too. They claimed "mid-February" but it was February 27th when I finally got mine. I ended up filing in early March and still got my refund in reasonable time. Better to file correctly than deal with amendments.

Thanks for confirming I wasn't the only one! That makes me feel better about potentially waiting. Did your 1099 end up having any surprises compared to what you were expecting based on your own records?

This! My spouse and I actually calculated both ways - the tax savings from filing jointly versus the student loan payment increase from combining our incomes. We saved about $1,400 in taxes by filing jointly, but her income-based repayment would have gone up by $230/month, so filing separately made more sense for us.

I hadn't even thought about student loans! My husband is on an income-based repayment plan for his federal loans. I'll definitely need to calculate if the tax benefits of filing jointly would be offset by higher student loan payments. Thank you for bringing this up!

That's fascinating! I had no idea the prohibition had such a political origin. Has there ever been any serious attempt to repeal the Johnson Amendment? I've heard some politicians talk about it, but nothing seems to happen.

There have been several attempts to repeal or modify the Johnson Amendment, most notably during the Trump administration. In 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that he claimed would reduce enforcement of the Johnson Amendment against religious organizations, but legal experts generally agreed it didn't actually change anything substantive in how the law is applied. There were also provisions in early drafts of the 2017 tax bill that would have repealed the Johnson Amendment for churches, but these were ultimately removed from the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to procedural rules in the Senate. The debate continues, with strong advocates on both sides - those who see it as a free speech issue and those who believe tax-exempt status shouldn't subsidize political speech.

Not all churches are mega-churches with huge incomes. Most religious organizations are small community churches, synagogues, mosques and temples that barely keep the lights on. Taxing them would literally shut many of them down and harm the community services they provide like food banks, homeless shelters, and counseling services.

Did you negotiate with the insurance company or just accept their first offer? I've heard you can push back if their valuation seems low.

I absolutely negotiated! Their first offer was almost $3,200 below what comparable vehicles were selling for in my area. I collected screenshots of similar listings, documentation of recent maintenance and upgrades I'd done, and sent it all to the adjuster. After about a week of back-and-forth, they increased their offer by about $2,700. Still not perfect, but much closer to reality. Definitely don't just accept the first number they throw at you - most insurance companies expect some negotiation.

This is so important! My friend didn't have gap insurance when her car was stolen, and she ended up still owing like $4k on a car she no longer had. Complete nightmare situation.

I had to amend my F-1 tax return last year. You'll need to use Form 1040-X for federal amendments. Unfortunately, Sprintax charges another fee to prepare an amended return. If it's a simple change, you might be able to do it yourself. For scholarship income specifically, check if it should be reported as taxable first. Qualified education expenses covered by scholarships are usually tax-exempt for F-1 students, but money for living expenses is typically taxable.