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13 Just FYI - those emails from exchanges are automated and sent to everyone. The exchanges are required to report to the IRS, but that doesn't mean you personally have a filing requirement. In your situation with: 1. No job income 2. Only $1 in crypto with a small loss 3. Being 18 years old You're well below the filing threshold. The IRS doesn't expect you to file a return when you have essentially no income and just a tiny investment loss.
5 If OP did have to file though, would the loss on Bitcoin be deductible against other income? Or do you have to have gains to report crypto stuff?
13 Capital losses (including from crypto) can be deducted against capital gains, and up to $3,000 can be deducted against regular income. In OP's case, the loss is so small (only a few cents) that it wouldn't make a meaningful difference on a tax return. Even if OP had other income that required filing, reporting a 7-cent loss wouldn't result in any tax benefit worth pursuing. If the amount was larger (say, $100+), then it might be worth reporting to offset other income.
10 Does anyone know if the rules are different for minors with crypto? I'm wondering because OP is 18 now but might have been 17 when the transaction happened depending on timing.
21 The age doesn't change the tax rules, but if you're claimed as a dependent on your parents' tax return (which many 18-year-olds are), there are different filing thresholds. For dependents with unearned income (which includes crypto gains), you're required to file if that unearned income exceeds $1,150. In OP's case, there was a loss, not a gain, so it doesn't trigger any filing requirement regardless of dependent status.
You should immediately pull your credit reports too! I had the same issue last year and discovered the tax return was just the beginning - the identity thief had also opened credit cards in my name. Go to annualcreditreport.com (the official site) and check all three bureaus. If you see anything suspicious, place a fraud alert or credit freeze right away. Also, check if your employer, accountant, or any financial services you use had data breaches recently. In my case, my information was leaked through my previous employer's payroll provider.
That's actually really helpful - I hadn't thought about checking my credit reports. Did you end up placing a credit freeze? I'm wondering if that's overkill or a smart precaution at this point.
I absolutely did place a credit freeze with all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). It's free to do, and you can temporarily lift it whenever you need to apply for credit. In my opinion, it's not overkill at all - it's basic protection. After dealing with the nightmare of clearing up the fraudulent accounts that were already opened, I wished I had frozen my credit years ago. Just remember that each bureau requires a separate freeze request, and make sure to keep the PINs they give you for when you need to unfreeze.
Has anyone mentioned that your accountant might have accidentally filed your personal return? This happened to me last year - my CPA had my 2022 return ready for review, but somehow it got e-filed before I approved it. When I tried to file my actual return, I got the same error code. Might be worth checking with them if they prepared a draft that got submitted by mistake.
This happened to me too! My accountant had a new assistant who thought she was supposed to e-file all the prepared returns in the system, including mine which was just a draft. Took months to sort out because I had to file an amended return even though I never approved the original. Definitely check with your accountant before assuming identity theft.
Something everyone's missing in this conversation - qualified retirement plans! While Roth IRAs have that marriage penalty with the lower limits, employer plans like 401ks don't have this issue. Also, don't forget about spousal IRAs - if one of you stops working when the baby comes, the working spouse can still contribute to the non-working spouse's IRA even with no income. This is ONLY available if you're legally married. And remember, with a kid, one of you gets head of household filing status if unmarried, which is better than single filing status but not as good as MFJ in many cases. The higher standard deduction for MFJ vs HOH+Single might offset some of what you're calculating.
I hadn't thought about the spousal IRA angle - that's a good point if one of us takes time off work. For the head of household vs. MFJ comparison, do you know roughly what income levels the breakeven point would be? We're trying to plan for several scenarios.
The breakeven point between HOH+Single vs. MFJ varies widely based on income distribution, deductions, and credits. Generally, if you both make similar high incomes (like your situation), staying unmarried often provides tax advantages. The MFJ advantages typically shine when incomes are very disparate. For 2024/2025, the standard deduction for MFJ is $29,200 while HOH is $21,900 and Single is $14,600. So HOH+Single combined is $36,500 - already higher than MFJ. But when you factor in the different tax brackets, EITC, child tax credits, etc., it gets complicated. The child tax credit phase-out starts at different income levels for different filing statuses. If one of you might take extended time off work with the baby, that's when marriage often becomes more advantageous tax-wise due to the income splitting effect and spousal IRA.
Has anyone mentioned the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)? At your income levels, especially if you're in a high tax state with high property taxes, AMT can kick in and eliminate some deductions when married. Also consider that many tax benefits phase out based on AGI - not just Roth contributions but also student loan interest deductions, rental loss deductions, etc. As a married couple your combined AGI could push you over these limits. Something else to consider - marriage gives you double the capital loss deduction ($6,000 vs $3,000) which matters if you have investment losses to harvest.
I'm a tax preparer (not a CPA) and I can tell you this is completely unacceptable behavior. Every client has the absolute right to review their return before filing. In fact, we're required to get your signature on Form 8879 to authorize electronic filing, which specifically means you've reviewed and approved the return. Your CPA might be overwhelmed during tax season, but that's no excuse. Insist on seeing your return or find someone else, even if it means filing an extension. Better to file later with an accurate return than file on time with errors you never got to check.
What's the deadline for filing an extension? And does filing an extension mean I can avoid penalties if I end up owing money?
The deadline for filing an extension is the same as the regular tax deadline - April 15th (April 18th for 2025 due to the weekend and holidays). Filing Form 4868 gives you until October 15th to submit your actual return. An extension gives you more time to file, but it does NOT give you more time to pay. If you'll owe taxes, you should estimate and pay that amount when you file the extension to avoid penalties and interest. If you're getting a refund, there's no penalty for filing after the deadline even without an extension (though you'd be delaying your refund).
After reading all these comments, I called my CPA's office and clearly stated "I need to review my return before it's filed as is my legal right." The receptionist put me on brief hold, then came back and scheduled a time for me to come in tomorrow. Sometimes being direct and stating it as a right rather than a request makes all the difference. Thanks everyone for the confidence to push back on this!
Faith Kingston
For what it's worth, I've had two jobs with very different pay scales for years (one $85K, one about $5K). I never check the multiple jobs box and just claim single/zero on both W-4s. This has always resulted in a refund at tax time. The withholding from my main job covers most of my tax liability, and the little bit withheld from my smaller job is just extra cushion. Simple approach but it works for me!
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Emma Johnson
•But doesn't the new W-4 not have allowances anymore? I thought they got rid of the "0 allowances" option in 2020 when they redesigned the form.
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Faith Kingston
•You're absolutely right, and I should have been more clear. On the new W-4 form, I don't check the multiple jobs box, and I don't claim any adjustments to income or deductions. This effectively results in maximum withholding (similar to what "0 allowances" used to do on the old form). The principle is the same though - I let my main job withhold at the standard rate, and then my smaller job also withholds at the standard rate. Since the withholding tables don't "know" about my other job, I end up with a bit more withheld than necessary, which gives me a refund rather than owing taxes.
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Liam Brown
I made a huge mistake with my W-4 last year - checked the multiple jobs box for both my main job ($90K) and my weekend job ($7K), and they BOTH withheld as if I was making double the income at each job. Got a massive refund but my paychecks were tiny all year! Don't overthink it - with such a small second job, just make sure you're withholding enough at your main job. The IRS withholding calculator on their website can help you figure out the exact amount if you want to be precise.
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Olivia Garcia
•Ugh, the same thing happened to me! I checked the multiple jobs box on both W-4s and my take-home pay was depressingly small. Huge refund but it wasn't worth struggling all year.
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