7 What about tracking expenses for content creation? For example, if I bought a special camera or lighting equipment specifically for creating content, can I deduct that? How do I prove it's for business and not personal use?

This is exactly the kind of situation where it's worth getting clarity early! I went through something similar when I started my freelance writing side hustle. Even though $75 seems small, reporting it correctly from the start establishes good habits and keeps you compliant. One thing I learned is to start keeping track of ALL your business-related expenses now, even the small ones. Things like software subscriptions, web hosting, even a portion of your phone bill if you use it for business communications. These deductions can add up and offset your income. Also, consider opening a separate bank account for your content creation income and expenses. It makes record-keeping much easier and looks more professional if you ever get audited. Even a simple checking account works - you don't need anything fancy when you're just starting out. The key is treating this like a real business from day one, even if it's small. That mindset will serve you well as you grow!

Another thing to consider with RSUs - if you hold the shares after vesting and sell within a year, any gain/loss is short-term capital gain/loss. If you hold more than a year after vesting, then it becomes long-term capital gain/loss. This matters because short-term capital gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate, while long-term capital gains get the preferential tax rates (0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income level). So while your capital loss carryover can offset either type of gain, it might be strategically better to use it against short-term gains if you have both.

This is a really comprehensive discussion! I wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful for OP and others - timing your RSU sales strategically with your capital loss carryover. Since you have $55k in capital loss carryover, you might want to consider holding onto those RSU shares after they vest and selling them strategically over multiple years. Here's why: if the shares appreciate and you sell them all at once for a big gain, you'll use up your entire loss carryover in one year. But if you spread the sales over several years, you can also take advantage of the $3k annual deduction against ordinary income each year. For example, if you sell $10k worth of gains each year, you'd offset that with your carryover losses AND still get to deduct $3k against your regular income each year. This way you're maximizing the tax benefit of those losses. Of course, this assumes you're comfortable with the investment risk of holding the shares longer. Just something to consider when planning your RSU strategy!

depends on who ur offset is going to tbh. child support usually fastest, student loans can take forever rn with all the changes happening

Been through this same situation twice - the 2-3 week timeline is pretty accurate in my experience. One thing that helped me was calling the Treasury Offset Program at 1-800-304-3107 to get specific details about my offset amount and timeline. They can tell you exactly how much is being taken and when you should expect the remainder. Way less stressful than just waiting and wondering!

151 usually means they're making an adjustment. In my case last year, they found a mistake I made calculating my child tax credit. They fixed it, sent me a letter explaining the change, and I got my refund (minus the adjustment) about 3 weeks later. Don't panic - it's usually not something major unless you knowingly tried to claim something you shouldn't have.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed in mid-February and just saw the 151 code pop up on my transcript yesterday. From what I've researched, it seems like it's pretty common this year - the IRS is being extra thorough with reviews. I'm trying to stay patient but it's frustrating when you're counting on that refund money. Keep us updated on what happens with yours - I'm curious to see if we're in similar situations with the timeline!

Tax topics are much less concerning than error codes. When I had an actual error code (like code 1121), my return was delayed for 8 weeks. But when I just had Tax Topic 152, my refund processed normally - about 2-3 weeks total. It's similar to how Amazon might show "preparing for shipment" versus "problem with delivery" - completely different situations. If you're just seeing a tax topic without an error code, it's typically just the IRS's way of providing general information rather than flagging a problem.

From my experience working with tax returns, tax topics are essentially the IRS's way of categorizing different types of processing situations. Think of them like filing categories - they help the IRS organize and track different scenarios that might come up during processing. The key thing to remember is that having a tax topic doesn't automatically mean there's a problem. Tax Topic 152 (refund information) is incredibly common and just means your return is moving through their normal processing workflow. However, if you're seeing Tax Topic 151, that could indicate an offset situation where part of your refund might be applied to past debts like student loans, child support, or other government obligations. The important thing is to identify the specific number and not panic - most tax topics are just procedural markers rather than red flags.