Anyone know if you should be making quarterly estimated tax payments on donation income? I just started doing this and don't want to get hit with penalties.

Great question! Since you're getting a 1099, you're absolutely right that this is treated as self-employment income. Here's what you need to know: **Yes, you can deduct mileage!** Use the business mileage rate (65.5 cents/mile for 2025), not medical. With your 50 miles round trip twice weekly, that's about 5,200 miles annually - roughly $3,406 in deductions. **File on Schedule C** - Report your donor income and expenses here. You'll also need to pay self-employment tax (15.3%) on your net profit after deductions. **Keep detailed records** - Your mileage log with dates, odometer readings, and trip purposes is perfect. Also save receipts for any other business expenses. **Consider quarterly payments** - Since no taxes are withheld, you may need to make estimated quarterly payments to avoid penalties if you'll owe more than $1,000. The math works in your favor: $7,800 annual income minus $3,406 mileage deduction = $4,394 net income subject to self-employment tax. Much better than paying tax on the full amount! You're doing everything right by keeping good records. This is a legitimate business expense that many people in similar situations can take advantage of.

next year im def paying the fees upfront. This refund transfer stuff is for the birds 🤮

Been there! When TurboTax shows "Payment Completed" for the refund transfer, it just means they successfully grabbed their $133 from your refund - not that your money is coming tomorrow. The IRS still has to finish processing everything on their end. Since you filed Jan 18th, you're actually right on track timing-wise. Most people are seeing about 3-4 weeks total processing time this year. Check WMR (Where's My Refund) on the IRS site - that'll give you the real status of when your remaining refund hits your account. The waiting sucks but you should see movement soon! 🤞

Ugh I feel your pain! Been waiting since March 2023 myself with similar codes. That 1099-G from Indiana is totally separate from your federal refund - it's just saying you got a state refund in 2024 for your 2023 taxes, which you might need to report as income on your 2024 federal return if you itemized deductions. It has nothing to do with your federal refund delay. The 571/290 codes are actually good signs though - means they released a hold and made an adjustment. You should hopefully see movement soon! 🤞

I totally feel your frustration! Been in a similar situation myself. Those codes 571 and 290 are actually good signs - the 571 means they released a previous hold on your account, and 290 indicates they made some kind of adjustment to your return. This usually means your refund is in the final stages of processing. Regarding the Indiana 1099-G, that's completely separate from your federal refund delay. Since you received a state refund in 2024 for your 2023 taxes, Indiana is required to send you this form. If you itemized deductions on your 2023 federal return and claimed state tax payments, you might need to report some of that $1106 refund as income on your 2024 federal return (the one you'll file this year). The federal delay with those codes typically resolves within 2-4 weeks, so hopefully you'll see that 846 refund code with a DDD soon! Keep checking your transcript rather than WMR - it's more accurate. Hang in there! 💪

Has anyone had experience with the Tax Court route? My innocent spouse relief was denied twice (initial application and appeal), so I filed a petition with the Tax Court. Currently waiting for my court date and wondering what to expect.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of dealing with the IRS over something that wasn't your fault is truly overwhelming. Based on what you've shared, you actually have a strong case for appeal. The fact that these were business taxes from your ex's business that were never disclosed during your divorce proceedings is significant. This goes directly to the "knowledge" requirement - you can't be expected to know about tax liabilities that were actively concealed from you, especially during divorce when full financial disclosure is legally required. For your appeal, focus on documenting the concealment. Gather your divorce paperwork showing his financial affidavit didn't include these tax debts, any correspondence where you asked about taxes or finances, and evidence that you were excluded from business operations. Bank statements showing you had no access to business accounts will also strengthen your case. Don't let this denial discourage you. The initial denial rate is high, but many people succeed on appeal when they can clearly demonstrate they were kept in the dark about the tax issues. You mentioned the $27,000 already taken from your refunds - that's substantial enough to justify getting professional help if you can manage it, but you can also pursue the appeal yourself with careful preparation. Stay strong and don't give up. The system is designed to give you a fair review on appeal.

Has anyone compared how much of a difference it makes financially to file rentals on Schedule E vs Schedule C when you qualify as a real estate professional? My CPA has been putting our rentals on C for years but after reading this I'm wondering if we should switch.

This is such a common issue with real estate professionals who also have rental properties! I went through exactly the same thing a few years ago. The key insight that changed everything for me was understanding that being a real estate professional is about HOW your losses are treated, not WHERE they're reported. Your rental properties should definitely be on Schedule E - that's where rental income and expenses belong according to IRS guidelines. The real estate professional election just means those Schedule E losses become "active" rather than "passive," so you can deduct them against your W2 income without the usual passive activity loss limitations. Your realtor commissions, photography business, and crypto mining should each be on separate Schedule C forms since they're active business activities. This separation will help tremendously with lenders because they understand Schedule E depreciation as a non-cash expense, while Schedule C losses can look like actual business operating losses. One tip that really helped me with lenders: ask your CPA to prepare a "lender addendum" that explains the depreciation component of your Schedule E losses and shows your actual cash flow from the rentals. Most loan officers aren't tax experts and don't realize that rental depreciation is just a paper loss. Having this explanation attached to your tax returns can make a huge difference in getting approved. The 750+ hour requirement for real estate professional status applies to ALL your real estate activities combined (rental management, realtor work, etc.), so make sure you're tracking everything properly. Good luck with the refinancing!