Do you just calculate 25% of what you think you'll owe for the year and pay that each quarter? Or is there some special form you need to fill out? This might be a good solution for me.

It's a bit more nuanced than just 25% each quarter. You can use Form 1040-ES which has a worksheet to help you estimate what you'll owe. Alternatively, you can base it on what you owed last year (which is the "safe harbor" approach to avoid underpayment penalties). The payments aren't perfectly even either - they're based on income during specific periods. The IRS website has a direct pay option that makes it pretty easy once you know your amount. Just select "estimated tax" as the payment reason. It's definitely worth doing if you have significant untaxed income!

I switched to FreeTaxUSA last year and it was WAY cheaper than TurboTax. Handled my W-2 and 1099 income just fine. Federal filing is free and state was like $15. The interface isn't as pretty but it gets the job done.

I used H&R Block last year for my ISO/AMT situation and it worked fine. Form 8801 is available in their Premium version. The interface isn't as intuitive as some others, but it gets the job done. One tip: make sure you have your previous year's Form 6251 handy when you're working on 8801.

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'll stick with H&R Block then. Do you remember approximately where in the interface the AMT credit form was located? Just want to make sure I don't miss it.

Would driving for Uber on weekends count as side work? I started doing that to make extra cash. Do I need to keep track of my mileage and car expenses?

Yes, driving for Uber definitely counts as self-employment/side work! You'll receive a 1099 form from Uber (most likely a 1099-K) reporting your earnings. You'll report this income on Schedule C, and this is where you CAN deduct expenses. For driving, you have two options for deducting vehicle expenses: the standard mileage rate (which will be around 67 cents per mile for 2025) OR actual expenses (gas, maintenance, depreciation, etc.). Most Uber drivers find the standard mileage rate easier and often more beneficial. Just make sure you keep a detailed log of your business miles!

You would only want to itemize deductions if your total eligible itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction amount. For 2025, that's $14,350 for single filers and $28,700 for married filing jointly as you mentioned. Common itemized deductions include mortgage interest, state and local taxes (limited to $10,000), charitable contributions, and certain medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If adding all these up gives you more than the standard deduction, then itemizing makes sense. Otherwise, take the standard deduction.

Thanks for explaining! Our mortgage interest is only about $8,000, state taxes maybe $6,000, and we donate like $2,000 to charity. So we're at $16,000 total which is way less than the $28,700 standard deduction. Standard deduction it is!

Thanks for this suggestion! I hadn't heard of the SS-8 form before. Would this be appropriate even though we were technically co-owners rather than one of us employing the other? Looking at our situation more closely, I'd say I handled about 40% of the business operations while he did 60%, though the income all went into our joint account before the separation. I definitely have texts and emails discussing business decisions that could prove my involvement.

The SS-8 is primarily for determining worker classification (employee vs independent contractor), so it's probably not the best fit for your co-ownership situation. Since you were actually business partners, what you need is clear documentation of your partnership arrangement. Given the 40/60 split in responsibilities, I'd recommend documenting this thoroughly and reporting approximately 40% of both the income and expenses on your Schedule C. Make sure to include a written statement with your return explaining why you're reporting a portion of income from a 1099 that has your spouse's SSN. Also keep copies of all those texts and emails showing your business involvement - those will be crucial if there are any questions later.

Just be careful with Form 8082 - it basically waves a flag to the IRS saying "look here!" which could increase audit risk. Not saying don't file it, but be extra sure all your documentation is super solid before doing so.

I hadn't even thought about state tax differences. I'm in California - do you know if they follow the federal rules or have their own system for vehicle deductions?

California generally conforms to federal rules for business vehicle deductions, so you can typically use the same method on both returns. However, California hasn't fully conformed to all TCJA provisions, so there might be slight differences in depreciation calculations. I'd recommend checking with a California tax professional or using tax software that handles state-specific rules. In my experience, the differences are usually minimal for standard vehicle deductions, but it's always good to verify.

Yes! EVs have some great tax advantages. The $7,500 EV credit applies regardless of whether it's for business or personal use. For business use, you can still claim either standard mileage or actual expenses deductions on top of the credit. One significant advantage of EVs for business: lower operating costs. If you use the actual expense method, your "fuel" costs will be much lower, but you'll still get to deduct the business percentage of higher depreciation, insurance, and the interest on any loan. Just remember if you claim the EV credit, your depreciation basis is reduced by the amount of the credit if using actual expenses.