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Mateo Perez
Not sure if anyone already mentioned this but if your boyfriend claims your daughter, he might qualify for Head of Household filing status instead of Single which could save him a lot more on taxes. But he has to pay more than half the cost of keeping up the home (rent, utilities, food, etc) where both of you and daughter lived for more than half the year.
Aisha Rahman
ā¢But doesn't head of household require you to be related to the dependent? I thought boyfriend/girlfriend can't claim HOH for their partner's kids?
Mateo Perez
ā¢You don't actually need to be related to the dependent to file as Head of Household. You just need to have a qualifying person living with you (like a dependent child), pay more than half the cost of keeping up the home, and be considered unmarried for tax purposes. As long as the boyfriend can legitimately claim the daughter as a dependent (meets all the IRS tests we've discussed), and he pays more than half of the household expenses, he can file as HOH. This is specifically addressed in IRS Publication 501. The key is that the dependent has to live with him, which seems to be the case here.
One thing nobody's mentioned - if your income is only $13,500, you might actually benefit MORE from claiming your daughter yourself because of the Earned Income Credit. Depending on your situation, this could potentially be worth more than your boyfriend's tax savings from the dependent deduction.
Ethan Brown
ā¢This is a really good point! With that income level, the EITC could be substantial. It might be worth running the numbers both ways.
Omar Zaki
ā¢Thank you for bringing this up! I hadn't even thought about the Earned Income Credit. I'll definitely look into how much that could be worth for me at my income level before we decide who claims her. I really appreciate everyone's helpful advice here. It sounds like we have options and just need to figure out which approach saves us the most money overall. It's such a relief to know that him claiming her is even possible if that turns out to be the better choice.
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GalacticGuru
One thing nobody's mentioned is that if any of the bathroom renovation increases the property's energy efficiency (like water-saving fixtures, LED lighting, etc.), there might be additional tax credits available beyond just the rental expense deductions. Some of these credits can be quite substantial and aren't subject to the same rental/personal use allocation requirements.
Do you know if tankless water heaters qualify for any energy credits in 2025? I just installed one in my rental and the contractor mentioned something about tax benefits but wasn't specific.
GalacticGuru
ā¢Yes, tankless water heaters often qualify for energy efficiency tax credits! For 2025, energy-efficient home improvements can qualify for the Residential Clean Energy Credit, which is 30% of the cost with no upper limit. Tankless water heaters typically need to meet certain Energy Star requirements to qualify. Make sure you get a Manufacturer's Certification Statement from your contractor or the manufacturer that specifically states the water heater meets the efficiency requirements. Keep this with your tax records along with your receipt. This credit is reported on Form 5695 when you file your taxes.
Omar Fawaz
Has anybody considered the impact of the bathroom remodel on property taxes? When I did a major kitchen renovation in my rental property, the county reassessed the property value and my property taxes went up significantly. That increase was deductible as a rental expense, but it definitely affected my overall return on investment.
Good point! I had the same experience with my duplex renovation. My property taxes increased by about $1,200/year after the reassessment. One suggestion: check if your county has any programs that phase in assessment increases over multiple years. Our county has a 3-year phase-in program I was able to apply for, which gave me time to gradually increase rents to cover the higher taxes.
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Carmen Diaz
I'm a tax preparer and see this situation often with medical contractors. Here's what you need to know: Since you're being paid directly (not as an employee with a W-2), you're considered self-employed and report on Schedule C. This means you CAN deduct vehicle expenses, but with important caveats. For a new 4x4, you have a few options: 1) Standard mileage rate (easiest but may not be best for expensive vehicle) 2) Actual expenses method (tracks all costs and applies business-use percentage) 3) Section 179 deduction (potential large first-year deduction if vehicle >6000 lbs) The key is documenting business purpose and keeping meticulous records. Start a mileage log immediately (there are good apps for this). Document the medical necessity of the 4x4 capability in writing. One thing nobody's mentioned - check if your insurance reimbursement includes any travel/transportation component. If they're already paying you for travel, it affects what you can deduct.
Thank you for this detailed breakdown! I wasn't aware of the Section 179 option at all. The insurance payment is a flat rate per visit with no specific travel component mentioned in the contract. Just to clarify - with the actual expenses method, can I deduct the percentage of the purchase price over time as depreciation? And do you recommend any specific apps for tracking mileage?
Carmen Diaz
ā¢Yes, with the actual expenses method, you can deduct the business-use percentage of your purchase price through depreciation (typically over 5 years for passenger vehicles). There are annual limits on depreciation deductions for passenger vehicles, but vehicles over 6,000 lbs have more favorable treatment. For mileage tracking, my clients have good experiences with MileIQ, Everlance, and TripLog. Most have free versions to start with. The key features you want are automatic trip detection, easy business/personal categorization, and good reporting. Whatever app you choose, make sure you also document the purpose of business trips and keep supporting records of your appointments or on-call schedule to substantiate the business necessity.
A little late to this convo but I'm in a similar situation as a traveling speech therapist. My accountant told me that you definitely CANNOT write off the full purchase price in one year unless the vehicle is over 6000 lbs AND used 100% for business which almost never happens for individuals. He had me do actual expenses since my vehicle was expensive, and I'm deducting about 75% of all costs (my business usage). For the purchase price, I'm taking depreciation deductions over several years based on that 75% business use. One thing to consider - if you take the standard mileage rate instead (which is easier), you CANNOT later switch to actual expenses. But you CAN go from actual expenses to standard mileage in later years. My accountant recommended actual expenses for the first couple years when depreciation is highest, then potentially switching.
AstroAce
ā¢I'm confused about the 6000 lbs rule - does that mean if I buy a big SUV or truck I get better tax treatment than a smaller 4x4?
Exactly! Vehicles over 6,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) are classified differently by the IRS and aren't subject to the same depreciation limits as "passenger automobiles." This is sometimes called the "SUV tax loophole" and it can provide significant tax advantages. For example, in recent tax years, a vehicle over 6,000 lbs used primarily for business could qualify for much higher first-year depreciation than lighter vehicles. This is why you'll sometimes see tax advisors suggesting heavier vehicles to business owners. You can find the GVWR on the sticker inside the driver's door of most vehicles. Just remember, you still need to document the business use percentage accurately regardless of vehicle weight.
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Aaliyah Reed
Don't forget about quarterly estimated taxes for next year! That was my biggest shock when I started freelancing. Since there's no employer withholding taxes from your 1099 income, you're expected to pay those taxes quarterly yourself if you expect to owe more than $1000 at tax time. Use Form 1040-ES for this. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 (for the 2025 tax year). Missing these can result in penalties even if you pay the full amount by the April filing deadline.
Oh crap, I didn't even think about that. So basically I need to estimate what I'll owe and make payments throughout the year? How do you figure out how much to pay each quarter?
Aaliyah Reed
ā¢Exactly - you need to estimate your annual tax liability and make quarterly payments. For most people, if you pay 100% of last year's tax liability (or 110% if your income is over $150,000), you'll be safe from penalties even if you end up owing more. You can calculate it more precisely using the worksheet in Form 1040-ES. Basically, estimate your annual income, calculate the tax on it, subtract any withholding from your W-2 job, and divide by 4. Your tax software should help with this too. Just remember that you need to include both income tax and self-employment tax (the 15.3% that covers Social Security and Medicare).
Ella Russell
A tip about equipment purchases - if you bought any computer equipment, software, or other tools specifically for your copywriting business, look into Section 179 deduction. It lets you deduct the full cost in the year you bought it (up to $1,080,000 for 2025) instead of depreciating it over several years.
Does this work for things I already owned before starting the side gig? I've been using my personal laptop for my freelance work.
StarSurfer
Make sure to save EVERYTHING that proves your income - bank statements showing deposits, any email communications about payment, contracts, invoices you sent, etc. The IRS might question self-reported income without a matching 1099, so documentation is your best friend here. Also worth noting that your client was legally required to send you a 1099-NEC if they paid you more than $600 during the year. Some clients try to avoid this because they don't want to pay their share of taxes. If you want to be petty (or just correct), you can fill out Form 3949-A to report them for not filing proper tax forms.
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Oliver Becker
ā¢This is really helpful! I do have all my invoices and bank statements showing the deposits. Do I need to submit any of this documentation with my tax return, or just keep it in case of an audit?
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StarSurfer
ā¢Just keep all that documentation safely stored for at least 3 years after filing. You don't submit it with your return, but if you're ever audited, you'll need to produce it. Electronic copies are fine as long as they clearly show the information. And don't worry too much about being audited - it's not super common for regular folks. Just be honest about your income, take legitimate deductions you're entitled to, and keep your supporting documents.
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Ravi Malhotra
Another thing to consider - since you didn't have any taxes withheld from these payments, you might be facing a pretty big tax bill. Self-employment tax alone is about 15.3% on top of your regular income tax! What tax software are you using? Some handle self-employment situations better than others. I've found TurboTax Self-Employed and H&R Block Self-Employed are both pretty good at walking you through this situation.
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Freya Christensen
ā¢FreeTaxUSA is way cheaper and handles self-employment income just fine. I've been using it for years for my 1099 work and W-2 job. No need to pay the big companies extra for basic Schedule C filing.
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