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Just to add some practical advice from my experience as a small business owner: Make sure you're keeping VERY detailed records of your business use for any vehicle you're claiming Section 179 on. The IRS looks closely at vehicle deductions. I recommend keeping a mileage log (there are good apps for this) and documentation of business activities conducted using the vehicle. This is especially important if you're using the vehicle for both business and personal purposes, as you'll need to calculate the percentage of business use. Also, if you're on the border with the 6,000 lb GVWR requirement, it might be worth looking for a slightly heavier vehicle just to be safe. My accountant advised me to avoid vehicles that are exactly at 6,000 since there's no wiggle room if the IRS questions it.
Do you know if there's any specific app that the IRS prefers for tracking mileage? I've been using MileIQ but wondering if there's something better that would hold up better in case of an audit.
The IRS doesn't endorse any specific mileage tracking app. What matters is that whatever method you use records all the required information: date of travel, starting and ending points, business purpose, and mileage. MileIQ does a good job with this, but so do other apps like Everlance, TripLog, or Hurdlr. What makes a tracking method hold up in an audit is consistency and completeness. The IRS wants to see that you're tracking all trips (not just randomly logging some), recording them contemporaneously (not backfilling months later), and including all required information for each entry. Manual logs work too if you're diligent, but apps make it much easier to be consistent.
Just to throw a wrench in things - has anyone looked into the electric vehicle tax credits instead of Section 179? I was originally going for a heavy SUV for the Section 179 deduction but ended up with an EV truck because the tax credit structure was more beneficial for my situation. With some commercial EVs, you can get up to $7,500 tax credit as a business AND still take depreciation. Haven't seen this mentioned yet but might be worth considering alongside the GVWR discussion.
I actually did look at EVs initially, but the charging infrastructure in my rural area isn't great yet for the kind of driving my landscaping business requires. But you make a good point - there are multiple tax incentives to consider beyond just Section 179. Did you find that the EV credits had fewer restrictions than Section 179 deductions?
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22 Something else to consider - check if your state tax rules are different! I was in the same situation (dependent with internship income) and while the federal rules were as described above, my state had a weird rule about dependents with income over a certain threshold.
7 Good point about state taxes. Which state was this in? I'm in California and wondering if they have special rules I should know about.
22 I was in New York at the time. They have a specific calculation for dependents with income over $10,000. California definitely has its own rules too - I believe they follow the federal guidelines more closely, but they have additional credits and deductions that might be affected by dependent status. Your best bet is to check the California Franchise Tax Board website or consult with someone who knows California tax law specifically. Each state has its own quirks when it comes to how they treat dependents with substantial income.
11 Don't forget about education tax credits! Even as a dependent, you might qualify for the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit if you're paying for education expenses yourself. Made a huge difference for me when I was in your situation.
19 I thought education credits go to whoever claims you as a dependent? My parents always get those credits, not me.
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Just to add some more info here - I work with federal retirees (not a tax professional though). OPM annuities are different from IRAs/401ks as others have pointed out. They're basically already in payout mode from the start, so there's no concept of an RMD. Your tax preparer might be confused because they're used to dealing with traditional retirement accounts. For OPM annuities, you just report what was distributed according to the 1099-R. One thing to watch for: part of the annuity may be tax-free if your father contributed to the pension with after-tax money during his working years. This is often why box 2a shows "unknown" - because OPM isn't calculating the taxable portion. There's a simplified and general rule method for figuring this out based on when he retired. Since you mentioned post-1996, check out the instructions for Form 1040, or IRS Publication 721 has specific guidance for federal pensions.
This is really helpful. Do you know if military pensions work the same way regarding RMDs? My father-in-law passed recently and had both military and federal civilian service.
Military pensions work very similarly - they're also annuities that are already in distribution mode, so they don't have RMDs in the traditional sense. The rules for calculating the taxable portion are a bit different though. For military pensions, if your father-in-law had any disability percentage in his military retirement, that portion would be tax-free. Also, if he participated in the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), there might be additional considerations for his beneficiaries. I'd recommend looking at IRS Publication 525 which has a specific section on military pensions alongside the information in Publication 721 for his civilian service.
One thing no one has mentioned yet - check if your father was making contributions to his pension while he was working. Federal employees often contribute after-tax dollars to their pension during their working years. When they retire and receive annuity payments, a portion of each payment is actually a return of those already-taxed contributions. That portion is tax-free, and this might be why box 2a shows "unknown" - because it depends on the individual's contribution history. The OPM should have sent your father (and now you as his executor) an annual statement showing how much of his annuity payment was taxable vs. non-taxable. Look for a statement from OPM at the beginning of the year or with his January payment.
Thank you for this info! I'll check through his papers for an OPM statement. I do remember him mentioning that part of his pension was from money he put in while working. So if I find this statement, would it clearly show what portion was taxable? Would this resolve the "unknown" issue in box 2a?
Yes, if you find that OPM statement, it should specifically show what portion of his annuity payments was taxable and what portion was a return of his contributions (non-taxable). This statement is usually sent annually, and it would definitely resolve the "unknown" in box 2a. If you can't find the statement, you can contact OPM directly as the executor of his estate. They should be able to provide you with this information. Another option is to check his previous year's tax returns to see how he reported his annuity income - the taxable vs. non-taxable breakdown would be consistent from year to year unless something changed with his benefits.
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We moved from Onesource to Drake for our partnership returns last year and honestly it was a mixed bag. The price is WAY better, but we did lose some of the more sophisticated allocation features. For a large firm doing complex 1065 work, I'd probably look at GoSystem Tax RS if you want high-end features with better support. The transition was somewhat painful tho - expect at least a full tax season before your team is fully comfortable.
Did you have any data migration issues? We have 10+ years of client data in Onesource and I'm worried about losing historical information. Were you able to bring over basis info and carryforwards?
Data migration was our biggest headache. Most basics transferred okay, but partnership basis information had to be manually verified for every partner. We lost some of the historical allocation details and had to rebuild them. Carryforwards like capital losses and charitable contributions were particularly problematic - about 25% had errors we had to fix manually. If you do switch, I highly recommend running parallel systems for a year and comparing outputs before fully committing. Budget extra staff time for data verification during the transition.
Has anyone here used both Lacerte and ProSeries for 1065s? We're a smaller firm (but growing) trying to decide between the two. Currently using ProSeries but wondering if Lacerte is worth the higher price for partnership returns specifically?
I've used both extensively. For partnerships specifically, Lacerte is significantly better - especially for complex allocations and multi-tiered partnerships. The additional cost pays for itself in time savings and reduced errors. ProSeries struggles with more complex 1065s and the data entry flow isn't as intuitive.
StarStrider
Don't forget about state taxes too! Depending on your state, you may have separate filing requirements for self-employment income. Also, keep track of ALL your miles if you drive to client meetings or work sites - that adds up to a big deduction. I use MileIQ app to track automatically. As for software, I've found FreshBooks really helpful for tracking income and expenses throughout the year. Makes tax time way easier when everything is already categorized.
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Sean Flanagan
•I'm in California - do you know if there's anything specific I need to worry about for state taxes here? And I didn't even think about the mileage thing! Is there a minimum distance for it to be deductible?
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StarStrider
•California has some of the most complex state tax rules for self-employed people. You'll need to file a Schedule CA (540) with your state return, and they're pretty strict about documentation. You may also need to register for a business license depending on your city/county. There's no minimum distance for mileage deduction - every business mile counts! Just remember you can't deduct your regular commute if you have one. But client meetings, supply runs, networking events, classes to improve your skills - all that mileage is deductible. For 2023 it's 65.5 cents per mile which really adds up. Just make sure you have a log with dates, destinations, and purpose of trips.
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Yuki Sato
Something nobody's mentioned is that you might want to consider forming an LLC or S-Corp eventually if your freelance income keeps growing. I stayed as a sole proprietor until I hit about $60K, then formed an S-Corp which saved me several thousand in self-employment taxes. Also, don't forget about health insurance premiums - they're usually deductible for self-employed people! And SEP IRAs or Solo 401(k)s are amazing for tax savings once you're making decent money.
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Carmen Ruiz
•When did you know it was time to switch to an S-Corp? I keep hearing different income thresholds where it makes sense.
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Sean Flanagan
•I had no idea about the health insurance thing! So if I'm paying for my own health insurance (not through an employer), I can deduct that? And what's a SEP IRA? Sorry for all the questions, this is all so new to me.
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