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FYI - I think a lot of people are confusing two different things here. There's the 1099-K reporting requirement (which is what payment apps might send you) and then there's your actual tax liability. Just because you might get a 1099-K doesn't mean you owe taxes on that amount! If the money was reimbursements, gifts, or splitting bills, it's not income - even if you get a form. You just need to properly explain those funds on your tax return.
So if I do get a 1099-K next year for my Zelle account, how exactly do I "explain" on my return that most of it wasn't income? Is there a specific form for that?
Great question! If you receive a 1099-K that includes non-income transactions, you'll need to report the full amount on Schedule C (since the IRS gets a copy of that form), but then you can offset it with proper adjustments. You would list the total 1099-K amount as gross receipts, then subtract the non-income portions as "returns and allowances" or as business expenses if they were reimbursements for costs. For personal transfers that weren't business-related at all, you can include a statement with your return explaining the discrepancy. Some tax software has specific fields for this situation now because it's becoming so common with payment apps.
This whole Zelle tax thing is soooo overblown in the media. I literally checked with my accountant last week. She said unless you're running a BUSINESS through Zelle you have NOTHING to worry about. All your rent splitting, family gifts, friend reimbursements, etc. are totally NOT taxable and never have been. The only change is that payment platforms have to send 1099-Ks at a lower threshold now. But the actual TAX LAWS about what's income haven't changed at all. If it wasn't taxable income before, it still isn't now!
NebulaNinja
ā¢This matches what my tax guy said too. He was actually annoyed about all the misinformation going around and making everyone panic. The actual tax liability rules haven't changed at all.
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Dylan Wright
Has anyone successfully claimed the Child and Dependent Care Credit when sharing expenses for multiple children but only claiming one as a dependent? My ex claims 2 kids and I claim 1, but we each pay 50% of ALL childcare costs for all 3 kids. Seems like I'm losing money by only being able to claim expenses for one child even though I'm paying for half of all three!
Sofia Torres
ā¢This is actually addressed in IRS Publication 503. If you're divorced and sharing expenses, you can only claim expenses for qualifying persons (dependents). So if you're claiming 1 child and your ex is claiming 2, you can only claim the expenses you paid for your 1 dependent child.
Dylan Wright
ā¢Thanks for pointing me to Publication 503. I just looked it up and you're right - it clearly states I can only claim expenses for qualifying persons. Feels frustrating to be paying for childcare that I can't get any tax benefit for, but at least I know the correct way to file now.
Don't forget to look into your state's tax rules too! My state offers an additional child and dependent care credit on top of the federal one, and interestingly, they have slightly different rules for divorced parents. I was able to claim more on my state return than on my federal return. Might be worth checking if your state has something similar!
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Does anyone know how the child tax credit works when you're separated but not divorced? My wife and I split in June and our divorce won't be final until next year sometime. We have 3 kids who live with her most of the time but I have them every weekend.
Generally, the custodial parent (who the kids live with more than 50% of the time) gets to claim the child tax credit. In your case, that would be your wife since they're with her during the week. However, she can release the claim to you using Form 8332 if you both agree to that arrangement.
Make sure you consider how your separation affects your stimulus eligibility too! My spouse and I were separated in 2024 but still filed jointly for that tax year. For 2025, we're filing separately, and I discovered my lower individual income actually qualified me for some credits I wouldn't have gotten filing jointly with our combined income.
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Debra Bai
As someone who's been freelancing for years, my advice is to use tax software like FreeTaxUSA or TaxSlayer for your first year since they're cheaper than TurboTax but still walk you through the self-employment sections. With only $2700 in income, you qualify for free filing through several services. Make sure you track EVERYTHING going forward - I use a simple spreadsheet with income, expenses, and mileage. For 2024, gather whatever receipts you can find and estimate the rest as reasonably as possible. The IRS is generally more understanding with first-time filers who make honest attempts to comply.
Do the free versions of those tax programs actually include self-employment forms? I tried using one of the big free tax sites last year for my regular job and it kept trying to upsell me for everything.
Debra Bai
ā¢You're right to be cautious. Many "free" tax sites do try to upsell, especially for self-employment forms. FreeTaxUSA includes Schedule C in their free version, but you pay about $15 for state filing. TaxSlayer's free version covers simple returns but charges for self-employment - their "Classic" tier ($29.95 last I checked) includes all self-employment forms. The IRS Free File program is also worth checking - if your income is under a certain threshold (usually around $73,000), you can access truly free filing options including self-employment forms. The key is to access these through the IRS Free File portal rather than going directly to the company websites.
Don't forget about the Qualified Business Income deduction! As a self-employed person you can deduct 20% of your net business income right off the top. It's on Form 8995 and it's super easy to miss if you're new to this. With your income level you probably won't owe much federal income tax after standard deduction, but the self-employment tax (15.3%) still applies to profits over $400.
Laura Lopez
ā¢I think we're overcomplicating things for someone who made $2,700. At that income level after taking the standard deduction, they'll likely only owe the self-employment tax portion. That's about $381 in SE tax (15.3% of $2,500 assuming minimal expenses).
PixelPioneer
One thing nobody has mentioned yet is that if the original owner of the annuity was taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) before they passed, you'll need to continue taking at least that amount annually. This can affect your tax planning significantly. Also worth noting - if you're inheriting from a spouse, you have different options than inheriting from a non-spouse like a parent or aunt. Spouses can often roll the annuity into their own name, which non-spouses can't do.
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Keisha Williams
ā¢This is super important! My brother and I both inherited annuities from our mom, but his was qualified (inside an IRA) and mine was non-qualified. We had COMPLETELY different tax situations and options. The qualified annuity had never been taxed yet, while the non-qualified one had already had some taxes paid.
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PixelPioneer
ā¢You're absolutely right about the qualified vs non-qualified distinction. That's a crucial factor I should have mentioned. Qualified annuities (inside IRAs or 401ks) have never been taxed before, so all distributions are generally fully taxable as ordinary income. Non-qualified annuities (purchased with after-tax dollars) will only have their earnings portion taxed, not the original investment amount that's considered the "basis.
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Paolo Rizzo
Does anyone know if you can disclaim an inherited annuity? My uncle left me one but I'm already in a high tax bracket and it might make more sense for it to go to my kids who are in college and have almost no income.
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Amina Sy
ā¢Yes, you can disclaim an inheritance including an annuity! My financial advisor had me do this with an inherited annuity from my grandmother. You need to: 1) Not accept any benefits from it 2) Provide written refusal within 9 months of the death 3) Not direct who gets it next (it follows the contingent beneficiary designations) Made a huge difference for my family tax-wise.
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