What about painting? I repainted the bedroom I rent out before my tenant moved in. Is that a repair or improvement? And can I deduct cleaning supplies I use when tenants move out?

Painting is generally considered a repair if you're just maintaining the property - so that's deductible in the year you paid for it. Since it was specifically for the rental room, you can deduct 100% of that cost rather than just your rental percentage. Cleaning supplies used specifically for tenant turnover are absolutely deductible! Keep receipts for everything. I created a separate credit card just for rental expenses to make tracking easier at tax time. Anything that's "ordinary and necessary" for your rental activity qualifies as a deduction.

You'll want to select "Rental Property" and then there should be a question asking if you also use the property personally. In TurboTax, look for the Schedule E section. It'll walk you through entering the percentage used for rental. Enter all expenses at 100%, then the software will apply your rental percentage to calculate the deductible portion.

Thanks for the straightforward approach. In your experience, is it better to slightly overpay and get a refund, or try to nail the exact amount? And do you make adjustments during the year if your income fluctuates significantly?

I personally prefer to slightly overpay. The peace of mind is worth more to me than the interest I'd earn on that money elsewhere. I do adjust my payments throughout the year based on actual performance. Since I can see my real numbers in my accounting software, I'll recalculate before each quarterly payment. If Q1 was unusually profitable, I'll increase my Q2 payment accordingly. If business slows down, I might reduce a later payment. The key is documented methodology - as long as you can show you made a good faith effort to estimate correctly, the IRS tends to be reasonable.

Direct File doesn't support business returns yet, definitely not S-Corp returns (Form 1120-S). It's still limited to pretty basic individual returns. For S-Corps you'll still need to use tax software or an accountant.

Wow thanks for mentioning this! I had no idea about the 20% down payment requirement. Do you know if there are any exceptions to this rule? I'm cash poor right now which is part of my problem.

Yes, there's an exception if you meet the IRS low-income certification guidelines. If you qualify as low income, both the $205 application fee and the 20% down payment can be waived. The qualification is based on your household size and income compared to federal poverty levels. If you don't qualify as low income but still can't make the 20% down payment, you can choose the periodic payment option instead. This requires you to propose monthly payments and start making these payments while your OIC is being considered. The downside is if your offer is rejected, those payments won't be returned.

This is actually a misconception. Once an OIC is accepted and you fulfill the terms, that tax debt is settled permanently. However, there is a 5-year compliance period where you must file all required returns and pay all taxes on time. If you don't, the IRS can revoke the agreement and reinstate the original debt.

That's an interesting perspective, but how would a youth advisory council actually work? Would they have any real power or just be symbolic? And who would choose which teens get to serve on it?

Those are good questions. I think for it to be meaningful, the council would need some actual authority - perhaps control over a small portion of the budget earmarked for youth programs, or veto power over certain spending decisions that directly impact young people. As for selection, I would suggest a combination of approaches - some members elected by high school students, others appointed based on applications and interviews to ensure diverse representation across socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic regions, etc. Maybe even have a rotating membership with 1-2 year terms so more young people get the opportunity to participate.

That's a really privileged perspective. Not all parents vote in their children's best interests - many vote against policies that would help their own kids based on political ideology. And regarding felons, many states now recognize that permanent disenfranchisement after serving a sentence is counterproductive to rehabilitation and reintegration. That's why so many states have restored voting rights after sentence completion.

Thanks for mentioning the state filing! I totally wasn't thinking about that. Do I need to wait until the federal amendment is processed before doing the state one?

In most cases, you should file both amendments around the same time. You don't need to wait for the federal amendment to be processed before filing your state amendment. However, some states do require you to attach a copy of your federal amendment (Form 1040-X) to your state amendment form. Each state has their own amendment form and process. For example, California uses Form 540X, New York uses Form IT-201-X, etc. Check your state's tax department website for the specific form and instructions. The state amendment process is usually similar to the federal one, but processing times can vary significantly by state.

Did you have to pay immediately or did they bill you after processing the amendment?