This is exactly the kind of confusing contractor situation that makes tax season a nightmare! I've been dealing with similar reimbursement issues for years. What really helped me was getting everything documented properly - not just keeping receipts, but also creating a paper trail showing that these were legitimate business expenses being reimbursed, not additional income. One thing I learned the hard way: make sure you're consistent about how you handle these expenses year over year. The IRS doesn't like it when contractors flip-flop between claiming expenses as deductions versus treating reimbursements as income. Pick a method and stick with it. In your case, since they're already issuing the 1099-NEC with the reimbursements included, you're pretty much locked into reporting it as income and then deducting the expenses. Also, consider having a conversation with your client about setting up a proper accountable plan for next year. If they require you to submit receipts and reimburse exact amounts, those shouldn't be appearing on your 1099 at all. It might save both of you some headaches down the road.

I've been in this exact situation as a contractor and can confirm what others have said - you're essentially stuck reporting the reimbursements as income since they're on your 1099-NEC, but you can deduct the same amounts as business expenses on Schedule C. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're tracking the business purpose for each parking expense. The IRS wants to see that these were legitimate business travel expenses, so I keep a simple log with dates, client visits, and parking costs. It's also worth noting that if you're parking at the airport for business travel, that's generally considered a fully deductible business expense rather than just partial like commuting would be. The frustrating part is that your client should really be handling this differently - reimbursements for documented business expenses shouldn't be showing up on your 1099 at all. But changing their accounting practices mid-year is probably more hassle than it's worth. I'd definitely continue getting reimbursed rather than eating those costs yourself - just make sure you have solid documentation for the deductions.

I've been lurking in tax forums for a while and finally decided to jump in! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a similar situation where I want to handle my own taxes better and maybe help some family members. The progression that Lola described really appeals to me - starting with free/cheap resources and building up knowledge gradually. I like the idea of not committing thousands of dollars upfront when I'm not even sure how deep into tax prep I want to go. One question for those who've gone the self-study route: how do you stay current with tax law changes? That seems like it could be challenging without formal coursework that gets updated each year. Do you just rely on IRS publications and news sources, or are there other resources you'd recommend for keeping up with annual changes? Also curious about the seasonal H&R Block approach - do they typically hire people with zero experience, or do you need some basic knowledge first? That could be a great way to bridge the gap between self-study and real-world application.

This has been such an informative thread! As someone who's been preparing taxes professionally for about 10 years, I wanted to add a few thoughts that might help with your decision-making process. First, regarding the original question about Universal Accounting vs Surgent - Emily Jackson's assessment earlier was spot-on. Universal Accounting is comprehensive but includes a lot of accounting theory that won't be directly applicable to family tax prep. Surgent's CTP program is more focused and would definitely cover what you need for personal and small business returns. However, after reading through all these responses, I'm really impressed by the alternative approaches people have shared. The community college route is excellent - many CC programs are taught by practicing CPAs and EAs, so you get quality instruction at a fraction of the cost. The AI tool (taxr.ai) that several people mentioned is intriguing. I've been hearing more about AI tax tools from colleagues, and the educational aspect sounds compelling. Being able to learn tax concepts in the context of your actual tax situations rather than abstract examples could be really effective. One thing I'd add: whatever route you choose, consider getting an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) even if you're just doing family taxes. It's inexpensive and gives you access to IRS training materials and resources that aren't available to the general public. Plus, if you ever decide to prepare returns for non-family members, you'll need it anyway. The seasonal H&R Block strategy that Lola mentioned is genuinely brilliant - I wish I'd thought of that when I was starting out!

As someone who's dealt with Box 14 confusion for years, I'd recommend keeping a copy of your pay stubs alongside your W-2. The codes in Box 14 usually match up with deductions you see throughout the year on your paystubs, which can help you understand what each entry represents. For New Jersey specifically, those NJSUI/SDI and NJWFD codes are standard - every NJ employee will see these. The amounts should roughly match what you'd calculate using the percentages Ryan mentioned above. If there's a big discrepancy, that might be worth checking with your payroll department, but otherwise you're all set!

One thing I learned the hard way is to double-check that your employer coded everything correctly in Box 14. Last year my company accidentally put my parking benefits under the wrong code and it caused confusion when I was doing my taxes. Most of the time Box 14 entries are just informational like everyone said, but occasionally there might be something that affects your tax liability. For NJ specifically, those codes you mentioned are totally standard and won't impact your actual tax calculation - they're just showing what was already withheld. But it's always worth taking a few minutes to understand what each entry means, especially if you see any codes you don't recognize. Better to ask now than get surprised later!

I actually dealt with this exact scenario two years ago when I legally changed my name due to marriage but filed before updating my Social Security records. Here's what I learned: the IRS uses what they call "name control" matching, which is pretty forgiving for minor discrepancies. Since your SSN is correct and all your financial information matches, you're in good shape. The system will likely flag it for manual review, but that just means a human will look at it rather than it being automatically rejected. I ended up getting my refund about 3 weeks later than expected, and the only correspondence I received was a simple form letter asking me to verify the name change - no penalties or major issues. For your medical insurance verification concerns, most healthcare systems primarily use SSN for tax document matching anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem. If you want peace of mind, you can call the IRS taxpayer assistance line, but honestly, I'd just wait it out unless you start seeing unusual delays or receive specific correspondence asking for clarification.

I went through this exact situation last year after a legal name change following my divorce. Filed with my old married name by mistake even though I'd already updated my driver's license and bank accounts. Here's what actually happened: the IRS processed my return normally, just took about 2-3 weeks longer than usual. They matched everything by my SSN first, then flagged the name discrepancy for manual review. I received a CP 01A notice about 6 weeks later asking me to verify the name change - just had to mail back a copy of my divorce decree. No penalties, no major delays, and my refund came through fine. The insurance verification thing you mentioned shouldn't be an issue since most systems cross-reference primarily by SSN anyway. If you're really anxious about it, you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040, but honestly I'd recommend just waiting to see if they send you any correspondence. The fact that your SSN, address, and all financial info is correct works heavily in your favor - name mismatches from legitimate life changes are way more common than people think!

As someone who went through a very similar situation with my sister-in-law, I want to emphasize how important it is to act quickly but also be thorough with the documentation. She waited too long to start the amendment process and ended up losing out on refunds for one of the eligible years because the statute of limitations expired. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that your cousin should also review any retirement account contributions she made during those ITIN years. If she contributed to an IRA but couldn't claim the deduction because of her status, she might be able to amend those returns to claim the retirement savings contribution credit (Saver's Credit) now that she has an SSN and permanent resident status. Also, if she has children who were born in the US but she couldn't claim certain credits for them while using an ITIN, those children's SSNs should allow her to claim additional child-related credits retroactively. The key is making sure all the family members' Social Security numbers are properly documented in the amended returns. The process is definitely worth it - my sister-in-law recovered over $6,000 across three years, which made a huge difference for their family. Just be patient with the IRS processing times and keep detailed records of everything you submit!

Yes, you're absolutely right about the Child Tax Credit situation! Since her children already had SSNs, she should definitely be able to claim the full Child Tax Credit retroactively now that she has permanent resident status. The Additional Child Tax Credit (now called the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit) should also be available for those years where her tax liability was less than the full credit amount. Just make sure when she files the amended returns that she includes clear documentation showing her children's SSNs and their relationship to her (birth certificates work great for this). The IRS will want to verify that these are qualifying children who meet all the requirements. One more thing to consider - if any of her children were in college during those ITIN years and she paid tuition, she might also be able to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit retroactively. This credit can be worth up to $2,500 per student per year and is partially refundable, so even if she didn't owe much tax, she could still get money back. The combination of EITC, Child Tax Credit, education credits, and potentially the Saver's Credit could really add up to a substantial refund across multiple years. Definitely worth the effort to get all the documentation together and file those amendments!