Thanks for mentioning this! We actually did install some grab bars and a walk-in shower about two years ago but I didn't think of that as something tax-related. About how much of his care costs would qualify toward the support test? The in-home aide costs around $4,200/month and we're paying for all of it.

The in-home care costs absolutely count toward the support test! If you're paying $4,200/month, that's over $50,000 per year just for that care, which is substantial. All of that would count toward your support calculation. For the medical modifications, if they were medically necessary (prescribed or recommended by a healthcare provider), they could potentially be deductible as medical expenses if you itemize deductions. However, these would need to exceed a certain percentage of your adjusted gross income along with other medical expenses to get any tax benefit. Alternatively, those costs could be added to the basis of the home if you didn't take the medical deduction, potentially reducing any taxable gain.

What counts as a "major improvement" versus just regular maintenance? Like if he replaced the water heater, does that count?

Omg I never thought of that!! My ex's brother works at a tax preparation place and always seemed shady. We didn't part on good terms at all. How did you find out it was your ex? Did the IRS tell you or did you have to figure it out yourself?

The IRS wouldn't tell me specifically who did it, but they did confirm the fraudulent W-2 came from a company where my ex's new girlfriend worked in payroll. I pieced it together after that. In my case, I had to file a police report and the detective was able to track the origin of the fake W-2 submission. If your ex's brother works in tax preparation, that's definitely suspicious. He would have access to the systems needed to generate a fake W-2. When you talk to the IRS, make sure to mention this possibility - it might speed up their investigation if they have a potential lead.

This is good advice. My transcript had both 570 and 971 codes, and the 971 was because they sent me a letter explaining the issue. Check your mail carefully - they might have already sent you something explaining the hold.

You're right! I just checked again and I do have a 971 code too that I missed before. It's dated for next week so I guess they're sending me a letter. Good to know I should watch for that. Thanks for pointing this out!

Thanks for that explanation! Quick question - does this same circular calculation issue apply to both SEP IRAs and Solo 401ks? I'm trying to decide which one to open this year.

Yes, the circular calculation applies to both SEP IRAs and Solo 401k employer contributions. For both plans, the employer contribution limit is 25% of your net self-employment earnings, but the actual calculation works out to roughly 20% of your net profit. The big difference is that with a Solo 401k, you can also make employee contributions up to $22,500 for 2023 ($23,000 for 2024) that aren't affected by this calculation. That's why Solo 401ks often allow for higher total contributions, especially for people with moderate self-employment income.

I just checked and found the updated version. They didn't actually change the calculation, but they did add a clearer explanation of why line 17 uses that specific percentage. It's still the same formula, just better explained in the instructions section.

thx for checking! typical irs to keep the confusing calculation but just explain it better lol. at least now people might understand whats happening with that weird percentage. gonna look for the new version again.

That's an interesting option I hadn't considered! Do you know if there are any limits to how much I could contribute to a 529 annually? And would withdrawals from a 529 affect their financial aid differently than if we just paid tuition directly?

You can contribute up to the gift tax annual exclusion ($18,000 in 2025) per beneficiary without filing a gift tax return. You can even "superfund" a 529 with five years of contributions at once ($90,000 per beneficiary), though you'd need to file a gift tax return to elect this treatment. For financial aid impact, it's complicated. Direct tuition payments won't affect their FAFSA for the current year. But 529 distributions from accounts owned by anyone other than the parents or student are treated as student income on subsequent FAFSA forms, which can reduce aid eligibility by up to 50% of the distribution amount. This is why many advisors recommend using non-parent 529 funds for later years of college after the final FAFSA is filed.

This is great advice. My uncle helped me with some college expenses, but his biggest gift was actually helping with the down payment on my first house when I was 29. That made a much bigger difference in my financial trajectory than his contributions to my tuition.

Thanks for bringing this up! Do you use any specific apps or methods to track your expenses? I'm worried I'll miss things if I don't have a system.

I personally use QuickBooks Self-Employed which automatically categorizes expenses and tracks mileage. It's about $15/month but worth it for me because it integrates with TurboTax for filing. A free alternative that works well is just setting up a dedicated spreadsheet with categories like "Office Supplies," "Software," etc., and taking photos of all receipts with your phone. The most important thing is consistency! Set aside 15 minutes each week to update your records while things are fresh in your mind. For mileage, either use an app or keep a small notebook in your car to jot down odometer readings and the purpose of each business trip. Also, open a separate business checking account if possible - it makes everything so much clearer at tax time.

This is what I do! I just adjusted my W-4 at my day job to withhold an extra $200 per paycheck to cover my side hustle taxes. No quarterly payments needed and I actually got a small refund. Much simpler than dealing with estimated payments.