Is this really legit though? Don't you have to run actual payroll with proper tax withholdings at the time you take the money? I've been stressing about making sure everything is by-the-book with my new S-Corp.

This is absolutely legitimate as long as you properly document and account for everything. When you run payroll, you'll calculate the full gross salary amount, withhold all required taxes, and then reduce the net check by the amount you already advanced yourself. For example, if your reasonable salary is $5,000 monthly and you already took $3,000 as an advance, when you run payroll, you'll still calculate taxes on the full $5,000, but the net check would only be around $2,000 (minus the taxes on the full amount). This ensures all proper employment taxes are paid on your full reasonable compensation. Just make sure your payroll system can handle this "adjustment" or "reimbursement" properly.

Agreed! I did something similar my first year and my accountant just had me document everything carefully. The important thing is the year-end picture looks right. S-Corps get in trouble when they take massive distributions and tiny salaries over the course of entire years, not when they make minor timing errors while learning the ropes.

Thanks for bringing this up, but I don't think it applies in our situation. Both my parents are alive but separated. Neither of them has dependent children living with them - my brother and I are both adults supporting them, not living with them. But good to know about this filing status for future reference!

You're right, it doesn't apply in your specific situation. I just wanted to mention it since it's something people often overlook. Another consideration is that if either of your parents receives Social Security benefits, claiming them as a dependent might affect how those benefits are taxed. Usually only matters if they have other significant income alongside Social Security, but something to be aware of.

That's not entirely accurate. While the personal exemption was suspended, there's still a $500 credit for non-child dependents. Plus, claiming a parent as a dependent might allow you to file as Head of Household (if they live with you), which has more favorable tax rates and a higher standard deduction. You might also be able to deduct medical expenses you pay for them. Definitely can be worth it.

As a US citizen working for a foreign mission, your situation is actually a bit different. You DO owe both income tax and self-employment tax since US citizens are taxed on worldwide income. You wouldn't use Schedule C because you're an employee, not a business owner. Instead, you'd report your income on Line 1 of Form 1040 as wages, then complete Schedule SE to calculate your self-employment tax obligation. Make sure you're getting credit for those quarterly payments by reporting them on your return. And keep good records of everything because this situation often triggers questions from the IRS simply because it's less common.

Thanks for clearing that up! So basically treat it like regular wage income on the 1040, but also file Schedule SE for the self-employment portion? And I assume my quarterly payments go on the 1040-ES line? Do I need any special statement or form since my employer gave me their country's version of income documentation rather than a W-2?

Do you mind sharing which publications they recommended? I'm in a similar situation but working for an international organization rather than a foreign mission, and I'm trying to understand if the rules are the same.

They pointed me to Publication 519 (U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens) which has a section on employees of foreign governments and international organizations. Also Publication 54 (Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad) had some relevant information. For international organizations, the rules are very similar but depend on whether your organization has specific tax privileges under International Organizations Immunities Act. The key thing is that while you might be exempt from income tax, you typically still owe self-employment tax unless covered by a totalization agreement with your home country.

TurboTax does show the status of your federal refund in your account dashboard. For state refunds, it depends on which state you're in. Some states are integrated in the TurboTax tracking system, but for others, you'll still need to go to your state's tax department website to check. I'm in Texas so no state income tax to worry about, but when I lived in Illinois I had to check separately.

Thanks for the info! I'm in Michigan so I'll probably need to check separately. Was hoping they'd improved the tracking system since last year. I'll still use TurboTax since I'm familiar with it, but wish they'd make this part easier.

In my experience, TurboTax "Free Edition" usually tries to upsell you if you have anything beyond the most basic return. If you have any deductions, credits, self-employment income, etc., they'll tell you that you need to upgrade to Deluxe or higher. I switched to FreeTaxUSA a couple years ago and haven't looked back - much more straightforward pricing.

Thanks, that's interesting! Do the same general tax advantages apply? Like with the SEP, would I still see a similar reduction in my current tax burden if I contributed the same amount to a Solo 401k?

Yes, you'd get the same tax deduction for equivalent contributions. The tax treatment is identical - both reduce your current tax burden and grow tax-deferred until withdrawal. The main advantage of Solo 401k is that you can potentially contribute more in total. For example, in 2023 you could contribute up to $22,500 as an "employee" contribution plus the same employer contribution you'd make with a SEP (up to 25% of compensation with a combined limit of $66,000). If you're over 50, you also get an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution option with the Solo 401k. Many people don't realize that a Solo 401k can be fairly simple to set up with major brokerages like Fidelity, Vanguard, or Charles Schwab.

This is so true. I maxed out my SEP last year and felt great about the tax savings, then my biggest client terminated their contract unexpectedly. I would have been in serious trouble if I hadn't kept a decent emergency fund. How much did you end up paying in penalties when you had to take that early distribution?