Thanks! I definitely started tracking everything more carefully after reading these responses. Do you know if apps like Robinhood automatically account for wash sales on their 1099 forms?

Robinhood does report wash sales on their 1099-B forms, which is helpful. You'll see adjustments to your cost basis when wash sales occur. However, there's a potential issue - if you trade the same security across different platforms (like Robinhood and Webull), those platforms don't communicate with each other about wash sales. So while each platform reports wash sales that happen within their system, they can't detect wash sales that might occur when you sell at a loss on one platform and rebuy on another within 30 days. In that case, you'd need to identify those wash sales yourself when filing. But for your current situation with just Robinhood and small amounts, their reporting should be sufficient.

I have to respectfully disagree with this advice. While it's true the IRS is unlikely to pursue such a small amount, recommending not filing when required isn't good practice. In this specific case, OP actually isn't required to file based on the dependent unearned income threshold, but that won't be true for everyone reading this thread. Better to understand the actual rules than risk problems down the road.

Fine, technically you're right. But let's be real - the IRS is severely understaffed and focused on high-value enforcement. The chance of any consequences for not filing when you're owed a tiny refund or owe virtually nothing is practically zero. But yes, everyone should "understand the actual rules" 🙄

What happens if your kid takes more than 4 years to graduate? My son is probably going to take 5 years to finish his degree. Can I still claim anything in that fifth year?

After you've used the American Opportunity Credit for 4 years, you can still claim the Lifetime Learning Credit for any additional years. The Lifetime Learning Credit doesn't have the 4-year limit that AOTC has. The Lifetime Learning Credit is worth less overall (20% of up to $10,000 in qualified expenses, so maximum $2,000 credit), compared to AOTC which can be up to $2,500. But it's definitely better than nothing for that fifth year! Also, Lifetime Learning has fewer restrictions - doesn't require half-time enrollment and can be used for graduate school too.

I dealt with this last year. If box 5 is larger than box 1, it usually means the scholarship/grant money exceeded qualified tuition expenses. You generally can't claim a credit in this case because there are no "out-of-pocket" qualified expenses. BUT - here's the trick: If your scholarship/grant is more than qualified expenses, you can choose to treat some of the scholarship as taxable income to your daughter, which then allows you to claim a credit for that same amount of expenses. This sometimes works out better overall, especially if your daughter has little/no other income.

But what if I literally have zero income for 2024? Can I still file and claim these credits? My child was just born a month ago, and I'm still waiting on disability approval.

You can still file taxes with zero income, and you absolutely should if you have a dependent child. The Earned Income Credit has special rules that might apply even with zero earnings in your situation. For the Child Tax Credit, up to $1,600 per child is refundable (called the Additional Child Tax Credit), meaning you can receive it even if you have no tax liability. Since your child was born this year, they count as your dependent for the entire 2024 tax year.

That's actually a really important point I hadn't considered. I'm applying for several assistance programs right now while waiting on disability approval. I definitely don't want to mess up those applications.

I'm glad you brought that up. Each program has different rules, but many require you to report if you're being claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes. This could potentially: - Change your household size calculation for benefits - Affect income limits since they might count some of your brother's income - Impact housing assistance eligibility or priority I'd recommend contacting the specific programs you're applying for and asking directly how being claimed as a tax dependent would affect your application. It's much better to know beforehand than to have benefits reduced unexpectedly.

Does this mean if I won $10k at a casino but lost $12k overall, and I take the standard deduction, I'm basically paying taxes on $10k I didn't actually make? That seems totally unfair!

Exactly right. If you won $10k but lost $12k overall, you still have to report that $10k as income. If you take the standard deduction, you don't get to deduct any of your losses. This is why gambling taxation is particularly harsh. You're effectively paying taxes on money you didn't get to keep. It's one of those tax code quirks that disproportionately affects average people rather than professional gamblers who typically have enough deductions to itemize anyway.

I'm curious - did you have W-2Gs for your winnings? I've heard the IRS automatically gets those from casinos so they know exactly what you won, but have no way to verify losses without documentation.

That's actually a really interesting option I hadn't considered. How complicated is the 1031 exchange process? And would I still be able to do this if I'm potentially downsizing to a less expensive rental property?

The 1031 exchange process isn't too complicated, but you absolutely need to follow the rules precisely - any misstep can disqualify the whole exchange. You definitely need to work with a qualified intermediary who specializes in these transactions, as they'll handle the paperwork and hold the funds. You can certainly downsize to a less expensive property, but there's a catch - if the replacement property is less expensive than what you sell your current property for, the difference (called "boot") will be taxable. So if you sell for $215k and buy for $180k, that $35k difference would be subject to capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes. Still, it allows you to defer taxes on the $180k portion, which could be worthwhile.

This is such an important point! I messed this up on my tax return last year and had to file an amendment. I replaced all the windows in my rental and was depreciating them separately, but when I sold, I forgot to account for that specific recapture amount.