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Just wanted to add my experience with Series EE bonds and Form 8815. I found out that if the bond is in YOUR name but purchased by someone else (like a parent or grandparent), different rules apply compared to when it's in both names with "OR" between them. In my case, my grandma bought bonds in my name only, and I was able to use Form 8815 to exclude the interest when I cashed them for college, even though I was under 24 when they were issued. The key was that they were solely in my name, not jointly with an "OR" designation.
That's interesting! So if the bonds had only been in my name without the "OR my mom" part, I could have qualified for the exclusion myself? Do you happen to know if there's any way to change the registration on existing bonds to make them solely in my name?
That's not quite right - I think I confused things. Even if the bonds are solely in your name, you still need to have been 24 or older when they were issued to qualify for the Form 8815 exclusion yourself. What I meant was that my grandmother had them in her name only (she was over 24), then used them for my education expenses. As for changing registration, you can reissue savings bonds in some circumstances, but changing ownership to qualify for tax benefits would likely be considered tax avoidance by the IRS. The registration needs to reflect the original intent of purchase. You're better off having your mom claim the exclusion if she paid for your education, as the other commenters suggested.
Paolo Romano
One important detail nobody's mentioned yet - the Form 8815 exclusion has income limits! Even if you qualify based on the ownership and age requirements, if your modified adjusted gross income is above certain thresholds, the exclusion starts phasing out or might be eliminated completely. For 2025 taxes, the phase-out begins around $93,750 for singles and $140,900 for married filing jointly. Just something to keep in mind before you spend tons of time figuring out the other requirements.
Amina Diop
ā¢Do those income limits apply to the person who cashed the bonds or the person claiming the exclusion? Like if the mom is claiming the exclusion but the student cashed the bonds, whose income matters?
Paolo Romano
ā¢The income limits apply to the person claiming the exclusion on their tax return. So if your mom is claiming the exclusion (because she meets the age requirement and paid for your education), then it's her income that matters for the phase-out limits. In this situation, it doesn't matter who physically cashed the bonds. What matters is who's claiming the tax benefit. The IRS looks at the modified adjusted gross income on the tax return where Form 8815 is being filed.
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One thing no one's mentioned yet - if you're worried about owing again next year, you can also make estimated quarterly tax payments for your freelance work. That's what I do to avoid a big bill at tax time. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 (for the previous year's last quarter).
Do you just calculate 25% of what you think you'll owe for the year and pay that each quarter? Or is there some special form you need to fill out? This might be a good solution for me.
It's a bit more nuanced than just 25% each quarter. You can use Form 1040-ES which has a worksheet to help you estimate what you'll owe. Alternatively, you can base it on what you owed last year (which is the "safe harbor" approach to avoid underpayment penalties). The payments aren't perfectly even either - they're based on income during specific periods. The IRS website has a direct pay option that makes it pretty easy once you know your amount. Just select "estimated tax" as the payment reason. It's definitely worth doing if you have significant untaxed income!
What tax software are ppl using these days? I've been using TurboTax but I swear they jack up their prices every year, and I'm wondering if there are better options for handling freelance + regular w2 income.
I switched to FreeTaxUSA last year and it was WAY cheaper than TurboTax. Handled my W-2 and 1099 income just fine. Federal filing is free and state was like $15. The interface isn't as pretty but it gets the job done.
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Daniel White
Just to add to the capital gains discussion - don't forget about state taxes too! The federal capital gains rate might be 15%, but depending on what state your in-laws live in, they could owe state taxes on top of that. Some states tax capital gains at the same rate as ordinary income. For example, I sold a vacation property in California last year and had to pay an additional 9.3% to the state on top of the federal capital gains tax. Made a big difference in my final numbers.
Gianna Scott
ā¢Oh man, I didn't even think about state taxes! They're in Pennsylvania - any idea what the rate would be there?
Daniel White
ā¢Pennsylvania has a flat income tax rate of 3.07% that applies to capital gains too. So your in-laws would pay that on top of the federal 15%. It's lower than many states, but still adds up. Make sure they account for both state and federal taxes in their calculations. There's no special capital gains rate in PA - it's just treated as ordinary income at the state level. They'll need to report it on both their federal and state tax returns next year.
Nolan Carter
I'm seeing some confusion about cost basis here. Remember that in addition to the purchase price and documented improvements, your in-laws can also add certain closing costs from when they purchased the property to their basis. This includes: - Title insurance - Legal fees - Recording fees - Survey costs - Transfer or stamp taxes Also, when they sell, they can deduct selling expenses like real estate commissions, legal fees, and other closing costs directly from the sales price before calculating gain.
Wait that's super helpful! I sold my cabin last year and my accountant never mentioned adding the original closing costs to my basis. Can I still amend my return from last year to include those?
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Has anyone successfully used H&R Block software for this AMT credit carryforward situation? My company just granted more ISOs and I'm trying to figure out which software handles this best.
Mason Davis
ā¢I used H&R Block last year for my ISO/AMT situation and it worked fine. Form 8801 is available in their Premium version. The interface isn't as intuitive as some others, but it gets the job done. One tip: make sure you have your previous year's Form 6251 handy when you're working on 8801.
Thanks, that's really helpful! I'll stick with H&R Block then. Do you remember approximately where in the interface the AMT credit form was located? Just want to make sure I don't miss it.
One strategy that helped me deal with AMT from ISOs: If you're expecting to be in AMT for several consecutive years, consider exercising and holding ISOs in the HIGHEST AMT year, then doing disqualifying dispositions (immediately selling) in other years. This maximizes the value of your AMT credits when you can finally use them. For your specific question about TurboTax vs TaxSlayer - I've used both, and TurboTax Premier definitely does support Form 8801, it's just not obvious. TaxSlayer's interface makes it a bit easier to find the AMT credit forms in my experience. Also don't forget that keeping perfect records is crucial. Document every ISO transaction, your basis calculations, and keep copies of all AMT-related forms (6251, 8801) from every year. You might need these records for a decade or more until you finally use all your credits!
Yuki Tanaka
The way I learned tax basics was by volunteering with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). They train you to prepare taxes for low-income people. The training is free and really comprehensive. You start with basic returns but can get certified for more advanced topics. Plus you're helping people while learning!
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Carmen Ortiz
ā¢Do you need any background to volunteer? I'm interested but literally know nothing about taxes beyond my simple W2 job.
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Yuki Tanaka
ā¢No background needed at all! They start from scratch with the training. I knew basically nothing when I started - just filled out 1040EZ forms for my own simple returns. They provide all the training materials and have experienced volunteers who mentor you. They have different certification levels, so you can start with the basics and work your way up as you learn more. Even the basic certification teaches you WAY more than most people know about taxes. And when you encounter something you don't understand, there's always a more experienced volunteer to help explain it.
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MidnightRider
Has anyone tried those tax master courses you see advertised online? Keep getting ads for one that promises to teach "hidden deductions" and stuff but seems kinda scammy.
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Andre Laurent
ā¢Waste of money. Those courses just teach basic deductions that are readily available in IRS publications or any tax prep software. They make it sound like secret knowledge but it's really not.
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