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Ask the community...

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Omar Mahmoud

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Something I learned the hard way after a few years running my production company - make sure you're tracking your state film incentives properly! Depending on your state, these can be tax credits, rebates, or grants, and they're all treated differently for tax purposes. I'd recommend creating a separate tracking system just for incentives and credits. Also, if you're filming in multiple states, you might need to file taxes in each of those states if you meet their thresholds. And please don't forget about sales tax! Some states require you to pay sales tax on production equipment and services, while others have exemptions for qualified productions. Worth checking before you make big purchases.

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Chloe Harris

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Do film tax credits count as income in the year you receive them? I'm getting a small incentive payment from my state film commission next month for a project I completed last year, and I'm not sure if that's 2024 income or if I should have somehow accounted for it in 2023.

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Omar Mahmoud

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The timing of film tax credit recognition generally depends on when you have the legal right to receive the payment. If your production was completed last year but the credit wasn't approved until this year, it's typically 2024 income. However, it also depends on your accounting method. If you're using the cash method (most small productions do), you'd report it as income when you actually receive the payment. If you're using the accrual method, you'd record it when you earned the right to receive it. Since it sounds like the state is just now processing your payment for last year's work, this would likely be 2024 income. But definitely confirm this with your accountant since tax credit treatment varies by state and situation.

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Diego Vargas

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Don't forget about tracking non-cash compensation! If you're giving crew members credit in the film or rights to use footage for their reels in lieu of some payment, technically that has value. Same with giving people copies of the film or other perks. I learned this when I got audited two years ago. The IRS questioned why some of my "staff" didn't receive 1099s despite being listed in credits. It became a whole thing about whether their compensation fell below reporting thresholds when including non-cash benefits. Now I document EVERYTHING - meals provided, equipment they get to use, credit value, etc. Better to have too much documentation than not enough!

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NeonNinja

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That's wild, I never would have thought about credit as compensation! How do you even calculate the value of a film credit for tax purposes? Is there some kind of standard rate card for that?

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Just want to add something that nobody mentioned yet - make sure your invoice or W9 form matches EXACTLY how your name appears on your tax registration. I had this issue because my FEIN was registered under "John Q Smith Consulting" but my invoices just said "John Smith Consulting" - that tiny difference caused payment rejections. For a sole prop, the safest approach is to use your SSN and your exact personal name as it appears on your Social Security card, then "doing business as" your business name. That's worked for me with all clients for the past 5 years without any kickbacks from payment systems.

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Sunny Wang

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That's really helpful. So for my invoices, should I format it as "My Full Name dba Business Name" and then just use my SSN on the W9 form? Or should I include both the SSN and FEIN on different parts of the form?

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You should format it exactly as "Your Full Legal Name dba Business Name" on your invoices, and then on your W9, check the "Individual/sole proprietor" box, use your personal name on the "Name" line, your business name on the "Business name/disregarded entity" line, and your SSN in part I. You can include your EIN in Part II if you want, but it's cleaner to just use your SSN for everything unless you specifically need the EIN for something like business banking. This way, everything matches what the IRS has on file for you personally, which prevents these verification hiccups.

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Caden Turner

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quick question - does anyone know if having this kind of EIN/SSN mismatch trigger any kind of audit flags with the IRS? I'm dealing with the same issue and now I'm worried this might cause bigger problems down the road

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From my experience (worked in tax prep for 7 years), these kinds of mismatches don't typically trigger audits on their own. They're considered administrative issues rather than compliance problems. The IRS is looking for income reporting discrepancies, not ID formatting issues.

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Canadian green card holder filing dual status tax return in US - need advice on my transition plan

I'm facing a somewhat complicated situation and would love some input on my plan for filing US taxes this year: I'm Canadian and relocated to the US in May 2022 on a TN visa. Even though I met the substantial presence test in 2022, I filed 1040NR and 540NR in the US/California using form 8833 (Canada/Tax treaty) and filed my Canadian resident tax return reporting my worldwide income to Canada. My reasoning was that I wasn't certain about staying in the US long-term and didn't want to cut ties with Canada after just working in the States for a short period. Jump to August 2023, my wife (also Canadian) and I received our green cards (finally!) - we initiated the application in March 2023 through her employer's sponsorship. We're considering declaring non-resident status in Canada later this year since my understanding is that green card holders should file 1040 or risk jeopardizing their green card status. We'd also benefit from some tax savings due to lower US tax rates. Here's my tentative plan (I've consulted with 2 US/Canada cross-border tax specialists - one thought this approach should work while the other wasn't completely confident): * Travel back to Canada in mid/late September and return to the US on October 1 (using October 1 as our departure date and first day as non-residents of Canada - thus filing Canadian tax resident return with worldwide income for January 1-September 30) * For US taxes, file a dual status tax return (filing 1040NR/540NR for January 1-September 30 with form 8833 reporting US-sourced income; then filing 1040/540 reporting worldwide income for October 1-December 31) * Sell my rented condo and aim to close by September 30 (there's approximately $270K capital gain that should be tax-free since it's been my principal residence from the beginning) * Close my TFSA and most Canadian bank accounts (keeping only accounts that serve non-residents in Canada); cancel OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) * From January 1, 2024 onward, we'll be US residents and Canadian non-residents Does this approach seem reasonable? I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions!

Another thing to consider with your plan: FBAR requirements for your Canadian accounts. As a green card holder, you'll need to file FinCEN Form 114 annually to report your foreign financial accounts if their aggregate value exceeds $10,000 at any point during the year. Also, be cautious with your TFSA. While it's tax-sheltered in Canada, the US doesn't recognize its tax-free status. Any income earned in your TFSA will be taxable on your US return, which is why closing it before becoming a US resident is a good move. Have you considered the implications for any Canadian retirement accounts like RRSPs? Under the treaty, you can defer US taxation on RRSPs, but you need to file Form 8891 to make this election.

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Thank you for bringing up these important points! I have about $35K combined in my Canadian accounts, so I'll definitely need to file the FBAR. You're right about the TFSA - that's exactly why I'm planning to close it before October. Regarding RRSPs, I do have about $80K in an RRSP. I wasn't aware of Form 8891 - does that need to be filed annually or just once?

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The good news is that Form 8891 was actually eliminated in 2014! The IRS now automatically recognizes the tax deferral for RRSPs under the US-Canada tax treaty without requiring a specific form. You'll still need to report the existence of the RRSP on your FBAR and potentially on Form 8938 (Statement of Foreign Financial Assets) if you meet the filing threshold, but the income can continue to grow tax-deferred. One other consideration for your plan: make sure you've researched any state-specific requirements. California, for example, doesn't always follow federal treatment of foreign income and may have different rules regarding your Canadian accounts and investments compared to federal regulations.

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Omar Fawaz

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Have you factored in potential "exit tax" implications when leaving Canada? If the fair market value of your worldwide assets exceeds CAD $1.6 million at the time you become a non-resident, you might be subject to a deemed disposition of your property, potentially creating additional tax liability.

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Chloe Martin

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This is incorrect information. Canada doesn't have an "exit tax" in the same way as the US. What Canada has is a deemed disposition rule where certain properties are treated as if they were sold at fair market value when you cease Canadian residency. However, this typically doesn't apply to cash, personal-use property, most registered plans like RRSPs, and certain real property located in Canada.

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Thanks for bringing this up. I've been concerned about this potential issue. My total assets are around CAD $1.3 million, so I should be under that threshold. Most of my assets are either in my RRSP, cash, or the condo which I'm planning to sell before becoming a non-resident. Would there be any other assets I should be concerned about for the deemed disposition rules?

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Freya Ross

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22 Just to add another perspective - I'm an accountant and see this situation all the time. The IRS doesn't care if you only did one job or a hundred jobs - income outside of a W-2 employment relationship is considered self-employment income and needs to be reported on Schedule C. The threshold for the payer to issue a 1099-NEC is $600, but your obligation to report income exists regardless of whether proper documentation was provided to you. The IRS considers ALL income taxable unless specifically excluded by law. One thing to consider: since this is over $400 net income, you'll also need to pay self-employment tax on it (the SE tax threshold is lower than the income tax threshold). Make sure you complete Schedule SE along with your Schedule C.

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Freya Ross

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3 Is there any minimum amount for self-employment? Like if someone paid me $50 to mow their lawn once, do I still need to report that? It seems excessive to file all these extra forms for tiny amounts.

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Freya Ross

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22 The technical answer is that if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, you're required to report the income and pay self-employment tax. Below that threshold, you still technically need to report the income on your tax return, but you wouldn't have to pay self-employment tax or file Schedule SE. For very small amounts like $50 from a one-time lawn mowing job, the practical reality is that it's unlikely to create issues if not reported. However, the letter of the law says all income should be reported regardless of amount. As amounts get larger (like the $3,800 mentioned in the original post), the importance of proper reporting increases significantly both for compliance reasons and because the IRS is more likely to notice larger unreported amounts.

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Freya Ross

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11 FYI - I'm a freelance coder and tax preparation software doesn't always handle one-time self-employment situations well. They often try to categorize you as either "fully employed" or "fully self-employed" which creates confusion. If using software like TurboTax or H&R Block, make sure you enter this under "additional income" or "self-employment income" rather than trying to create a whole business entity. You'll need to complete a Schedule C regardless of how small the job was. The important thing is reporting the income correctly - not necessarily fitting into their pre-defined categories. And don't forget about state taxes too! Many states also require you to report self-employment income separately.

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Freya Ross

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2 Which tax software do you think handles this situation best? I'm in a similar boat with just one small freelance project this year.

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Paolo Ricci

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Regarding your original question about pricing - location makes a HUGE difference. I own small businesses in both rural Minnesota and Chicago, and I pay nearly double for the same tax services in Chicago. My rural accountant charges $1,800 for annual tax prep for my sole proprietorship plus one rental property, and quarterly planning is an additional $1,200 annually. My Chicago accountant charges $3,400 for similar tax prep and $2,200 for quarterly planning for a business of similar size and complexity. Both provide good service, but the price difference is significant just based on location. Might be worth getting quotes from firms slightly outside your immediate metro area if you're in a high-cost location.

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Amina Toure

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Do you find any difference in quality between your rural vs city accountant? I'm wondering if paying more actually gets you better service or tax savings?

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Paolo Ricci

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Honestly, my rural accountant is more attentive and responsive - probably because she has fewer clients overall. The Chicago firm has more specialized expertise in certain areas (particularly for e-commerce tax issues), but for day-to-day service and general tax matters, the rural accountant provides better value. The big difference is that the Chicago firm has more specialists under one roof, so if I have a very specific tax situation, they can usually handle it in-house. With my rural accountant, she occasionally needs to bring in outside expertise for complex situations. But for standard business tax planning and preparation, I haven't found that paying more necessarily results in better service or outcomes.

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One thing nobody has mentioned - look beyond just CPAs. I use an Enrolled Agent (EA) for my business taxes and pay MUCH less than the CPA quotes I got. EAs specialize in taxation and have to pass rigorous IRS testing. Mine charges $1,800 for comprehensive planning and preparation for my LLC and personal returns. The biggest firms with fancy offices and lots of staff will always charge premium rates. A solo practitioner EA or CPA with low overhead can offer the same quality service at a fraction of the cost. Just make sure they have experience with your specific business type.

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How do you find a good EA? Is there a directory or certification board? I've only ever used CPAs and H&R Block type places.

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You can find qualified EAs through the National Association of Enrolled Agents website (NAEA.org) - they have a directory searchable by location and specialization. I found mine through a business owner networking group, which was great because I got to hear about direct experiences from other small business owners. When interviewing potential EAs, ask about their experience with your specific industry and business structure. A good EA should be able to discuss relevant deductions and planning strategies in your initial consultation. Also check if they offer audit representation (most do, it's a core part of their expertise). The right EA can provide the same level of tax expertise as a CPA, often with more specialized tax knowledge and lower fees since they focus specifically on taxation rather than broader accounting services.

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