Based on your age (under 18), I think you should be extra careful here. The fact that you're a sole proprietor at 17 is great, but it also raises some potential complications. Since you're a minor, the way your business income and deductions are reported might be affected by your parents' tax situation. In some cases, what's called the "Kiddie Tax" could apply to your business income. Have you talked with your parents about how they're handling your business income on their tax returns? Before making any major purchases with tax implications, that's an important conversation to have.

Don't forget to look into mileage tracking apps! I made the mistake of not tracking my miles properly when I started my business and lost out on thousands in deductions. Even though you're using the car less than 50% for business, every business mile counts. You can either take the standard mileage rate (65.5 cents per mile in 2023) OR actual expenses including depreciation - but not both. For someone your age just starting out, I actually recommend the standard mileage method. It's simpler and often works out better for smaller vehicles with good fuel economy. Plus, you avoid all the recapture headaches if you sell the car later.

An important distinction that hasn't been mentioned yet - there's a difference between "Beneficial Owners" and "Company Applicants" on the BOI report. If your subsidiary LLC was formed after January 1, 2024, you'll need to list both beneficial owners AND company applicants. If formed before that date, you only need to list beneficial owners. Also, don't forget that some entities are exempt from BOI reporting altogether. If your partnership qualifies as a "large operating company" (over 20 full-time employees and $5M+ in gross receipts), then the subsidiary might be exempt too. Worth checking if you qualify.

One thing to be careful about - if you're filing BOI reports for multiple related entities, make sure you're consistent in how you identify beneficial owners across all filings. FinCEN can compare these reports, and inconsistencies could trigger questions or audits. For example, if Partner X is listed as having substantial control of the partnership, but then isn't listed on the subsidiary LLC's report, that might raise flags. I recommend creating a chart showing all entities and beneficial owners before filing to ensure consistency.

I've used TurboTax Home & Business for the past 3 tax seasons with a similar mix of income sources. Honestly, it's pretty straightforward for your situation. The education expenses are simple to enter - it asks specific questions about your tuition and related expenses. For the self-employment portion, it breaks down common deductions by business type. Just make sure you've tracked your business expenses well throughout the year. The biggest hassle is entering all the individual expenses, but if you have good records it's not too bad. One tip: if you buy it through Amazon or Costco, you can often find it for $10-15 less than the list price!

I was in this exact situation last year! I tried FreeTaxUSA instead of TurboTax and was really happy with it. It handled both my W-2 and self-employment income perfectly and cost WAY less than TurboTax. I think I paid about $15 for federal filing with self-employment, plus another $15 for state filing. The interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but it asks all the same questions and covers education expenses, business mileage, and self-employment deductions thoroughly. Their support was also helpful when I had questions.

Some practical advice - make sure you keep documentation of EVERYTHING. I had a similar situation (though not as long-term as yours) and when it eventually got resolved, I needed to prove I had been trying to fix it all along. Save copies of: - All letters from the IRS - Dates and times of phone calls - Names of representatives you speak with - Copies of any refund checks you receive - Your tax returns showing you didn't claim these payments If someone is using your SSN by mistake to make payments, this documentation will protect you if the IRS ever questions why you received and cashed refunds.

Could this be some kind of identity theft situation? I'd recommend checking your credit reports and maybe putting a freeze on your credit too. Someone having enough of your personal info to make tax payments in your name is concerning.

A quick note on Form 8606 that I don't think was mentioned yet - make sure you're keeping copies of ALL your 8606 forms indefinitely. The IRS doesn't track your nondeductible basis for you, so these forms are your only proof that you've already paid tax on those contributions if you get audited years later. I learned this the hard way!

Something that tripped me up when filling out form 8606 was that tax software can mess this up! TurboTax kept putting my nondeductible IRA contribution on the wrong line and I had to manually override it. Double check the final form before filing!