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Don't forget about QBI (Qualified Business Income) deduction for rental properties! If your income is below $170,050 (single) or $340,100 (married filing jointly) for 2025, you might qualify for an additional 20% deduction on your rental income after expenses but before depreciation. This could further reduce your tax burden. Just make sure your rental activity qualifies as a business and not just an investment for QBI purposes.
Margot Quinn
ā¢Wait, I didn't know rental income could qualify for QBI. Does my rental automatically count as a business, or do I need to do something specific to qualify? Is there a minimum number of hours I need to spend managing it?
Rental property doesn't automatically qualify for QBI. The IRS has a "safe harbor" rule that requires you to maintain separate books and records for each property, spend at least 250 hours per year on rental activities (property management time counts), and keep contemporaneous records of time, dates, and services performed. If you use a property management company, you'll need to carefully document any additional time you spend on rental activities. Another option is to qualify as a "real estate professional" for tax purposes, but that requires 750+ hours annually in real estate activities. If your property doesn't meet the safe harbor requirements, you might still qualify under general business principles, but that gets more complicated.
Noah Lee
Quick tip - make sure you're tracking all your startup expenses separately! When you convert your personal home to a rental, things like advertising costs, credit check fees, legal fees for creating a lease, etc. are all deductible. But the timing matters! Some expenses can be deducted immediately, others have to be depreciated over time. This makes a huge difference in your first year tax situation.
Would repairs done before renting out the property count as startup expenses or improvements? I'm about to rent my house and need to fix some things first.
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One strategy that worked well for my electrical contracting business was setting up a Cash Balance Plan in addition to our 401(k). Last year I was able to contribute over $150,000 pre-tax between the two plans. It's especially effective when you're in those higher tax brackets. Also, make sure your brother-in-law is tracking meals properly. Construction businesses can often deduct 100% of certain meals (not the standard 50%) when they're for jobsite employees. My CPA caught this and it saved us about $7k last year.
That's really interesting about the Cash Balance Plan - I've never heard of that before. Is there a specific income threshold where it makes sense to set one up? And is it something that can be established quickly before year-end?
Cash Balance Plans generally make the most sense when your income is consistently over $300,000, though the benefits increase substantially at higher income levels. They're especially valuable for business owners in their 40s or 50s who need to catch up on retirement savings. Setting one up requires some lead time - typically 2-3 months for the plan design and legal documentation. While it's getting tight for this tax year, it's still possible if he acts immediately. The contribution deadline would be the business tax filing deadline (including extensions), but the plan must be established before year-end to count for this tax year.
Cedric Chung
Something nobody has mentioned yet - if your brother-in-law does a lot of government/public works contracts, he might qualify for certain credits or deductions related to those projects. My construction company primarily does municipal work and we qualify for several incentives including some energy-efficiency credits when we incorporate certain materials or methods. Also, has he considered restructuring some of his personal expenses? For example, if he frequently entertains clients at his home, a portion of his housing costs might be deductible. Or if family members legitimately work in the business, spreading income among family can reduce the overall tax burden.
Talia Klein
ā¢The home deduction suggestion seems risky. I tried that a few years ago and got audited. The IRS is super picky about what qualifies as a legitimate home office deduction.
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Zoe Gonzalez
3 I had this exact situation last year. The key is understanding that Vanguard (and most brokerages) don't track which part of your Roth IRA is contributions vs. earnings - they just report the total distribution with code J. For TurboTax specifically, when it asks for the distribution type, you want option 3 (return of contributions). Make sure you also have good records of your total Roth contributions over the years to prove that your withdrawal didn't exceed your contribution basis if you ever get audited!
Zoe Gonzalez
ā¢12 Do you know if I need to file any additional forms besides just entering this in TurboTax? I'm worried about doing it wrong and getting a surprise tax bill or audit.
Zoe Gonzalez
ā¢3 You don't typically need to file any additional forms if you're using software like TurboTax - it will generate all required forms when you complete the interview questions correctly. The key form is Form 8606 Part III, which TurboTax will create once you indicate it's a return of Roth contributions. Just make sure you keep good records of your total Roth contributions over time. I recommend creating a simple spreadsheet tracking all your contributions by year, so if you're ever audited, you can prove that your withdrawal didn't exceed your total contribution basis.
Zoe Gonzalez
9 One thing nobody mentioned yet - check if Box 2a (Taxable amount) on your 1099-R shows $0. If it does, that's good! Vanguard is telling the IRS they believe this is a non-taxable distribution. If it shows another amount, you'll need to be more careful in how you report it.
Zoe Gonzalez
ā¢14 Good point. Mine shows $0 in Box 2a but has the distribution code J which seemed contradictory to me. That's why I got confused.
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Chloe Wilson
Check if your employer is withholding state taxes too! I had a similar issue last year where they weren't taking out federal OR state taxes. Fixed the federal part but completely forgot about state and got hit with another bill later. Don't make my mistake!
NebulaNomad
ā¢OMG thank you for mentioning this! I just checked my pay stubs and they ARE withholding state taxes, but I hadn't even thought to check. That's at least one relief in this mess.
Another option to consider - you might qualify for an Offer in Compromise if you truly can't pay the full amount. The IRS will sometimes settle for less than what you owe if you can prove financial hardship. Their pre-qualifier tool on the IRS website can help you determine if you're eligible.
This is terrible advice for this situation. Offers in Compromise are extremely difficult to qualify for and usually only apply when someone has no hope of ever paying the full amount due to permanent financial hardship. With an $85k salary, OP almost certainly wouldn't qualify. An installment plan is much more appropriate.
Scarlett Forster
One option nobody's mentioned yet - if this was 2024 income and you haven't filed yet, you could open a SEP IRA and contribute some of your 1099 earnings to that. You can contribute up to 25% of your net earnings and it's tax-deductible, which could significantly reduce what you owe. You need to open the account before you file your taxes, but you have until the filing deadline to fund it. Could be a good way to save for retirement AND reduce your current tax bill.
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Ryder Everingham
ā¢Thanks for this suggestion! So if I understand right, I could open this SEP IRA now and put some money in it before filing, and that would lower my taxable income? How is this different from a regular IRA? And can I still do this even though we're already in 2025?
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Scarlett Forster
ā¢Yes, that's exactly right. You can open and fund a SEP IRA for 2024 all the way up until the tax filing deadline (April 15, 2025), including extensions if you file for one. The main difference from a regular IRA is the contribution limit. A traditional IRA only allows you to contribute $7,000 for 2024 (or $8,000 if you're 50+). A SEP IRA lets you contribute up to 25% of your net self-employment income or $69,000, whichever is less. So if you made significant 1099 income, you can potentially shelter a lot more money from taxes.
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Arnav Bengali
Quick tip from someone who's been a contractor for years - start tracking EVERYTHING for 2025! Get a dedicated credit card for business expenses, save all receipts, and track mileage with an app. Common deductions people miss: home internet (% used for work), cell phone (% for work), home office (if you have dedicated space), health insurance premiums, half of self-employment tax, business travel, professional development/courses, software subscriptions, and office supplies.
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Sayid Hassan
ā¢What apps do you recommend for tracking expenses? I'm terrible at keeping receipts and always forget what things were for by tax time.
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