Diego, I totally understand your frustration with that CPA consultation! I went through the same thing when I started my graphic design business - paid for "expert" advice and walked away more confused than before. Here's the reality check you need: Yes, sales tax is complicated, but you don't need to master it all on day one. Focus on the basics first: 1. Register for a Florida sales tax permit immediately (it's free and takes about 20 minutes online) 2. For Florida customers buying physical art: collect 6% state sales tax plus any local tax 3. For Florida customers buying digital downloads: no sales tax needed (Florida doesn't tax digital goods) 4. For out-of-state customers: don't worry about collecting tax until you hit $100k in sales to that specific state The nexus thing your CPA mentioned just means "significant presence" - which for you right now is only Florida. As your business grows and you start hitting economic thresholds in other states, THEN you worry about registering there. Start selling! You're overthinking this. Set up your Florida permit, use a simple platform like Square or Shopify that calculates tax automatically, and keep good records. You can always get more sophisticated later when your revenue justifies it. Don't let tax confusion stop you from pursuing your art business dreams!

Hey Diego! I totally get the frustration with that CPA consultation - sounds like you got the classic "it's complicated, pay me more" response without any real help. Here's the thing about sales tax for artists: everyone makes it sound way scarier than it needs to be when you're starting out. You're in Florida, so let's keep this super practical: **Step 1**: Register for your Florida sales tax permit online at the Department of Revenue website. It literally takes 15-20 minutes and costs nothing. **Step 2**: For sales to Florida customers - collect 6% state sales tax on physical artwork. Digital downloads are tax-free in Florida (lucky you!). **Step 3**: For out-of-state customers - don't collect anything until you hit $100,000 in sales to that specific state in a year. **Step 4**: File quarterly returns in Florida (even if you owe $0). That's it to start! Use a platform like Etsy, Shopify, or even Square that automatically calculates the right tax rates including local taxes. They handle all the math so you don't have to figure out Orlando's specific local rates. The "nexus" stuff your CPA mentioned only becomes relevant once you're doing serious volume in other states. Right now, focus on getting Florida right and actually making those sales happen. You can always layer on complexity later when your income justifies hiring better help. Don't let tax anxiety kill your artistic momentum - you've got this! 🎨

Based on the timing, this could be the quarterly GST/HST credit payment. They go out in January, April, July, and October. The amount is based on your income from the previous tax year and your family situation. Having a second job wouldn't affect this year's payments since they're calculated from last year's return.

If you bank with TD, BMO or RBC, you can actually see more details about government deposits in your online banking. Look for something like "transaction details" when you click on the deposit. Sometimes it shows an additional reference number or description that can help identify which benefit it is.

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who was completely panicking about my 2021 amendment deadline, finding out I actually have until April 2025 feels like a massive weight has been lifted. I was literally planning to stay up all night this weekend trying to rush through the paperwork! What's amazing is how this discussion has evolved from a simple deadline question into a comprehensive guide for doing amendments properly. The systematic approach everyone has developed - thorough document gathering, using taxr.ai for review, then Claimyr for IRS contact if needed - is brilliant. I never would have thought to be so methodical about it. Reading about everyone's success stories is really motivating too. Alice finding $650, Myles discovering $1,200 including that Recovery Rebate Credit issue - it makes me wonder what I might have missed on my own 2021 return. I also went remote that year and completely forgot about potential home office deductions. Gabriel's audit warning is definitely something to keep in mind, but seeing how thorough and careful everyone has been gives me confidence that doing this right shouldn't cause problems. I'd rather take a few extra weeks to be systematic than rush and miss something or create issues. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and resources. This community has turned what felt like an overwhelming crisis into a manageable project with a clear roadmap. Starting my document hunt this weekend!

This thread has been absolutely phenomenal! As someone who was completely stressed about my 2021 amendment situation, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed experiences and practical advice. Learning that I have until April 2025 instead of this month's deadline has completely changed my approach to this whole process. What really stands out to me is how this discussion has created such a comprehensive roadmap for handling amendments properly. The systematic approach everyone has developed - starting with thorough document gathering, then using taxr.ai for a complete return review, followed by Claimyr if you need actual IRS contact - is exactly what someone like me needed to hear. I had no idea these resources even existed! Reading through all the success stories has been incredibly motivating. Alice finding $650, Myles discovering $1,200 including that Recovery Rebate Credit, and so many others uncovering home office deductions they'd forgotten about. It's made me realize this could be much more valuable than just the one missed deduction I originally noticed. I particularly appreciate Gabriel's honest warning about audit risks balanced against everyone else's methodical approaches. It's clear that being thorough and making sure everything else on the return is accurate is key to doing this safely. This community has turned what felt like a panic situation into an organized project I can actually handle properly. Time to start gathering those 2021 documents and following the roadmap you've all laid out. Thank you everyone for such incredible guidance!

As someone who's been through similar confusion when I first started my business, I want to emphasize what others have said about focusing on proper documentation rather than processing methods. The bank creates a record whether you cash or deposit - there's really no difference from a tracking perspective. For your $650 in personal checks, if they're truly personal (gifts, reimbursements, etc.), the processing method doesn't matter for tax purposes. Just keep a simple note of what each represents. But I really want to stress the point others have made about business income - please don't think cashing business checks somehow makes them less reportable. The IRS gets 1099s and other payment reports directly, so they'll know about business income regardless of how you handle the physical checks. Trying to obscure business income could create serious audit issues. My suggestion: start with a basic log (date, amount, source, purpose) and seriously consider that separate business account. Even if you're just starting out, many banks have free small business checking for sole proprietors. It shows good faith effort at proper record keeping, which the IRS does value if you ever face an audit. The goal is demonstrating you're trying to comply properly, not being perfect from day one.

Your question really hits on something I struggled with when I first started my business. The key thing to understand is that from the IRS's perspective, it doesn't matter whether you cash or deposit a check - what matters is proper reporting and documentation. When you cash a check at your bank, it still creates a transaction record on your account statement. The bank needs to process it through their systems either way, so you're not really avoiding any paper trail. For your $650 in personal checks, if they're genuinely personal funds (gifts, reimbursements from friends, etc.), they're typically not taxable income regardless of how you process them. However, I'd strongly echo what others have said about business income - please don't think cashing business checks somehow makes them "invisible" to the IRS. Business income must be reported whether you cash, deposit, or handle it any other way. The IRS receives 1099s and other third-party payment reports directly from your clients, so they'll know about business payments regardless of your processing method. My advice is to focus on building good habits now: keep a simple log noting what each check is for, and seriously consider opening a separate business checking account. Many banks offer free small business checking for sole proprietors, and that clean separation shows the IRS you're making good faith efforts at compliance - which they do consider favorably during audits. The goal isn't perfection, but demonstrating you're trying to do things properly from the start.

This is such a helpful discussion! As someone who just started using Zelle regularly this year, I was getting really anxious about the same thing. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so reassuring. I particularly appreciate the point about keeping simple documentation - I think I'll start adding quick memo descriptions to my transactions like "pizza split with roommates" or "electric bill - John's half." It seems like a small step that could save a lot of headache later. One thing I'm still curious about - if I receive money from family members for things like helping them with technology or giving them rides to appointments, where's the line between "family helping family" and something that might be considered taxable service income? I never charge set rates or anything, they just sometimes send me gas money or a "thank you" payment through Zelle. It sounds like intent and regularity matter more than the dollar amounts, but I want to make sure I'm thinking about this correctly. Has anyone else dealt with this gray area of casual family payments?

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation and was losing sleep over whether the IRS would think I'm hiding income from all my Zelle transactions. What really clicked for me is the distinction everyone's making between the payment method and the nature of the transaction. I've been so focused on "oh no, I received money electronically" when I should be thinking "what was this money actually for?" For anyone else stressing about this - I think the key takeaways are: 1. Personal reimbursements (splitting bills, shared meals) = not taxable 2. Gifts from family/friends = not taxable to you 3. Actual payment for services you provided = potentially taxable 4. Keep simple records with basic descriptions when possible 5. The IRS isn't scrutinizing every small personal transfer I'm definitely going to start using better memo descriptions going forward and maybe keep a simple note of what larger transfers were for. But I feel so much better knowing that normal friend/family money exchanges aren't something to panic about. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - this community is amazing for helping navigate these confusing tax situations!