What exactly counts as "significant revenue drops"? Our ERC provider said we qualified because we had a 17% drop in one quarter of 2020 compared to 2019. Is that enough or did we get bad advice?

For 2020, businesses needed to show at least a 50% reduction in quarterly gross receipts compared to the same quarter in 2019 to qualify under the revenue decline test. For 2021, that threshold was lowered to a 20% reduction. If you were told you qualified with only a 17% reduction in 2020, that's definitely incorrect for the revenue decline test. You may still have qualified under the suspension of operations test if government orders significantly limited your business, but the revenue test would not apply at 17% for 2020. This is exactly the kind of misrepresentation the IRS is currently targeting.

Unfortunately this is becoming common. Several of these ERC mills have vanished overnight as scrutiny increases. You might want to file a complaint with the FTC and your state attorney general's office. If they've truly disappeared, you could be dealing with a complete scam rather than just aggressive tax advice.

Wow, that's super helpful! My program requires us to buy specific software that costs like $600 per year and it's not included in the tuition. Does that count too? And do I need to get some kind of proof from my school that it's required?

Yes, required software for your program absolutely counts as a qualified education expense! Since it's required for your coursework, that $600 can be added to your total qualified expenses on Form 8863. For documentation, keep the receipt for the software purchase and ideally something showing it was required - like the course syllabus, program requirements list, or an email from your professor. The IRS doesn't require you to submit this documentation with your return, but you should keep it in case you're ever audited. Having the syllabus or program requirements that specifically mentions the software is the best proof.

This is a good point! But doesn't the school usually require payment before the semester starts? My university always wants payment in December for spring classes.

Do they handle complex returns though? I have rental properties, investments, and self-employment income. TurboTax handles all that pretty well even though it's expensive.

Yes, they handle all those tax situations! I have a rental property and some side gig income, and it worked great for me. The interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but all the same forms and schedules are available. The big difference is they charge one flat fee for the Deluxe version instead of making you pay more for each "type" of income like TurboTax does. So whether you have investments, rental income, or self-employment, it's all included in that same ~$25 price.

Really? I've been using them since 2007 and this is the first time I've ever not been able to access an older return. Maybe they just started enforcing it more strictly? Either way, definitely downloading everything from now on.

I had the exact same experience with eBay! Got a 1099-K for 2021 with around $7k in sales but nothing for 2022 with about $8k. I asked their support chat and they just sent me a link to a help article that didn't actually answer the question. Did you figure out what to do? I'm just reporting all income anyway but worried about inconsistencies triggering an audit.

I never got a satisfactory answer from Etsy, but I did some research and found that some states like Massachusetts, Vermont, and a few others had already implemented lower thresholds ($600) before the federal change was proposed. My guess is that either you or I moved states between 2021 and 2022, or the platforms changed how they determine which state's rules apply. I'm doing the same thing - reporting all income regardless of whether I got a form. My accountant confirmed that's the right approach and said inconsistencies in receiving forms shouldn't trigger an audit as long as you're properly reporting all your income.

That's correct. For 2022 tax filing (what you're filing now in 2023), the threshold remained at $20k AND 200 transactions for federal purposes. Some states have lower thresholds, which is why some people might receive a 1099-K even if they don't meet the federal threshold. For 2023 tax year (what you'll file in 2024), the threshold was originally supposed to drop to $600 with no transaction minimum. However, the IRS has actually announced ANOTHER delay for this implementation. So for 2023, the threshold will remain at $20k AND 200 transactions at the federal level. The $600 threshold is now scheduled to take effect for tax year 2024 (filing in 2025), but there's always the possibility of additional delays. Some tax software may not have been updated with the most recent delay announcement.

Thank you for this suggestion! Does the international student office usually help with determining which tax forms to use? I'm really confused about which specific forms I need beyond the 1040NR.

Yes, most international student offices help identify which forms you need. For F-1 students, that typically includes Form 1040NR, Form 8843, and potentially others depending on your specific situation. Many offices also provide workshops during tax season specifically addressing common concerns like how to handle your 1098-T and scholarship reporting. Some even offer one-on-one sessions with trained volunteers through programs like VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).

India does have a tax treaty with the US, but it doesn't provide the same education benefits that some other countries get. I learned this the hard way last year.