Thanks for the suggestion! Unfortunately, our AGI is too high for the retirement savings contribution credit. We're just over the phase-out threshold of $73,000 for married filing jointly. I did double-check this when trying to find ways to reduce our tax bill.

The W-4 changes back in 2020 really messed a lot of people up. The old allowances system was more intuitive for most folks. Now with the new forms you really have to be proactive or you get surprised at tax time.

Thanks for mentioning this! I actually did go back to HR Block yesterday after getting all this advice. The manager reviewed everything and confirmed the tax preparer never completed the payment plan setup - they just told me it was done! They've assigned a senior tax advisor to help me resolve everything with the IRS at no extra cost, and they're covering any penalties that accrued due to their mistake. I've also filed a formal complaint with their corporate office. I managed to get through to the IRS today and get a 45-day hold on collections while we sort everything out. They confirmed I can still set up a payment plan, but I need to act quickly. I'm submitting all the paperwork tomorrow with HR Block's help. I can't thank everyone enough for the advice. This has been so stressful, but I feel like we're finally getting it resolved!

That's really helpful advice. When I called the IRS they said the current amount is now about $41,700 with the added interest and penalties! It's crazy how fast it grows. They did give me a breakdown showing how much was original tax vs penalties vs interest. I asked about the Offer in Compromise but the agent said with our income level we probably wouldn't qualify. She suggested we try the payment plan first and if we have financial hardship later we can always apply for the OIC then. At least we're making progress now!

Wait what's this QBI deduction? 20% off sounds huge! Does that apply to all freelance income or are there restrictions?

QBI (Qualified Business Income) deduction lets you deduct up to 20% of your net profit from self-employment income. Most freelancers qualify as long as you're showing a profit after expenses. There are income thresholds where it starts to phase out, but for someone making $1,600/year from freelancing, you're well below those limits. So if your freelance writing brings in $1,600 annually, and after deducting your business expenses (including that partial laptop deduction) you have $1,200 in profit, you could potentially deduct an additional $240 (20% of $1,200). It's definitely worth looking into since it's essentially free money!

Yes, unfortunately you still need to complete Schedule C even for small amounts of 1099 income. Any self-employment income over $400 requires it. The good news is that with such straightforward income sources, it shouldn't be too complicated to fill out.

Interesting approach! Approximately what percentage of your annual earnings were you able to shift this way? And did you face any challenges with the IRS regarding the size of the contributions relative to employee compensation?

We were able to shift around 15-20% of our annual earnings through the defined benefit plan. The exact amount depends on factors like age, compensation levels, and retirement age assumptions, but it made a meaningful difference in our accumulated earnings position. We haven't faced IRS challenges because we worked with an actuary to ensure our contributions were justifiable based on legitimate factors like age and compensation. The key is ensuring the plan is properly designed as a genuine retirement vehicle, not just a tax avoidance mechanism. Having multiple real employees (not just family members) participating in the plan also helps demonstrate its legitimacy.

I strongly advise against offshore structures for avoiding PHC or AET taxes. The IRS has extremely robust anti-avoidance rules for foreign corporations owned by US persons. You'll trigger Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) rules, GILTI (Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income) taxes, PFIC (Passive Foreign Investment Company) regulations, and face extensive foreign reporting requirements with massive penalties for non-compliance. The compliance costs alone would likely exceed any theoretical tax benefits, and aggressive offshore structures specifically designed for tax avoidance could trigger significant penalties or even criminal charges.

So if your place automatically reports a percentage, and it's lower than your actual tips, are you still legally required to report the difference? Or is whatever the system reports good enough?

This is so true! My friend who's been serving for years tried to buy a house and couldn't qualify for the mortgage because her reported income was way less than what she actually makes. They wouldn't count her "actual" income, only what was on her tax returns. She was kicking herself for years of underreporting.