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My #1 tip that nobody seems to know: if you work from home sometimes, keep track of your home internet and cell phone bills! You might be able to deduct a percentage based on business use. Saved me over $300 last year. Also, if you donate to charity, even small amounts, keep those receipts. It all adds up. And if you drive for any work purposes (not commuting, but like between work sites), track those miles! The standard mileage deduction is pretty generous.
Isn't the home office deduction really complicated though? I heard it's a big audit trigger and not worth the hassle for most people. And I thought you had to itemize to deduct donations now?
You're right that the home office deduction itself can be tricky - you need a space used exclusively for work. What I was referring to is more for self-employed people who can deduct business expenses without needing a dedicated home office. For charitable donations, you're correct that you typically need to itemize to deduct them. However, for 2021 there was a special provision allowing a small deduction even with standard deduction, but that expired. So for most young people, the standard deduction is still better than itemizing for small donations.
Don't overthink it! Tax software these days does most of the work. Just answer the questions honestly and you'll be fine. The IRS isn't out to get regular people who make honest mistakes. Best practical tip: adjust your W-4 withholdings if you got a huge refund or owed a lot last year. A perfect tax situation is getting a small refund, not a massive one. A big refund means you gave the government an interest-free loan all year!
What tax software do you recommend? There are so many options and I'm confused about which one would be best for a first-timer.
I second this about withholdings! I was so excited about my $3,000 refund until my friend pointed out that's just my own money I could have had in my paycheck all year. Adjusted my W-4 and now I get about $115 more in each biweekly paycheck which helps a lot with bills.
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One thing nobody's mentioned yet: Check your last paystub of the year! It should break down your total compensation, and you can see if the reimbursements were included in your taxable income or not. If the reimbursements were paid under an Accountable Plan, they would typically be listed separately from your wages on your paystub. Your W-2 Box 1 (wages) shouldn't include those reimbursement amounts. If you see that your W-2 Box 1 matches your total wages WITHOUT the reimbursements, then you're good - they weren't taxed and were properly handled as non-taxable business expense reimbursements.
Thanks for the suggestion! I just dug up my final paystub and compared it to my W-2. The reimbursements don't appear to be included in my W-2 Box 1 amount, which I guess means they were handled correctly as non-taxable. That's a huge relief! Do you think I should still try to get some kind of documentation from the employer stating it was an Accountable Plan for my records? I'm always nervous about potential audits.
That's great news! If the reimbursements weren't included in your W-2 Box 1 wages, then your employer definitely treated them as non-taxable reimbursements under an Accountable Plan. While it's not strictly necessary, it never hurts to have additional documentation. If you can get a simple statement from your former employer confirming their reimbursement system meets the Accountable Plan requirements, it would be good to keep with your tax records. However, the fact that they didn't include these amounts in your taxable income already indicates they considered their plan to be an Accountable Plan. For extra peace of mind, keep any emails or documents you have related to their reimbursement policy, even if they're just instructions on how to use the system. These can help demonstrate the business purpose and accountability requirements if questions ever arise.
Don't forget to look at any 1099s you might have received if you were a contractor rather than an employee. Sometimes these travel reimbursements get handled differently for contractors.
This is a really important point! When I worked as a healthcare contractor, my agency just lumped all my reimbursements into my 1099-NEC, which meant I had to pay taxes on them initially. I had to file Schedule C and deduct the business expenses myself. Cost me a bunch in self-employment taxes I shouldn't have had to pay.
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For what it's worth, I had a similar issue with a client last year. We ended up using the "transfer" line in Part I of Form T to move timber volume from one account to another. We included a detailed statement explaining the reason for the transfer. Make sure you also adjust your depletion rate calculations going forward. You'll need to recalculate your depletion units for both categories ($/MBF and $/cord). If you've already been depleting based on incorrect proportions, you may need to make a catch-up adjustment. Also, don't forget to check if your state has any special timber tax reporting requirements that might be affected by this reclassification!
Thanks for mentioning the state reporting requirements - I hadn't considered that. Do you recommend any particular approach for the catch-up adjustment if we find the depletion has been incorrect in prior years?
For catch-up adjustments, I typically use a cumulative approach rather than amending prior returns. Calculate what the correct cumulative depletion should have been through the current year based on actual harvests using the corrected depletion rates. Then adjust the current year depletion to reach that cumulative total. Include a disclosure statement explaining the methodology and calculations. As long as you're not changing the total basis, just reallocating between timber types, this approach has been accepted in my experience. The key is thorough documentation of volumes, rates, and calculations to show the trail from old to new reporting.
Has anyone used one of the specialized timber tax software programs? We're trying to decide whether to invest in something specific for our forestry clients or just modify our existing tax software approach.
I've used TimberTax Pro for the last 3 years and it's been worth every penny for our timber clients. It handles the Form T complexity much better than regular tax software, especially for tracking multiple timber accounts and different measurement units.
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into TimberTax Pro. Does it integrate with any of the mainstream tax preparation packages or is it standalone?
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I had an issue with a K-1 from my late father's estate last year. What I ended up doing was filing for the extension with Form 4868 and paying an estimated amount based on what the executor told me might be coming my way. You should definitely reach out to whoever is managing the estate distribution and ask for at least a rough estimate of what your distribution might be. They should be able to give you some ballpark figure even if the final K-1 isn't ready. If it's a smaller amount, you might not need to worry too much. If it's substantial, paying something with your extension request will help minimize any interest and penalties.
The executor is my uncle who isn't great with communication. I've tried asking for estimates, but he just says "we're working on it" and doesn't give me any numbers. Did you have to pay any penalties when you finally filed with the actual K-1 information?
I didn't end up paying any penalties because my estimate was pretty close to the actual amount - I actually slightly overpaid which meant I got a small refund when I finally filed. Your situation sounds more challenging with an uncommunicative executor. In your case, I'd recommend trying to find any documentation about the estate's total value, then making an educated guess about your share. Even if you have to estimate on the high side, it's better than facing penalties. Also, keep records of your attempts to get information from your uncle - this shows good faith effort if the IRS ever questions you.
I went through this exact mess last year! Nobody tells you how to handle these estate K-1 situations. Here's what worked for me: 1) Filed extension with Form 4868 2) Paid an estimated amount (I went with about 30% of what I thought I might receive) 3) When the K-1 finally arrived in June, I filed my complete return One thing to know - the K-1 from estates are different from partnership K-1s. They're reported on Schedule E, and the character of the income (ordinary vs capital gain) is specified on the K-1. Most tax software can handle K-1s, but if your situation is complex, consulting a CPA might be worth it.
Did you use TurboTax or another program? I'm wondering if the standard consumer versions can handle estate K-1s or if I need the premium/business versions.
Oliver Weber
20 As a fellow Texan, I wanted to add that you should look into state-specific requirements. Texas doesn't have a state income tax, but if you plan to work with clients who have income in other states, you'll need to understand those state tax systems too. Also, most people don't realize that even with all the courses, nothing prepares you for tax preparation like actual practice. Consider volunteering with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) for a season. It's a great way to get hands-on experience with supervision before striking out on your own.
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Oliver Weber
•7 Does VITA actually help with learning business tax prep though? I thought they only do basic 1040s and don't handle Schedule C filers?
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Oliver Weber
•20 You're right that VITA primarily focuses on basic returns, though some sites do handle simple Schedule C returns with limitations on income amounts and deductions. It won't give you comprehensive business tax experience, but it does provide excellent training in the fundamentals and client interaction skills. For business tax experience specifically, you might consider trying to work part-time at a local CPA firm during tax season. Many firms hire seasonal preparers and will train you on their procedures. Another option is finding a mentor through your local chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) or the Texas Society of Enrolled Agents.
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Oliver Weber
6 Anyone have thoughts on the pricing structure for a new tax preparer? I'm also starting out and not sure if I should charge by form, by hour, or flat fees based on return complexity.
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Oliver Weber
•13 I started out charging by form and it was a DISASTER. Clients hated the uncertainty and I had to have awkward conversations when additional forms were needed. Now I do tiered flat fees based on return complexity (basic W-2 only, itemized deductions, Schedule C, etc) and both me and my clients are much happier.
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