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Having problems with FORM 3853 on TurboTax - need help ASAP
Ok so I'm trying to file my taxes using TurboTax and I've run into a major issue with FORM 3853. I've spent the last week trying to figure this out and I'm getting so frustrated! Basically, I relocated for work last year (about 175 miles) and I know I'm supposed to be able to deduct my moving expenses using FORM 3853. My company didn't reimburse me for the move so I'm trying to claim these expenses myself. I spent around $4,800 on the move (renting a truck, paying for help, storage costs for a month, etc). When I try to enter this information in TurboTax, it keeps saying something about this form being only available for military members? But everything I've read online says I should be able to use it for a job-related move. My new job is more than 50 miles from my old home so I thought I qualified. Am I doing something wrong in the software? Is there a special section I need to go to? Or has the tax law changed and the online articles I'm reading are outdated? Really don't want to miss out on this deduction because it's a significant amount of money for me. Has anyone else had this issue with FORM 3853 in TurboTax this year? Any help would be appreciated because I'm running out of time to file!
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Can private school tuition be deducted on taxes? Looking for partial deduction options
So I was talking with a coworker the other day and they mentioned being able to deduct part of their kids' private school tuition on their taxes. I was honestly surprised because I always thought education expenses weren't deductible unless it was college or something. And they specifically said it wasn't related to before/after school programs (which I know can sometimes be deducted as childcare). Has anyone heard of this or know what they might have been talking about? Is there some loophole or special situation where private school tuition can actually be a tax deduction? I'm paying nearly $15,000 a year for my daughter's school and would love to get some tax relief if it's possible!
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Did your friend happen to mention if their school was religiously affiliated? Some religious organizations allow you to structure tuition as a "donation" to the church with a scholarship back to your child. Then you deduct the donation. My sister does this with her kids' Catholic school. Not sure if it's totally legit though...
That donation approach sounds super sketchy and likely illegal if audited. The IRS specifically looks for these kinds of arrangements. If you make a donation with the understanding that your child receives a direct benefit (like reduced tuition), it's not a legitimate charitable donation for tax purposes.
Maybe they were talking about a dependent care FSA? If your kid is under 13, you can use a dependent care FSA to pay for before and after school programs (but not regular tuition) with pre-tax dollars. Up to $5,000 per year for married filing jointly. You mentioned this wasn't what they were referring to, but thought I'd throw it out there in case it helps someone else reading this.
How to select a personal tax accountant as a tech startup founder with stock options?
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a tax situation as the founder of a SaaS startup that's been operating for about 3 years. We're finally gaining traction and I'm navigating some personal tax complexities I haven't dealt with before. I need to find a personal tax accountant who understands startup-specific situations like how to handle secondary stock sales (just sold some shares in a small secondary round) and making sure I'm taking advantage of 83(b) elections properly. I've got some vested options plus founder shares and I want to make sure I'm making smart tax decisions. Would a general tax accountant be able to handle these startup-specific scenarios? Or should I specifically look for someone who advertises experience working with founders? The last thing I want is to miss out on startup-specific tax strategies or mess something up with the IRS. I've been asking around in my network but getting mixed advice. Some people say any decent CPA can figure it out, others insist I need a specialist. Any recommendations on how to evaluate or find the right accountant for my situation?
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I've found that local CPAs who advertise "small business" expertise often lack the specific knowledge for startup equity situations. My first accountant had no idea what an 83(b) election was, and I nearly missed the 30-day window to file! Look for someone who has clients similar to you - other tech founders with venture backing. Ask potential accountants specific questions: "How would you handle tax planning for a potential secondary sale?" or "What documentation do you recommend I maintain for my 83(b) election?" If they give vague answers, move on.
How much should I expect to pay for a good startup-focused accountant? The quotes I'm getting seem all over the place, from $400 to $3000+ for personal tax prep. Is the higher price worth it?
The price range definitely varies based on complexity and location. If you have multiple equity events, secondary sales, or multi-state filing requirements, expect to be on the higher end of that range. In my experience, paying more for someone with startup expertise has saved me far more than the difference in preparation fees. For context, I paid about $800 for a general CPA my first year, who missed several startup-specific deductions. The next year I paid $2200 for a startup-specialized accountant who saved me over $15,000 through proper equity planning and startup-specific tax strategies. Look at it as an investment - the right accountant should identify tax savings that exceed their fee difference.
Has anybody used one of those big online tax prep companies like H&R Block or TurboTax for startup situations??? I know they have "small business" versions but not sure if they can handle 83b stuff or secondary sales?
Omg please dont. I tried using TurboTax last year for my startup situation and it was a COMPLETE disaster. The software kept getting confused by my 83(b) election and couldn't properly handle the reporting of my partial stock sale. Ended up having to hire a professional anyway to fix all the mistakes and file an amended return. Cost me way more in the end.
Is it possible to unfile taxes and get money back if I found out filing wasn't required?
So I'm freaking out a bit because I think I made a big mistake. My son just filed his taxes last week and ended up having to pay about $340 to the IRS. After he paid, we were looking through some tax info and realized that based on his income level ($4,200 from a summer job), he actually wasn't even required to file a tax return at all! I feel terrible because I was the one who told him he needed to file, and now he's out money that he really needs for college expenses. Is there any way to like "unfile" taxes once they've been submitted? Can he somehow cancel the return and get his money back since he technically didn't need to file in the first place? He filed through one of those free online services and already got confirmation that the IRS accepted his return. The payment already went through too. Really hoping there's some way to reverse this whole thing! Any advice would be super appreciated.
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One other thing to consider - has your son checked if his state taxes were also filed? Sometimes people focus on just the federal return but forget they may have also paid state taxes unnecessarily. Make sure to check that too and file the equivalent state form for a refund if applicable!
Good point about state taxes! This varies significantly by state though. When my daughter was in a similar situation, our state (California) had a much lower filing threshold than federal, so she actually did need to file state taxes even though she was exempt from federal. Definitely worth checking the specific requirements for your state.
Omg thank you for mentioning this - I just checked and he did pay state taxes too! About $120 to our state. I'll make sure we look into the state-specific process for requesting that refund as well. Appreciate you bringing this up, I completely overlooked it.
Be prepared for quite a wait on that refund. My daughter was in exactly this position last year, and while the IRS did approve her Form 843, it took nearly 6 months to process. They're seriously backlogged still. Also, make sure your son doesn't file next year if he's not required to - some tax software automatically reminds previous customers to file again, which could lead to the same issue next year.
Was the refund just directly deposited, or did they send a check? And did they pay any interest on the amount since it took so long to process?
How is the IRS Marginal Tax Rate calculated when crossing income thresholds?
I just found out I'm getting a promotion that will bump my salary to about $103k/year, which I'm super excited about! But I was looking at the tax brackets and noticed that $100,525 is the threshold for jumping into the 24% tax bracket. I'm a little worried about how this works - is that $100,525 simply the cutoff where ALL my income suddenly gets taxed at 24%? Or is it just the amount over that threshold that gets taxed at the higher rate? I'm trying to figure out how much of my raise I'll actually keep after taxes. My company HR person wasn't super clear when I asked. Anyone know how this marginal tax thing works? Will crossing this threshold wipe out a big chunk of my raise?
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One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that while marginal tax rates work as described above, there are other income-based thresholds that DON'T work that way. For example, certain credits and deductions phase out completely once you hit certain income levels. These aren't marginal - they're cliffs where you either qualify or you don't. Also remember that your taxable income isn't the same as your gross income. Contributing to a traditional 401k, HSA, or taking the standard deduction all reduce your taxable income, potentially keeping you in a lower bracket.
That's a great point! Are there any major "cliffs" I should watch out for around the $100k income level? I'm currently putting about 10% into my 401k but wondering if I should increase that to stay under certain thresholds.
Around the $100k level, you might start seeing some phase-outs, but most aren't complete cliffs. Student loan interest deduction starts phasing out at about $75k (single filers) and is completely gone by $90k. The Roth IRA contribution starts phasing out around $125k and is fully eliminated around $140k. Increasing your 401k contribution is almost always a good strategy when you're approaching these thresholds. Not only does it lower your taxable income, but you're also increasing your retirement savings. For 2025, you can contribute up to $23,000 to a 401k if you're under 50, which could significantly reduce your taxable income and potentially keep you under these thresholds.
do any of yall know if the tax calculator on turbotax is any good for figuring out marginal tax stuff? i tried using it but im not sure if its calculating everything right especially with the new tax brackets
TurboTax's calculator is decent for basic estimates, but it doesn't always let you see the breakdown of how your income is taxed across different brackets. I found TaxCaster (by Intuit, same company as TurboTax) gives a more detailed view of the marginal rates. The IRS also has a withholding calculator on their website that's pretty accurate but not very user-friendly.
Emily Parker
Check with your employer if they can provide you with a letter stating that the move was necessary for your job. Sometimes even though you can't deduct the expenses directly with Form 3853 anymore, you might qualify for other deductions if the move directly relates to your business or employment activities. Also, keep all your receipts organized just in case the tax laws change again. There's been some talk about possibly bringing back some of these deductions in future tax years.
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Noah Torres
AuthorMy employer actually did give me a letter saying the move was required for the position! Would that help with any other deductions you know about? And do you think there's any chance they'll bring back the moving expense deduction in time for this tax season?
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Emily Parker
The letter from your employer could potentially help if any of your expenses could be categorized as unreimbursed employee business expenses. Unfortunately, for most people, these aren't directly deductible either since 2018, but there are exceptions for certain qualified performing artists, fee-basis state or local government officials, and armed forces reservists. As for bringing back the moving expense deduction, it won't happen for this tax season. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions that eliminated this deduction are in effect through 2025. Any changes would likely come after that, when Congress reviews the expiring provisions. So definitely keep your documentation, but don't expect to use Form 3853 as a non-military taxpayer for at least a few more years.
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Ezra Collins
i had the same issue with form 3853 on turbotax last year!!! try using freetaxusa instead. not sayin theyll let u deduct it (cuz of the tax law change other ppl mentioned) but their interface explains things WAY better than turbotax does and doesnt try to upsell u every 5 mins. also fyi - if ur company required u to move for work and didnt reimburse u, they really should have. most companies will cover relo expenses cuz they know its not tax deductible anymore. might be worth asking ur HR dept if theres any relo assistance even after the fact!
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Victoria Scott
I second the FreeTaxUSA recommendation! Been using them for years after getting fed up with TurboTax's constant upselling. Much clearer explanations about which forms you can and can't use. They won't be able to magically make Form 3853 available to non-military folks, but at least they'll explain WHY in plain English.
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