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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I've been a home care provider for 5 years now and wanted to add a few things that might help. Make sure you keep all receipts for anything you buy specifically for the child's care - special utensils, educational materials, safety equipment, etc. These are all deductible business expenses! Also, if you're using part of your home "regularly and exclusively" for the business, definitely track all associated costs. I deduct a percentage (based on square footage) of my utilities, internet, cleaning supplies, and even my homeowner's insurance. For mileage, get a dedicated log book and record EVERYTHING the day it happens - trying to recreate it later is a nightmare. And yes, transportation between work locations is absolutely deductible.
Thanks for the insights from your experience! Quick question - I have a play area set up that's pretty much only for the child during care hours, but my kids sometimes use it on weekends. Does that disqualify it from being "exclusively" for business?
That's a great question about the play area. The "exclusive use" test is pretty strict with the IRS. If your family uses the area on weekends, it technically wouldn't qualify for the home office deduction under the exclusive use requirement. However, there's a special rule for daycare providers that might apply to your situation. If you're a licensed care provider, you can still take the deduction even if the space is used for personal purposes during non-business hours. The deduction would be prorated based on both the percentage of your home used AND the time it's used for business. For example, if you use 20% of your home for 40 hours a week (out of 168 total hours), you'd multiply those percentages to get your business use percentage.
Has anyone tried using the QBO Self-Employed app for tracking all this stuff? I'm just starting out as a caregiver and feeling overwhelmed by all the tracking.
I use it and love it! You can track mileage automatically with the app - it uses GPS to log your trips and then you just swipe left for personal or right for business. Super easy to categorize expenses too - it connects to your bank account and credit cards. The quarterly tax estimate feature is worth the subscription alone.
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Quick tip for first-time 1040 filers: The IRS has a free guided filing system called Free File if your income is under $73,000. Much easier than trying to figure out the paper form yourself, and it automatically checks for student credits. I used to think doing taxes meant filling out paper forms by hand, but the electronic systems ask you simple questions and fill in the right lines on the 1040 for you. Saves tons of headaches!
Does Free File include state tax returns too? Or do I need to pay extra for that part? My state doesn't have its own free filing system.
It depends on which Free File provider you select. Some include free state returns, others charge for them. When you go to the IRS Free File page, you can see which providers offer free state returns for your situation. I used TaxAct through Free File last year and got both federal and state for free. The IRS website has a tool that helps match you with the right provider based on your income, state, and other factors like being a student. Just make sure you start at the official IRS.gov website to get the truly free versions.
dont stress too much about the 1040. i was overwhelmed too but honestly for most college students with just a W-2 it's super simple. the most important thing is dont miss the education credits!!!! they can be worth a lot of money. look for the american opportunity credit, it gave me like $2500 back last year!!!
What documents do I need to claim the education credit? Just my tuition statement from school? And does financial aid affect how much I can claim?
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Don't forget to check if your state has additional taxes for self-employment or small businesses! I'm in California and got hit with an $800 minimum franchise tax my first year even though I barely made any profit. TurboTax didn't even warn me about it until the end.
Wait seriously?? I just moved to California and started my business last year. Is this $800 tax for all business types or just certain ones? I'm a single-member LLC.
Yes, unfortunately California charges an $800 annual tax for LLCs, corporations, and partnerships regardless of whether you make a profit or not. Single-member LLCs are included. It's called the "minimum franchise tax" and it's basically the cost of doing business in California. If you're a sole proprietor (no formal business entity) then you don't have to pay it. But as soon as you form an LLC or corporation, you're on the hook for $800 annually. TurboTax should catch it during the state filing portion, but sometimes it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it.
Has anyone compared what TurboTax calculates with other tax software? I'm wondering if I'd get a different result with H&R Block or TaxAct. Sometimes the calculation engines handle self-employment taxes differently.
I did both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA this year just to compare. The federal tax amount was within $50 between the two, but TurboTax found more state deductions for me. The self-employment calculation was identical though - they all use the same IRS formulas for that part.
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I had a similar situation in 2020. One thing that helped me was contacting my local Taxpayer Advocate Service office. They can sometimes intervene when there are hardships involved (like your home purchase). You'll need to complete Form 911 to request their assistance. In my case, they were able to expedite the process somewhat - it still took about 4 months total, but that was better than the year I was initially quoted. Just search "Taxpayer Advocate Service" + your city to find the local office.
Thanks for suggesting this! I didn't know about the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Did you have to prove financial hardship, or is the identity theft itself enough reason for them to help?
The identity theft alone may not be enough - you need to demonstrate some kind of significant hardship. In your case, the home purchase being jeopardized should qualify. Make sure to include documentation about your pending home purchase and any deadlines you're facing when you submit Form 911. Include a copy of your purchase agreement or a letter from your lender explaining that the mortgage approval is contingent on resolving the tax situation. Be very specific about dates and financial consequences if your tax situation isn't resolved in time.
Has anyone tried contacting their congressional representative's office about IRS issues? My brother had an identity theft situation last year, and after months of no progress, he contacted our senator's office. They have staff specifically for helping constituents with federal agency problems. Within a few weeks of the senator's office inquiry, the IRS suddenly became much more responsive. Might be worth a shot if other approaches aren't working quickly enough.
I second this approach. I worked for a congressional office years ago, and constituent services for federal agencies (especially IRS issues) was a big part of our work. The IRS has liaisons specifically for congressional inquiries, and they can often move things along much faster than going through normal channels.
Kyle Wallace
This might seem like a dumb question but how do you actually report two W-2s on one tax return? Do you have to file separate forms or something? I'm also filing for the first time this year and have multiple jobs.
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Kyle Wallace
•Thanks for the clear explanation! That helps a lot. I was worried I'd have to fill out twice as many forms or something. One more question - does having two jobs ever push you into a higher tax bracket and make you owe more?
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Ryder Ross
•You're welcome! And yes, having two jobs can potentially push your total income into a higher tax bracket. This is because tax brackets are based on your total income from all sources combined. For example, if your first job paid $20,000 and your second job paid $15,000, your total taxable income would be $35,000 (minus deductions). The tax system would calculate your taxes based on that combined amount, which might put some of your income into a higher bracket than if you only had one job.
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Gianni Serpent
Quick tip from someone who's been there: double check that both employers withheld enough taxes! When you work two jobs, sometimes neither job knows about the other, so they each withhold taxes as if that's your only income. But when combined, you might end up owing more. Happened to me my first year and I got hit with an unexpected tax bill :
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Henry Delgado
•This!!! My roommate just got slapped with a $900 tax bill because of this exact situation. Both her jobs were withholding taxes as if they were her only income, so not enough was taken out overall. Now she's scrambling to find the money to pay the IRS.
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Callum Savage
•Ugh, this is exactly what I'm worried about! I don't think either job knew about the other one. Is there any way to check if I'm going to owe money before I actually file? I definitely don't have extra cash sitting around right now for a surprise tax bill.
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