As someone who's been lurking in this community but never posted before, I have to say this discussion has been absolutely eye-opening about per diem schemes in contracting. I'm currently a W-2 employee considering making the jump to contracting, and I had no idea these kinds of predatory arrangements were so common. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's advice has been - from experienced contractors to government compliance professionals, everyone is essentially saying "run away from this arrangement." The fact that the recruiter is actively encouraging tax fraud by suggesting you maintain false residency documentation should be an immediate disqualifier. The practical advice about requesting written documentation from tax professionals seems like such a simple but effective way to separate legitimate opportunities from potential scams. If they can't or won't provide proper backing for their tax claims, that tells you everything you need to know about the legitimacy of the arrangement. For Sofia, it sounds like your instincts were absolutely correct. The progression from what appears to be a "sweet deal" to potential criminal fraud charges and tens of thousands in back taxes is terrifying. No job opportunity is worth that kind of risk to your financial future and legal standing. This thread should honestly be pinned as a resource for anyone considering contracting work. The collective wisdom and real-world experiences shared here could save people from making incredibly costly mistakes.

Thank you all for such an incredibly thorough discussion about this per diem situation. As the original poster, I can't express how valuable all of your insights have been in helping me understand the serious risks involved. Your collective advice has made it crystal clear that my initial instincts were correct - this arrangement is definitely problematic and not worth the risk. The consistency of everyone's warnings, from experienced contractors to compliance professionals, really drives home just how dangerous these schemes can be. I'm particularly struck by the stories about audit consequences and the potential escalation to criminal fraud charges when there's evidence of deliberate deception like the driver's license suggestion. The $40K audit story really puts the potential costs in perspective - any perceived tax advantage gets completely wiped out by penalties, interest, and back taxes. I've decided to follow the advice about requesting written documentation from a tax professional supporting their per diem position. If they can't or won't provide it (which I suspect they won't), I'll counter with a fully taxable offer at an equivalent rate. If they refuse to restructure it properly, I'll walk away. This discussion has been an absolute masterclass in recognizing and avoiding contractor tax scams. I feel so much more informed about the compliance landscape now, and I'm grateful for this community's willingness to share their expertise and real-world experiences. You've potentially saved me from making a very costly mistake!

Yall need to chill lol. IRS TREAS 310 just means its a refund deposit. TAX REF literally means tax refund. I get these every year, sometimes multiple times if they adjust something. Just wait for the letter. If you're worried about spending it, just transfer it to a savings account until you know for sure what it is.

I totally get the anxiety around unexpected IRS deposits! I had a similar situation last year where I got an IRS TREAS 310 deposit that was about $900 more than my expected refund. Turns out the IRS automatically applied the Recovery Rebate Credit for the third stimulus payment that I had missed when filing. The key thing is that "IRS TREAS 310 TAX REF" is definitely a legitimate IRS refund code, so you don't need to worry about it being fraudulent. However, I'd recommend doing what others have suggested - don't spend it immediately until you get the explanation letter or can verify what it's for through your IRS online account. You can create an account at irs.gov and check your tax account transcript, which should show any adjustments they made to your return. That way you won't have to wait weeks for the mail and can have peace of mind about whether it's money you can actually use. In my case, seeing the adjustment on my transcript gave me the confidence to use the money for bills while I waited for the official letter.

This is super helpful! I've been doing DoorDash for about 6 months and have been really sloppy with my mileage tracking. Reading through everyone's responses, I think I've been missing out on a lot of deductible miles. I have a question about the "principal place of business" thing - how do you actually establish that your home qualifies? Do you need to have a dedicated office space, or is it enough that you do your delivery-related admin work there like checking earnings, planning routes, and organizing receipts? Also, for those using apps like Everlance - does it automatically know when delivery apps are on, or do you have to manually start/stop tracking when you begin and end your delivery shifts? I'm worried about accidentally tracking personal trips as business miles. Thanks for all the insights everyone! This thread has been way more helpful than the official IRS publications I've been trying to decipher.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping a contemporaneous mileage log. The IRS is very strict about this - you can't just recreate your mileage records at tax time based on your app earnings or memory. Your mileage log should include: - Date of each trip - Starting and ending odometer readings - Total miles driven - Business purpose (delivery work, driving to pickup location, etc.) - Starting and ending locations I learned this the hard way when a friend got audited and had to pay back deductions because their mileage tracking wasn't detailed enough. The IRS wants to see that you recorded this information at or near the time the expense was incurred, not months later. For gig workers specifically, I'd also recommend noting in your log when you turned your delivery app on/off each day. This helps establish which miles were truly for business purposes versus personal driving. A simple smartphone app or even a notebook in your car works fine - just make sure you're consistent about recording everything in real time!

Am I the only one concerned about how easy it apparently is to create an Uber driver account using someone else's info??? Like shouldn't they be doing more verification??? What if whoever did this gets in an accident or commits a crime while "working" as you?

I'm really sorry you're going through this stress! Before assuming identity theft, definitely check if you received any promotional credits or cashback rewards from Uber last year that might have totaled over $600. Sometimes they issue 1099-NECs for things like: - Credit card cashback rewards if you used an Uber-branded card - Settlement payments if you were part of any class action lawsuits - Promotional credits that were later converted to cash equivalents - Refunds for cancelled rides that were processed as "payments" rather than refunds Also, double-check that the 1099-NEC is actually FROM Uber and not a scam. There have been fake tax documents going around that look legitimate but are actually phishing attempts to get your personal information. When you call tomorrow, ask them to provide the exact dates and nature of all payments that led to the 1099. If it truly is fraudulent driver activity, you'll need to file a police report for identity theft and also report it to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. Keep all documentation and don't file your taxes until this gets resolved - you don't want to report income that isn't actually yours!

Has anyone here tried filing Form 8822 for address change despite what the website says? I sent one in about 4 weeks ago and wondering if they're actually processing them now.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I moved across the country. After trying multiple approaches, here's what actually worked for me: The IRS online account option is your best bet if you can access it. Go to IRS.gov and create an account if you don't have one - you can update your address there without having to call or mail anything. The verification process takes a few days but once you're in, address changes are instant. If that doesn't work, calling is unfortunately your most reliable option. I know the wait times are brutal, but here's a tip that saved me: call right when they open at 7 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday. I got through in about 30 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hours. One thing to keep in mind - if you're expecting any refunds or correspondence soon, make sure to also file a change of address with USPS so mail gets forwarded while the IRS processes your update. The systems don't talk to each other, so you need both. Whatever you do, don't just ignore it hoping it'll sort itself out. I learned that lesson the hard way when I almost missed an important notice about an amended return!