Thank you for this perspective. Could you clarify about the FMLA part? I thought that only applied to companies with 50+ employees, and we only have 9 total. Are there similar protections for smaller businesses?

You're absolutely right about FMLA - it only applies to companies with 50+ employees, so your company is too small to be required to provide that protection. I should have been more clear. However, many states have enacted their own family leave laws that extend to smaller businesses. Depending on where you live, there might be state-specific protections even though you're not covered by federal FMLA. For example, some states require even small employers to provide job protection and/or paid leave. That's definitely worth looking into based on your specific location.

The fraud part is the intentional misrepresentation. If they're specifically timing a "layoff" to coincide with maternity leave and have already promised to bring her back at a specific date, that's not a true layoff - it's a planned temporary absence that they're trying to disguise as a layoff to shift costs to the state. A legitimate layoff would be based solely on business needs, not timed specifically to coincide with a planned medical event, and wouldn't come with a guaranteed rehire date.

That's an interesting approach I hadn't considered. Would this FDE structure eliminate the need for the funds to flow through my wife's account? Also, would my father-in-law's involvement be easier to structure with this approach?

Yes, with an FDE structure, the funds could flow directly from your US partnership to the Peruvian entity's account without going through your wife's personal account. This creates a cleaner audit trail and likely reduces your FBAR complexity. For your father-in-law's involvement, you have options. He could be a local director or manager of the Peruvian entity (compensated through fees) while not being a US tax partner. Alternatively, he could be a true partner in the US partnership with the foreign withholding requirements that entails. The FDE structure gives you flexibility either way. The biggest advantage is that for US tax purposes, it's as if your partnership owns the property directly, while for Peruvian legal and banking purposes, you have a local entity that can operate more easily.

I thought FIRPTA only applied to foreign persons selling US real property interests, not US persons selling foreign property? OP is a US citizen selling Peruvian property, so I don't think FIRPTA withholding would apply here.

This sounds like a great option! Do they have income limits for who qualifies? And do they help with state returns as well as federal?

They prioritize seniors but don't have strict income limits. Generally, they serve people with "low to moderate" income, which in practice can be up to $75,000 for individuals or $100,000 for families, but this varies by location based on the cost of living in your area. They absolutely help with state returns as well as federal. The service is completely free regardless of how complex your return is. Just be aware that during peak season (late March through April 15) the wait times can get long, so going earlier in the season is better if possible.

When I was searching for a reviewer, I asked specifically, "What's your process for reviewing a self-prepared return?" The good ones will explain a systematic approach and mention specific areas they focus on. Also ask, "How often do you find missed opportunities on DIY returns?" - the honest ones will have specific examples ready.

That's really helpful advice, thanks! I like the idea of asking about their process upfront - that would definitely help identify who's just going to skim it versus who takes the review seriously. I'll definitely try those questions if I decide to get a review again this year. I still feel a bit burned by the experience, but maybe I just chose the wrong professional. I've seen a few recommendations in this thread that seem promising too.

Do you think the H&R Block is better than TurboTax for someone with investment income? I've heard TurboTax handles stocks better.

In my experience, both handle basic investment income (dividends, capital gains, etc.) equally well. TurboTax might have a slight edge if you have very complex investments like partnership K-1 forms or foreign investments. H&R Block's interface for uploading 1099-B forms is cleaner and shows a better summary view of all your investment transactions. Their cost basis tracking between tax years is also more transparent. If you're dealing with normal stocks and basic investments, I prefer H&R Block, but for really complex situations, TurboTax might have more specialized features.

I used the TurboTax tax pro review last year. The "expert" literally just glanced over my return and said everything looked good. Took them maybe 15 minutes on a video call, and I didn't feel like they caught anything I wouldn't have. Complete waste of money imo.

That's a great idea! I hadn't even thought about retirement accounts. Would we need to wait until after we file taxes to open the Roth IRA, or can we do it now based on the 1099 amount?

You can open and fund the Roth IRA anytime between January 1, 2025 and the tax filing deadline (usually April 15, 2026) for the 2025 tax year. You don't need to wait until after filing taxes. Remember that the contribution limit is based on earned income after business expenses. So if your teen's net self-employment income ends up being $550 after deducting the computer and software expenses, their maximum Roth contribution would be $550 for the year, not the full $1,400 from the 1099-NEC.

I think there's a safe harbor exception for dependents with small amounts of income? My accountant told me my daughter didn't need to worry about quarterly payments for her babysitting income until it was more substantial.