Do you need an appointment for VITA or can you just walk in? And how long does it usually take?

Most VITA sites require appointments, especially this late in the tax season, but some do accept walk-ins. I'd strongly recommend calling ahead to schedule and ask what documents you need to bring. As for time, it typically takes about 45-60 minutes for a return with a retirement savings credit. That's much faster than learning to do it yourself, especially the first time. The biggest advantage is having someone who knows exactly what they're doing handle your specific situation - they can spot potential issues and maximize your refund while ensuring everything is done correctly.

I tried cash app taxes but they don't support multiple states if you moved during the year. Just a heads up for anyone in that situation.

My LLC is registered in Delaware. I think that's why the company I worked with only mentioned federal forms... Do you know if Delaware has any special requirements for foreign-owned LLCs with no physical presence in the state?

Delaware is actually one of the better states for your situation. They don't require a separate state income tax return for LLCs that don't have physical operations in Delaware. You'll still need to pay the annual Delaware franchise tax ($300 for most small LLCs) to maintain your business registration, but that's separate from income tax filing. Just make sure you've paid that annual franchise tax - Delaware will revoke your LLC status if you miss payments. They send the notice to your registered agent, so sometimes foreign owners miss these notifications if they're not in regular contact with their agent.

This is super important. My friend got hit with a $10,000 penalty for not filing FBAR even though he didn't owe any taxes. The IRS and Treasury Department don't mess around with foreign account reporting.

This is super helpful! How do I figure out how much to pay each quarter though? My income isn't consistent at all - some months I make a lot more than others depending on projects.

You have a couple of options. The safest approach is to estimate your annual income and divide your expected tax liability by four. But since your income fluctuates, you can also use the "annualized income" method (Form 2210, Schedule AI), which lets you make payments based on what you've actually earned by each quarterly due date. A simpler approach many freelancers use is to set aside 25-30% of each payment you receive, then use that money for your quarterly payments. This usually covers both income tax and self-employment tax for most people. Adjust the percentage if you find you're consistently over or underpaying.

I used TurboTax Self-Employed last year for my design business and it worked pretty well. It walks you through all the deductions and explains what qualifies. The only tricky part was figuring out the home office deduction but they have a calculator for that too. Definitely cheaper than an accountant if your situation isn't super complicated.

Interesting historical context! How high were tariffs back then compared to what we might need today to fund the modern government? And didn't high tariffs cause problems that eventually led to creating income tax in the first place?

Before income tax became permanent in 1913, tariff rates varied widely but sometimes exceeded 40-50% on many imported goods. However, the federal government was drastically smaller then - no Social Security, Medicare, modern military, or many other major expenditures we have today. You're absolutely right about the historical problems. High tariffs like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 contributed to trade wars and economic problems. The core issue is that tariffs are essentially taxes on consumption that disproportionately affect everyday purchases. This regressive nature was one reason the progressive income tax system was developed - to tie tax burden more closely to ability to pay rather than consumption needs. Moving entirely back to tariffs would fundamentally shift tax burden distribution across different income levels.

Do you think it would create jobs though? Like all that new manufacturing you mentioned plus all the compliance people? Might balance out the lost tax preparer jobs?

Same thing happened to me last year! Was checking the tracker obsessively and then boom, money in my account while the tracker was still on the first step. Seems like their systems don't always talk to each other properly.

That's good context, thanks! Mine doesn't have any special credits like that so hopefully it won't be too long. It's amazing how much the timeline can vary based on what's in your return. Makes sense that they'd need more time to verify certain credits though.