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15 Just sharing my timeline for comparison - filed on 2/3/25, acceptance same day, received verification letter automatically on 2/24/25 without requesting it, then refund deposited on 3/6/25. It seems really random who gets automatic verification letters and who doesn't. I didn't have anything unusual on my return though - just standard W-2 income and standard deduction.
4 Did you claim any tax credits like the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit? Those usually trigger automatic verification letters because they have special processing requirements.
15 No special credits at all, which is why I was surprised to get the verification letter automatically. Just basic W-2 income, standard deduction, and a small amount of bank interest. Nothing that would typically flag for additional verification. I've heard some people say the automatic letters sometimes happen if it's your first time filing with a particular software or if you've moved since your last filing, but neither applied to me. It really does seem pretty random!
11 Anyone know exactly HOW to request the verification letter? Do you call the IRS or is there a way to do it online? I'm in the same boat - filed 2/5/25 and still nothing.
20 You can request it through your IRS online account if you have one set up (irs.gov), or by calling the general IRS number at 800-829-1040. Be prepared to wait though - phone wait times are crazy this time of year.
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Ally Tailer
You should check if both programs are including the same business income in the QBID calculation. I had a similar issue and discovered TurboTax was missing some 1099-NEC income in the QBID calculation but including it in my total income. Make sure all your Schedule C businesses are being included properly in both software. Also, did you indicate different business types between the two software? That can affect the QBID calculation too.
Simon White
ā¢Thanks for the suggestion! I double-checked and both programs have the same 1099-NEC income included, but I noticed TurboTax has my photography business categorized as "Arts & Entertainment" while TaxAct has it as "Professional Services." Could that make such a big difference?
Ally Tailer
ā¢Yep, that could absolutely cause the difference! The business classification can significantly impact how the software calculates your QBID. "Professional Services" might be triggering TaxAct to apply different limitations or calculations than the "Arts & Entertainment" category in TurboTax. Try changing the classification to match in both software and see if that resolves the discrepancy. Based on IRS guidelines, photography would typically fall under "Arts & Entertainment" rather than "Professional Services" unless you're doing commercial/corporate work specifically.
Has anyone done a side-by-side accuracy comparison between TurboTax and TaxAct? I've been using TurboTax for years but the price keeps going up and I'm thinking of switching.
I've used both for the last three years. TaxAct is significantly cheaper but I've found TurboTax catches more deductions, especially for business owners. That said, TaxAct has gotten much better with their interface recently. If your taxes are relatively straightforward, TaxAct is probably fine and will save you money.
Thanks for the insight! My taxes aren't super complicated, just a W-2 and some investment income. Might give TaxAct a try this year then.
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Let me try to simplify this with an example: Let's say: - Your 2024 tax was $8,000 - Your 2025 tax turns out to be $12,000 To avoid penalties for 2025, you need to have paid the SMALLER of: - 90% of $12,000 = $10,800 - 100% of $8,000 = $8,000 Since $8,000 is smaller, that's your target. If you paid at least $8,000 during the year through withholding or estimated payments, no penalty! The rule is designed to protect you when your income increases unexpectedly.
What about if you're a high-income earner? I heard there's a different percentage for people making over a certain amount. Is it still "whichever is smaller" in that case?
You're right to ask about high-income situations! If your AGI was over $150,000 (or $75,000 if married filing separately) in the prior year, the rule changes slightly. Instead of 100% of your prior year tax, you need to pay 110% of your prior year tax. So using the same example but assuming you're a high earner: - 90% of $12,000 = $10,800 - 110% of $8,000 = $8,800 In this case, $8,800 would be smaller, so that's your target to avoid penalties. And yes, it's still "whichever is smaller" - the IRS just adjusts the prior year percentage for high-income taxpayers.
Joy Olmedo
Kinda related, but does anyone know if this rule applies the same way for self-employment taxes? Like if most of my income is from 1099 work? I'm trying to figure out how much to set aside each quarter.
Amy Fleming
ā¢Yep, the same rules apply for self-employment income. Your required estimated tax payments (to avoid penalties) still need to cover the SMALLER of 90% current year or 100% prior year (110% if high income). The difference is you need to include both income tax AND self-employment tax in your calculations. A good practice for self-employed folks is to set aside 25-30% of your income for taxes (including SE tax), but using last year's total tax as your safe harbor amount is usually the easiest way to avoid penalties if your income is growing.
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I've been a part-time preparer for 5 years and have never received a penalty. The key is documentation, documentation, documentation! For every return, I keep: - Notes from client interviews - Copies of all supporting documents - A checklist of due diligence steps for credits - Documentation of any unusual situations or positions taken Most penalties I've heard about among colleagues were for repeatedly failing to verify eligibility for refundable credits like EITC. If you create a systematic approach to verification and stick to it, you'll be fine.
That's super helpful! Do you use any particular software or system to manage all this documentation? I'm trying to figure out the best way to stay organized from the beginning.
I use a combination of tools. The tax software I use (Drake) has built-in due diligence worksheets that help tremendously. For document management, I started with a simple folder system but upgraded to SmartVault after my client load increased. I also created my own checklists in Excel for different types of returns (W-2 only, self-employed, rental property, etc.) that I complete for each client. The most important thing is consistency - whatever system you choose, use it for every single client, no exceptions. It becomes second nature after a while, and that's when you can feel confident you're protected against penalties.
Ethan Clark
One thing to consider is that a significant percentage of penalties comes from just a few specific areas: 1. EITC due diligence failures 2. Failing to verify child-related credits eligibility 3. Not properly confirming self-employment income/expenses 4. Knowingly preparing returns with suspicious refundable credits The IRS has limited enforcement resources, so they focus where the biggest tax gaps exist. If you're careful in these high-risk areas and maintain proper documentation, your risk is minimal.
StarStrider
ā¢That makes sense, but I've heard horror stories about preparer penalties being applied even when the preparer thought they were following the rules. Is there any protection or insurance available specifically for preparers?
Gabriel Graham
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if you received a large down payment in the year of sale (more than 30% of the selling price), you might not qualify for the installment method. Also, if the buyer assumes your mortgage or takes the property subject to your mortgage, there are special rules that could make more of the gain taxable in the first year. Make sure you're accounting for any selling expenses too (like that attorney who drew up the agreement). Those reduce your gain.
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Aria Park
ā¢Wait, so if the buyer put down more than 30%, I can't use installment sale reporting? My buyer put down 25% so I'm close to that threshold. Can you explain more about how this works?
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Gabriel Graham
ā¢There's no hard 30% rule that disqualifies you from installment sale treatment. I should have been clearer - I was thinking of the old "substantial payment" rules that aren't relevant anymore. You can use installment sale reporting regardless of the down payment amount. However, a large down payment will result in more taxable gain in the first year. If you received 25% down, then approximately 25% of your total gain would be taxable in the year of sale (assuming your gross profit percentage applies evenly).
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Drake
Don't forget that you'll have to make sure you classify the interest portion of the payments correctly too! That's taxed as ordinary income (not capital gain) and goes on Schedule B, not Form 6252. Most people mess this up. Also, since you inherited the property, your basis is the fair market value at the date of death, which means you might have very little capital gain if the property didn't appreciate much between inheritance and sale.
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Sarah Jones
ā¢My tax software doesn't seem to separate this stuff automatically. Will it prompt me for the breakdown between principal and interest, or do I have to figure that out myself?
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