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Just a heads up from someone who just went through this process - the MAGI comparison (using either current or prior year) has been a feature of several tax credits for years and always updates annually. I used to claim the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit which has the same option. One thing to keep in mind: when you're planning for an EV purchase, remember that it's not just about the MAGI table updating. The actual income limits for the EV credit ($300k MFJ, $150k single) are fixed until 2032. So even though the years referenced in the MAGI table will update, those threshold amounts won't change for almost a decade.
Do you know if leasing an EV works differently for the credit? I heard something about dealers being able to claim the credit on leases even if the consumer's income is too high for the MAGI limits. Is that true or just a rumor?
Leasing absolutely works differently! When you lease, the credit actually goes to the leasing company (technically they own the vehicle), not to you as the consumer. Many dealers will pass the savings on to you through reduced lease payments, but they don't have to. The big advantage is that the MAGI limits don't apply to leases since you're not claiming the credit personally. The leasing company claims it as a business, and they can pass along those savings regardless of your income. This has become a popular workaround for higher-income folks who exceed the income limits.
I just realized something that might be confusing people about Form 8936. There are actually TWO different credits now - the Clean Vehicle Credit (Section 30D) and the Previously-Owned Clean Vehicle Credit (Section 25E). They have different forms, different rules, and different MAGI limits. For new vehicles (Section 30D using Form 8936), the MAGI limits are $300k MFJ/$150k Single. For used vehicles (Section 25E using Form 8936), the MAGI limits are $150k MFJ/$75k Single. But both should use the rolling "current year or prior year" MAGI comparison table when calculating eligibility!
Thanks for pointing this out! That's probably why I was getting confused. I was looking at info for the used EV credit but trying to apply it to a new purchase. The instructions aren't super clear that these are separate things with different forms.
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To answer your original question - yes, you absolutely need to report all crypto-to-crypto trades. BUT if you literally just bought Bitcoin and then immediately traded it for other coins without any significant price movement between purchase and trade, your gains/losses might be minimal or zero. The real question is: how many transactions are we talking about here? If it's just a handful, you could potentially just calculate them manually without paying for the premium feature. Figure out what you paid for the Bitcoin (cost basis) and what it was worth when you traded it for other coins.
Thanks for the response! I probably have about 15-20 transactions total. Not a ton, but enough to be annoying to calculate manually. There were definitely price movements between when I bought the BTC and when I traded it... some trades I made when BTC was way up and others when it had dropped.
With 15-20 transactions and significant price movements, it's probably worth using either TaxAct's crypto feature or one of the specialized services others have mentioned. Trying to manually calculate 20 transactions with varying cost basis is error-prone and time-consuming. Make sure you also track the cost basis of those other coins you received in the trades, because when/if you eventually sell or trade those, you'll need to know what they were "worth" when you acquired them to calculate future gains/losses. This is where specialized crypto tax software really helps, as it maintains that chain of cost basis calculations.
Dumb question maybe, but do we still need to report crypto if we're at a loss overall? I'm down like 40% from what I put in lol
Yes, you should still report it. The silver lining is that those losses can offset other capital gains or up to $3,000 of ordinary income. So reporting your crypto losses could actually reduce your overall tax bill!
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Something else to consider - don't forget about exemption certificates! If you're selling to businesses who are purchasing your products for resale, they might be exempt from sales tax. You need to collect and maintain valid exemption certificates from these customers. I learned this the hard way during a state audit. They wanted to see all my exemption certificates for the past 3 years and I hadn't been consistently collecting them.
Do you need to verify those certificates somehow? Or just keep them on file? I've had a few business customers claim they're exempt but I wasn't sure if I should just take their word for it.
You need to collect the actual certificate from them - don't just take their word for it. Most states have specific forms customers need to fill out. You should verify the certificate has all required information (their tax ID number, signature, etc.) and keep it on file. Some states also let you verify tax ID numbers on their websites. You don't need to send these certificates to the state, but you absolutely must have them available if you get audited. I now keep digital copies of all certificates in a dedicated folder so I can find them easily.
Has anyone used TaxJar or Avalara for managing sales tax? I'm trying to decide if I should just handle everything manually since I'm small or if one of these services is worth it?
I've used both. TaxJar is more affordable for small businesses but Avalara has more features if you're growing fast. With your sales level ($2,500/month), TaxJar's basic plan would probably be sufficient. The time savings is definitely worth it - it automatically files your returns in multiple states and keeps track of all the weird local tax rates.
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Something nobody has mentioned yet - if you choose married filing separately, you CANNOT contribute to a Roth IRA if your income exceeds $10,000. This is a huge disadvantage if retirement savings are important to you. The income limit is much higher when filing jointly. Also consider that with MFS status, your standard deduction is halved. For 2024, the standard deduction for MFJ is $29,200 but for MFS it's only $14,600 each. My wife and I did the separate filing for 2 years due to her student loans, but ultimately switched back to joint filing because we were losing too many tax advantages.
Wait seriously? I had no idea about the Roth IRA limitation! I thought the income limits were just reduced, not basically eliminated. That's a huge factor to consider...
Yes, it's one of the most restrictive aspects of filing separately that catches people by surprise. The income limit for Roth IRA contributions when filing separately is just $10,000 - after that, you can't contribute at all. It's not a gradual phase-out like with other filing statuses. For comparison, with married filing jointly in 2024, the Roth contribution starts phasing out at $230,000 and completely phases out at $240,000 of modified AGI.
Have either of you considered doing an analysis of your long-term student loan situation? If you're on an income-based plan that leads to forgiveness after a certain number of years (like PSLF for teachers), sometimes it makes more sense to minimize payments and maximize forgiveness.
This is the approach we took. My wife is a public school teacher going for PSLF, so we file separately to keep her payments low. Yes, we pay more in taxes each year, but after running the numbers, we'll come out ahead by about $42,000 over the 10-year forgiveness period.
Arjun Kurti
You should also report them to your state's board of accountancy if they're a CPA, or to the state agency that regulates tax preparers. Many states have their own licensing requirements and regulatory bodies. The IRS complaint is important, but state agencies can often move faster with disciplinary actions. Also consider filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and leaving detailed reviews online to warn others. These people often rely on word of mouth, so public warnings can help prevent others from becoming victims.
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Liv Park
•That's a great point about the state agencies. Do you know if there's an easy way to find out which agency handles this in my state? I'm in Michigan if that helps.
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Arjun Kurti
•For Michigan specifically, you'd want to contact the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). They handle professional licensing and regulation for tax preparers. Their website has a complaint form you can fill out. If your preparer claimed to be a CPA but wasn't, that's also something LARA would be interested in knowing about. In addition to filing with them, the Michigan Attorney General's office has a Financial Crimes Division that takes complaints about financial fraud, which this could qualify as.
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Raúl Mora
I'm curious, did your preparer sign the return? All paid preparers are required to sign tax returns and include their PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number). If they didn't include this, that's another red flag and violation you can report.
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Margot Quinn
•Exactly! Check box 128 on your Form 1040 from last year (or corresponding box if it was a different tax year). A legitimate preparer must sign and include their PTIN. If they didn't, that's an immediate violation.
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