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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls ā which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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Yara Sayegh
One thing nobody has mentioned yet - make sure you're calculating your HSA contribution limit correctly in the first place! Remember that the limit includes ALL contributions - both yours and your employer's. That's a common mistake that leads to excess contributions. For 2024, the limits are $4,150 for individual coverage and $8,300 for family coverage, with an extra $1,000 catch-up if you're 55 or older. Double-check these numbers against your situation to make sure you're not setting yourself up for another excess contribution.
That's actually a really good point and might be exactly how I got into this mess in the first place. I didn't realize my employer's HSA match counted toward my annual limit! Is there any easy way to track this throughout the year so I don't go over again?
Yara Sayegh
ā¢The easiest way to track it is to regularly check your HSA statements or online account. Most HSA providers show a running total of all contributions for the year, broken down by source (your contributions vs. employer contributions). Some providers also have alert features you can set up to notify you when you're approaching your limit. Otherwise, I'd recommend setting a calendar reminder to check your total contributions quarterly, especially if your employer makes irregular contributions or matches.
NebulaNova
Quick question - when calculating earnings on the excess contribution, is there a specific formula to use? My HSA grew overall, but how do I determine what portion of that growth is attributable to the excess $$ specifically?
Dylan Cooper
ā¢This is actually a great question! The IRS doesn't provide a specific formula, but the generally accepted method is to apply the overall account's rate of return to the excess amount. For example, if your HSA grew by 5% during the period the excess was in the account, you'd calculate 5% of your excess contribution amount to determine the earnings attributable to that excess.
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Has anyone else noticed that TurboTax doesn't explain these things well at all? I switched to FreeTaxUSA this year and their explanations of how self-employment taxes work are so much clearer. Plus it's way cheaper for us 1099 workers.
Jamal Brown
ā¢FreeTaxUSA is good, but I switched to TaxSlayer because their self-employed package has better explanations of deductions specific to my industry. Also half the price of TurboTax.
Thanks for the TaxSlayer recommendation! I'll check them out next year. The industry-specific deduction guidance sounds really helpful. What I loved most about FreeTaxUSA was their audit assistance features and the clear explanations about self-employment tax calculations.
Just wanna mention that this high percentage thing happens to tons of people with side gigs too. My first year driving for Uber I only did it part time and had a regular W-2 job. My side gig only had like $2k in taxable income after expenses but I still owed like $900 in taxes on it which looked like a 45% rate. Freaked me out until my tax guy explained thats just how self employment tax works. It all makes sense once u understand it but the tax software should explain it better.
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Former CPA office manager here - the reason nobody answers the phone is most firms are SEVERELY understaffed right now! We had 2 receptionists quit last year and couldn't replace them. My advice is to use email but put "New Client Referral" in the subject line (even if you weren't referred). That gets flagged as high priority in most systems. Also, ask specifically about their billing practices upfront. Some firms have moved to "value billing" where they charge based on the complexity of your situation rather than hourly. This can be better for business owners as it's more predictable. If they won't discuss fees in the initial consultation, that's a red flag!
This is really helpful insider info! Do you think it's better to approach smaller local firms or larger regional ones for a small construction business? I've heard conflicting advice about which provides better personalized service.
For a small construction business, I generally recommend a mid-sized local firm rather than either extreme. The smallest firms (1-2 CPAs) often lack specialized industry knowledge and may not have the bandwidth during busy season. The largest firms typically focus on bigger clients and charge premium rates. A mid-sized local firm with 5-10 CPAs often hits the sweet spot - they typically have at least one person with construction industry expertise but still provide personalized service. They're also more likely to offer flexible billing arrangements like the flat fee model you prefer. Just make sure to ask specifically if they have other clients in construction and what percentage of their practice it represents.
Cass Green
Has anyone tried those online CPA services? Like the websites where they match you with a CPA? My brother used one last year and said it was cheaper than local firms, but idk if they're good for business taxes or if they just do simple returns...
I tried one of those matching services last year for my photography business. The experience was mixed - the price was better than local CPAs, but the person they matched me with didn't really understand state-specific deductions for my industry. I ended up having to explain a lot of things that I feel a more specialized CPA would have known. Might work if your situation is straightforward though.
Cass Green
ā¢Thanks for sharing your experience! That's exactly what I was worried about - the lack of specialized knowledge. My situation involves multiple state filings and industry-specific deductions, so it sounds like I might be better off continuing my search for a local CPA who understands my field, even if it costs a bit more.
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One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you're working two FULL TIME jobs, make sure neither employer finds out about the other one. Some companies have policies against outside employment, especially full-time positions, and you could risk losing one or both jobs if they discover it. Also, think about your mental health and burnout. Working 80 hours a week is intense. I did it for about 6 months and ended up in the hospital from exhaustion. The extra money was nice but definitely not worth the health issues.
Thanks for bringing this up. My main job doesn't have any rules against outside work, but I should probably check if the second potential job would have an issue with it. And yeah, I'm a bit worried about burning out... do you think it would be manageable if I did the second job only 3-4 days a week instead of a full 5?
If you can get a second job that's only 3-4 days a week, that would definitely be more manageable than what I tried to do. I was doing 5 days at both places and it was crushing after a few months. Just be realistic about your energy levels and make sure you still have at least one day completely off to recover each week. And be prepared to adjust if you start feeling the effects. The medical bills from my burnout ended up costing more than the extra income I made from that period!
Why not just do overtime at your current job instead of a whole second job? Usually pays 1.5x your normal rate and doesn't mess with your tax withholding as much since it's all coming from the same employer who already knows your tax situation.
Lucas Bey
ā¢Not all jobs offer overtime though. I'm salaried and can work 60 hours and still just get my regular paycheck. It sucks.
Ravi Malhotra
7 One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that CPAs can get you in compliance, but tax attorneys have attorney-client privilege. That means if you discover something problematic from the past, discussions with your tax attorney are protected in ways conversations with a CPA aren't.
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Ravi Malhotra
ā¢16 Wait really? So if I tell my CPA about mistakes I made on past returns, they could be forced to tell the IRS, but a lawyer couldn't?
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Ravi Malhotra
ā¢7 That's exactly right. Conversations with your attorney are protected by attorney-client privilege, which means they generally cannot be compelled to disclose what you've told them about past issues. CPAs do have a type of confidentiality privilege, but it's much more limited and has significant exceptions, especially in cases involving potential tax fraud or criminal matters. If you're concerned about disclosing past problems, speaking with a tax attorney first provides stronger protection while you figure out the best approach to resolve the situation.
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Ravi Malhotra
5 Don't forget enrolled agents (EAs)! They're tax specialists licensed by the IRS who can represent taxpayers before the IRS just like CPAs and attorneys but usually cost less. For many situations they're perfect middle ground.
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Ravi Malhotra
ā¢22 Are they actually good though? I never heard of enrolled agents before. Can they handle complicated stuff like business taxes?
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