Do you happen to know if you can deduct your state income taxes from your federal taxes? I'm trying to figure that part out too for my online tutoring business.

You can deduct state income taxes on your federal return, but only if you itemize deductions on Schedule A rather than taking the standard deduction. With the higher standard deduction amounts in recent years (currently $13,850 for single filers), many people find that itemizing doesn't make financial sense anymore unless they have really high deductible expenses like mortgage interest, medical expenses, or charitable contributions. For your online tutoring business, state income taxes paid on business income aren't deductible as a business expense on Schedule C, only as an itemized deduction if you go that route.

Actually this is outdated info. The IRS delayed the $600 threshold again for 2024 taxes (filed in 2025). The threshold is still $20,000 AND 200 transactions for now. They keep pushing back implementing the lower threshold.

Is there any difference in features between the free file versions and the paid ones? I'm worried the free ones might be missing important forms or checks that could save me money.

For basic to moderate tax situations, the free versions have all the essential forms and features you need. The paid versions often add extras like audit support, tax advice hotlines, or more hand-holding for complex situations. The main forms and calculations are identical though - the IRS math is the same regardless of which version you use. Sometimes the paid versions just make certain things more convenient or provide extra peace of mind. But for most people, the free file versions work perfectly fine.

The IRS Free File program typically opens in mid-January. For 2025 (filing 2024 taxes), they've announced it should be available starting January 15th. However, even if you file early, the IRS won't begin processing returns until late January or early February.

Yes, TurboTax will ask if you itemized last year and will calculate the taxable portion of your state refund correctly. It actually imports your previous year's info if you used TurboTax last year too, so it knows automatically. I've been using it for years and it handles this situation well.

Thank you for confirming! That's a relief. I wasn't sure if it would automatically know or if I needed to figure it out myself. I'll just make sure I have last year's return handy when I do my taxes this weekend.

This worksheet is so confusing though!! I tried to use it and got completely lost. Does anyone know if there's a simpler explanation somewhere?

I agree the worksheet is pretty confusing. The basic idea is that you're only taxed on the portion of your refund that actually gave you a tax benefit in the previous year. If your itemized deductions were just barely more than the standard deduction, then only a portion of your state tax deduction actually benefited you, so only part of the refund is taxable. But if your itemized deductions exceeded the standard deduction by more than your state tax payments, then the whole refund would be taxable.

But wouldn't you need to explain to the IRS how you made so much money in "retail sales" without a storefront or inventory? Don't they audit people who suddenly claim large income from businesses that don't seem to exist?

The IRS cares about whether you're reporting income and paying taxes, not interrogating every small business about their operations. Plenty of legitimate businesses operate without storefronts (online sales, mobile services, etc). If you did get audited, they would look for documentation of income and expenses, not necessarily the specifics of what you sold. That's why keeping good records of your money flow is important regardless of the source. Many cash businesses get audited simply because of poor recordkeeping, not because of the nature of the business.

Do NY state tax authorities share information with NY law enforcement though? I thought tax info was generally protected unless there's like a specific investigation already happening?

3 Exactly what states require IFTA? I'm mainly running routes between Texas and Oklahoma right now but thinking about expanding.

11 IFTA applies when you operate in multiple states or Canadian provinces. Since you're running between Texas and Oklahoma, you definitely need to comply with IFTA requirements. Both states are IFTA members, as are all 48 contiguous states and most Canadian provinces. You'll need to track your mileage in each jurisdiction and the fuel purchased in each place. The quarterly reports reconcile the fuel taxes - you might get a refund or owe additional tax depending on where you bought fuel versus where you drove. If you're planning to expand your routes, getting a good system to track this now will save you tons of headaches later.

9 This! My accountant charges extra if I mix personal and business expenses. Said sorting through statements takes forever. Any bank recommendations that don't charge crazy fees for business accounts?