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I'm a bit late to this discussion but felt like I should share my experience. I've been dealing with stock investments for years and those AMT adjustments are confusing even for people who do understand stocks! The TY21 Sch D AMT ln 7 is referring to the Alternative Minimum Tax adjustment for capital gains/losses from a previous tax year that carries over. For most small investors, this is legitimately zero, so you might have accidentally put in the correct number anyway. The key thing to understand is that the IRS computer systems automatically match the 1099-B forms from your brokerage with what you report. If there's a significant discrepancy, you'll get a letter. But they're looking primarily at the current year transactions, not these carryover adjustments from previous years. In my experience, unless you're dealing with tens of thousands in stock transactions annually, these AMT adjustments rarely make a meaningful difference in your tax liability. The IRS focuses their enforcement resources on larger discrepancies.
So does this apply to crypto transactions too? I have a similar situation where I couldn't figure out some carryover basis amounts from previous years.
Crypto is actually handled differently in some ways. The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property rather than securities, so while you still report gains and losses, the AMT adjustments work differently. For crypto, accurate basis reporting is even more important because the IRS has been focusing enforcement in this area. If you can't determine your exact basis from previous years, you should try to make a good faith estimate based on transaction records. The Schedule D AMT carryovers would only apply if you had specific AMT adjustments in previous years related to your crypto trades.
Has anyone else noticed that tax software keeps getting more expensive but somehow WORSE at handling common situations? I paid TurboTax $120 this year (up from $89 last year) and they still couldn't properly import my stock information from the same broker I've used for 5 years!
Try FreeTaxUSA next year. I switched from TurboTax two years ago and never looked back. Only $15 for state filing and federal is completely free. They handled all my stock transactions perfectly, including those weird AMT adjustments.
11 Don't just look at the refund amount when deciding how to file! A bigger refund might just mean you overpaid taxes throughout the year. What you really want is the lowest total tax liability. My wife and I had a baby last year, and we compared all three options with similar incomes to yours. Filing jointly saved us about $3,200 in total tax compared to filing separately. The tax brackets are wider for joint filers, plus you get a larger standard deduction ($27,700 vs $13,850 each). If you're eligible for the Earned Income Credit with your income levels, you can only get that when filing jointly. Same goes for the full Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Credit.
22 That's a great point I hadn't considered. So even if I get a smaller refund filing jointly, I might still be paying less taxes overall?
11 Exactly! The refund is just the difference between what you already paid throughout the year and your final tax bill. A smaller refund with a lower total tax bill is better than a bigger refund where you paid more tax overall. For example, if you paid $15,000 in taxes throughout the year and your actual tax bill is $13,000, you'd get a $2,000 refund. But if you paid $10,000 throughout the year and your tax bill is $9,000, you'd only get a $1,000 refund - but you'd have paid $4,000 less in taxes overall ($9,000 vs $13,000)!
19 Just want to add one thing nobody's mentioned - if either of you received advance Child Tax Credit payments last year, that will affect your refund. We had a similar situation with our first baby and were surprised when our refund was smaller than expected because of the advance payments. Also check if you qualify for the Additional Child Tax Credit if the regular Child Tax Credit reduces your tax liability to zero. And don't forget to look into the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you paid for childcare!
14 Do the advance Child Tax Credit payments still exist? I thought those were just a COVID thing and they stopped doing them in 2022?
I'm a delivery driver with a similar income level and I claim around 20,000 business miles annually. I've never had issues with the IRS questioning it. The mileage rate is set by the IRS precisely because they recognize vehicle expenses are legitimate. One tip - make sure your client separates the trips properly. The initial drive from home to the first airport can be business travel since it's to a temporary work location. Same with the drive home from the last airport. Just document each segment carefully and you'll be fine. Your client's situation actually sounds perfectly legitimate. They're literally driving to different job sites as required by their work.
What's the best way to document mileage? I've been using a paper logbook but it's such a pain to keep up with.
Personally, I use a mileage tracking app on my phone that automatically logs my trips using GPS. I just categorize each trip as business or personal at the end of each day - takes about 30 seconds. Most of these apps let you export detailed reports for tax time. If you prefer manual methods, the key elements the IRS wants to see are: date of trip, starting location, destination, business purpose, and miles driven. You can use a simple spreadsheet instead of paper if that's easier. Take photos of odometer readings if possible for additional support.
Your client's situation is actually really similar to what I do as a traveling nurse! I drive to different hospitals all over my state. My CPA explained that the IRS doesn't look at the dollar amount of the deduction relative to income - they look at whether the miles are legitimate and documented. I claimed about $14k in mileage deductions last year on about $110k income. No issues at all because every mile was documented and legitimately for work.
What app do you use to track your mileage? I'm terrible at remembering to log it.
Former tax manager at a Big 4 firm here. Second opinions aren't just normal, they're smart business. What I would recommend is having a review done BEFORE your return is filed, not after. After filing, you'd need to do an amended return if issues are found, which creates more fees and potential red flags. The best approach is to tell your current firm that you're planning to have a second opinion review. Good firms won't be offended - they should be confident in their work. Request draft returns and workpapers about 3-4 weeks before filing deadline, and have another firm review them. Focus on finding a reviewer with specific S-Corp experience in your industry.
This is really helpful advice. If I take this approach, should I let my current accountant know before tax season starts that I'll be requesting drafts for a second review? I don't want to spring it on them last minute and create tension.
Yes, definitely give them advance notice, ideally now, well before tax season gets into full swing. Frame it as a risk management practice for your business rather than a lack of confidence in their work. Most professionals understand that businesses your size often have multiple layers of review for important financial matters. When you do request the drafts, be specific about the timeline you need, allowing enough time for both the review and any potential revisions before filing deadlines. This approach keeps everything professional and gives your current accountant the opportunity to address any issues before another firm sees them, which they'll appreciate.
Has anyone switched firms after getting a second opinion? I'm worried about offending our current accountant who we have a good relationship with, but I suspect we might be overpaying.
We did switch after a second opinion revealed our previous firm missed substantial R&D credits we qualified for over 3 years. It was awkward initially, but we framed it as our business needs evolving rather than dissatisfaction with their work. We still maintained a good relationship - even sent them a client referral later. Professional accountants understand business decisions aren't personal.
Yuki Watanabe
For anyone still struggling with this H&R Block issue - here's a specific workaround I found last year: 1) Enter your first 1098-T completely 2) Instead of trying to add another 1098-T directly, go to the "Review" section 3) Look for "Education" in the review topics 4) There should be a "Add/Edit" button there 5) From that screen, you should see an "Add Another Institution" option H&R Block's interface is weirdly inconsistent about showing the "Add Another" button on the direct entry page, but it's always available through the Review section in my experience.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
ā¢Thank you so much for these detailed steps! I couldn't find the option anywhere in the normal flow but your method worked perfectly. I was able to enter both my 1098-Ts and H&R Block calculated the correct amount for both American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit. Did you have any issues with the IRS questioning the multiple education credits when you filed? I'm a bit worried they might flag my return or something.
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Yuki Watanabe
ā¢I didn't have any issues with the IRS questioning my return. As long as you have legitimate 1098-Ts from accredited institutions and you meet the eligibility requirements for the education credits, having multiple schools isn't a red flag by itself. Just make sure you're not double-counting any expenses or claiming the same type of credit twice if that's not allowed. The key thing is being clear about which expenses apply to which credit. If you're eligible for both the American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit, you might need to strategize which expenses to apply to each for maximum benefit.
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Carmen Sanchez
Has anyone tried using the desktop version of H&R Block? I found the online version terrible for multiple 1098-Ts, but the downloadable software actually has a much clearer interface for adding multiple education institutions.
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Andre Dupont
ā¢I can confirm this! I switched to the desktop version specifically because of this issue. The desktop software has a very clear "Add Another Institution" button right on the education screen. The online version hides this functionality for some reason.
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