That's exactly the kind of distinction I was wondering about! Did you have to provide any specific documentation to the IRS to prove it was a waiver and not a scholarship? My financial aid letter does say "tuition waiver" and "non-disbursing" but I'm worried that might not be enough.

We kept copies of her financial aid award letter that specifically called it a "tuition waiver" and noted it was "non-disbursing." We also kept documentation showing no tuition was ever billed to her student account - just the other expenses like room and board, books, etc. Our accountant said the specific terminology on the financial aid documents is crucial. The fact that yours says "non-disbursing" is very helpful. That's exactly the kind of language that indicates no support was actually provided - there was simply no charge applied. Definitely bring those documents to your accountant appointment!

This is a really good point! The 1098-T reporting can make a huge difference. My son's school didn't include his tuition waiver in Box 5, and we had no issues excluding it from support calculations. But my nephew's university did include his waiver in Box 5, and they ended up having to pay kiddie tax.

I think the Home & Business would actually be perfect for your situation with the online craft sales. It's specifically designed for people with a small business or self-employment income. The Deluxe version doesn't include all the business expense categories and Schedule C support that you probably need. Let me figure out how to get this to you without violating any terms of service. Might need to check what the other commenter mentioned about transfers not being allowed.

Thanks for the info! That makes sense about the Schedule C support. I didn't realize how many business deductions I might be missing with just the Deluxe version. Please let me know what you find out about transferring it.

I second this! Been using FreeTaxUSA for 3 years now. It handles my freelance work and investment accounts perfectly. Federal filing is free and state is only like $15. No idea why people still pay $100+ for TurboTax.

Does this Smart Worksheet trick work for finding other hidden forms too? I'm new to Proseries and still learning all the shortcuts.

Yes! The Smart Worksheet search is actually the fastest way to find any form in Proseries. It works for pretty much everything - just type the form number or even keywords like "depreciation" or "health insurance" and it pulls up relevant forms and input screens. For new Proseries users, I also recommend using the "Recent Forms" dropdown which shows the last 10-15 forms you've accessed. Between these two features, you'll rarely need to dig through the regular menus once you get comfortable with the software.

I had the same issue last week. There's actually a known bug in the current version that affects the PTC calculation if you enter the information through certain screens. Try entering it directly through Form 8962 instead of the Federal Information Worksheet and see if that fixes it.

Did you find any good resources for learning about rental property tax treatment? That's my biggest concern with switching from my CPA.

The IRS Publication 527 (Residential Rental Property) is actually pretty readable and covers the basics well. I also found the BiggerPockets forums invaluable for specific rental tax questions - there are both CPAs and experienced landlords who can help with real-world situations. For me, the key was learning about depreciation (which is usually the trickiest part) and keeping meticulous records of expenses. I created a simple spreadsheet where I track every expense by category, which makes tax time much easier. Most tax software has decent guidance on rental properties, but I found that learning the basic concepts first made the whole process less intimidating.

What kinds of deductions did you miss? I'm curious because I'm in a similar boat and wondering what I might be overlooking.

Do you know if Virginia requires any specific form to be filed with state taxes when you've had a name change? I'm in a similar situation but in North Carolina.

Virginia doesn't require any special forms with your state tax return for a name change. As long as you file consistently with your federal return, you're good. They just care that your SSN matches what's in their system. For North Carolina, I'm not certain, but most states follow the same principle - file under whatever name is on your Social Security record, and update your state records after you've updated with the SSA. You might want to check North Carolina's department of revenue website for any state-specific requirements.

So true! I'm still finding random accounts in my old name 2 years later. Did you make a checklist? I wish I had been more organized about it.