Thanks for confirming what I suspected. Do you think I should just file the taxes normally and have him reimburse me for the extra amount I'll owe? Or is there a better way to handle this without getting him in trouble?

You should definitely report the income properly on your return since it's tied to your SSN. Have your uncle calculate exactly how much extra tax you're paying because of his income and reimburse you that amount - including the self-employment tax portion which is significant. If you want to do everything by the book, the proper way would be for him to pay you the full amount shown on the 1099, then you pay the taxes, and he would have no tax obligation. But most families just calculate the tax impact and have the actual earner reimburse that amount. Just make sure you keep documentation of everything in case of an audit.

This is terrible advice that could lead to penalties, interest, and potentially an audit. The IRS automatic matching system WILL flag the missing 1099 income and generate a CP2000 notice. By that point, penalties and interest will already be accruing.

Thanks for mentioning the quarterly payments - that's something I hadn't considered at all. Do you know what the threshold is for when we need to start making those payments?

Generally, you should make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in taxes when you file your return AND your withholding and credits will cover less than 90% of your current year tax or 100% of your previous year's tax (110% if your AGI was over $150,000). For active traders, it's almost always smart to make quarterly payments because the gains can be unpredictable and substantial. You can use Form 1040-ES to calculate and make these payments. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.

Oh yeah, wash sales can be a HUGE issue for day traders. If you sell a stock at a loss and then buy it again within 30 days before or after the sale, you can't claim that loss immediately. Instead, the loss gets added to the cost basis of the new purchase. For casual investors, this isn't a big deal, but for day traders who might be trading the same stocks repeatedly, it can create a massive tax tracking headache. Most tax software struggles with tracking this properly across multiple brokerages.

Good point about state taxes - I hadn't even thought about that angle. Do you know if taking cash out triggers state tax obligations in the states where the previous properties were located? Or is it just based on my current state of residence?

It primarily depends on your current state of residence, but some states can get complicated if properties were located there. For example, California is notorious for trying to tax the deferred gain when California property is exchanged for out-of-state property. In your case, since you previously owned property in Washington state, you're probably fine there as Washington doesn't have state income tax. Nevada also doesn't have state income tax, so no concerns with your current property. But wherever you're currently a resident will likely want their share of your recognized gain from the cash boot you're taking out.

This is so important! My brother did a partial 1031 last year and his QI made an error in the documentation that led to the entire exchange being disqualified. He ended up owing tax on the FULL gain, not just the cash he took out. Make sure you use a reputable QI who specializes in these partial exchanges.

This is super informative! I had no idea about the "Wealth Squad" - is this something regular people with side businesses need to worry about? Or is it more for super wealthy individuals? Like what's the threshold where they start getting interested?

The Wealth Squad typically focuses on individuals with income or assets over $10 million, so most regular people with side businesses wouldn't be on their radar specifically. However, anyone with unusual income patterns can still trigger standard IRS compliance flags. For more typical side businesses, it's the regular IRS examination divisions that might notice discrepancies. The important thing is maintaining good records that show the source of your income and legitimate business expenses. Unexplained deposits or lifestyle expenses that don't match reported income are what typically trigger closer examination, regardless of income level.

True about shell companies! I work in banking and you wouldn't believe how sophisticated some fraud schemes are. But even with elaborate setups, people eventually slip up. Either they can't resist flaunting wealth or they make a reporting mistake. That's usually how they get caught.

Thanks for bringing this up! I checked my paystubs and they definitely show federal and state tax withholding, so I should be getting a W-2. They were taking out Social Security and Medicare too. I'm thinking maybe they just don't have my current address since I moved shortly after leaving? But still, they should've responded to my emails asking about it. So frustrating.

That's good you confirmed they were withholding taxes! In that case, they're definitely required to provide a W-2. The address issue could definitely be part of the problem - sometimes companies just mail them to the last address they have on file. You might want to check if your former employer used a third-party payroll service like ADP, Paychex, or Gusto. If they did, you might be able to create an account directly with that service and access your W-2 electronically. Many of my past employers used these services, and I could get my tax forms even years later by logging into those platforms.

This actually works surprisingly well! When my husband's former employer was ignoring his requests, he physically went to their HR office. Amazing how quickly they produced his W-2 when he was standing right in front of them. Sometimes the old-school direct approach is still the most effective.