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How do I document self-employment income for taxes? (w/ EITC and CTC)
I've been doing landscaping work on the side for a bunch of neighbors this year and I'm planning to file taxes on that income next year, but I've been pretty terrible at keeping records so far. I'm basically going to be guessing at what I made... I also want to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credits since I have two kids. If I use something like Turbo Tax, do I need to actually provide any proof of my earnings when I file? I'm worried that I might get flagged for an audit if I claim these credits without proper documentation. How likely is the IRS to audit me, and what kind of proof would they want if they do? I've just been getting paid in cash for most jobs and haven't kept track of anything. Help!
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IRS Keeps Sending Me Refund Checks I Don't Think I'm Owed
So I'm in this weird situation right now. About three months ago, I received a check from the IRS for around $18,500. I was completely shocked because I wasn't expecting anything like this. I talked to my sister who suggested I contact a tax professional, so we managed to get on a call with someone at the IRS to dispute the check since I knew it couldn't be right. After some back and forth, I finally got a letter saying my dispute was successful and that no further action was needed on my part. Great, problem solved, right? Nope. Just a week after getting that letter, ANOTHER check showed up for almost the same amount ($18,300). It's been sitting on my desk for like five weeks now because I have no idea what to do with it. Some friends are telling me I should put the money in a high-yield savings account until the IRS inevitably asks for it back, that way I could at least make some interest. Others are saying I should just continue disputing it and not "mess with the IRS" because they're not an agency you want problems with. I'm completely confused about what to do here. Making some extra money from interest sounds nice since I definitely wouldn't spend any of it, but I'm worried about potential fines or other issues if I deposit it. Anyone dealt with anything similar or have good advice? EDIT: Thanks for all the responses! I'm going to call the IRS again tomorrow to dispute this second check. Not worth the stress of keeping money that isn't mine, plus I just want my actual refund (which is probably nowhere near $18k). If more checks come after this, I'll look into potential identity theft too.
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Whatever you do, DO NOT CASH THOSE CHECKS!! My cousin did this with an extra refund they sent him, spent it, and ended up owing the original amount plus penalties and interest. The IRS will eventually figure out their mistake. When they sent you the second check after you already disputed the first one, that's a red flag that their systems aren't communicating internally. Keep detailed records of every interaction - dates, times, who you talked to, what was said. You might need this paper trail later.
Thanks for the warning! Did your cousin have to pay back a lot in penalties? That's exactly what I'm worried about - even if I don't spend the money, I'm concerned they might still hit me with fees just for depositing it.
He ended up paying about 8% more than the original amount because of the penalties and interest that accrued during the 7 months before they discovered the error. The worst part was they froze his next year's refund until everything was paid back. Even if you just deposit it without spending, they might still consider that as you "accepting" the refund, which could potentially trigger penalties. The IRS doesn't care much about intent - they care about whether you received funds you weren't entitled to. Better to be proactive and get written documentation showing you've tried to return it.
You might want to check if someone filed a fraudulent return in your name. If the amount is way more than you'd normally expect as a refund, it could be identity theft where someone filed a return with inflated deductions or credits. The fact that you're getting multiple checks even after disputing is concerning.
This happened to my brother last year. Someone filed a fake return with his SSN claiming a huge refund, and he got similar letters and checks. The IRS fraud department was actually pretty helpful once he reported it.
How can I figure out if I owe the IRS money after missing last year's filing?
Look, I'm in a real mess here and hoping someone can help. Last year was absolute hell for me personally (don't even want to get into the details), but I know that's no excuse for completely dropping the ball on my taxes. I literally didn't file anything for 2023, and now I'm freaking out about it. The thing is, I have no idea if I actually owe the IRS money or if they might even owe me a refund. My job withholds taxes from my paychecks, but I also did some freelance work on the side and didn't pay any estimated taxes on that income (about $3,700 total). How do I figure out if I owe the IRS money? And what's the process for fixing this mistake? I'm nervous about contacting them directly because I don't want to make things worse. Any advice would be really appreciated!
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Has anyone used any of the tax relief companies that advertise on the radio? I owe around $8k to the IRS from 2022 and these companies claim they can settle for "pennies on the dollar" but it sounds too good to be true.
STAY AWAY from those tax relief companies! My brother paid one $4,000 and they did literally nothing he couldn't have done himself for free. Those "pennies on the dollar" settlements (called Offers in Compromise) are extremely rare and most people don't qualify. They just take your money and submit basic paperwork.
Don't forget that if you had health insurance through the marketplace with premium tax credits, failing to file can mean you have to repay ALL of the premium assistance you received. That's what happened to my cousin - he thought he'd get a small refund but ended up owing over $7,000 because of the premium tax credit repayment.
Can I Deduct Childcare Expenses for My Home-Based LLC Tech Consultancy?
I'm running a tech consulting business as an LLC that I operate 100% from my home office. My wife and I both work full-time, and we send our kids to daycare during the week. I've been looking at my business expenses and wondering - can I legitimately deduct some of our childcare costs from my LLC income? My thinking is that without childcare, I literally couldn't produce any income from my consulting business since I need uninterrupted time to work with clients. Has anyone successfully claimed childcare as a business expense for their LLC? The costs are pretty significant (around $1,800/month for two kids), so being able to deduct even a portion would make a big difference.
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Have you considered setting up a Dependent Care FSA through your wife's employer? If she has access to one, you can contribute pre-tax dollars (up to $5,000 in 2025 for married filing jointly) to pay for qualified childcare expenses. This is often more advantageous than the Child and Dependent Care Credit, especially if you're in a higher tax bracket. The catch is you generally can't double dip - you'd need to choose either the FSA or the tax credit.
My wife does have access to a Dependent Care FSA through her company, but we weren't sure if it made sense to use it since I'm self-employed. Would this be better than the Child and Dependent Care Credit you think? We're probably in the 24% bracket if that matters.
At the 24% tax bracket, the Dependent Care FSA would likely be more beneficial. With the FSA, you'd save 24% federal income tax plus 7.65% FICA on up to $5,000, potentially saving around $1,583. The Child and Dependent Care Credit at your income level would probably be at the 20% rate, giving you a maximum credit of $1,200 for two or more children (20% of $6,000). The FSA is generally the better choice for higher-income families, plus it reduces your FICA taxes which the credit doesn't do. Your wife's employment status is what matters for the FSA eligibility, so you being self-employed doesn't affect your ability to use her employer's FSA. Just make sure to coordinate this with your tax planning since you can't use the same expenses for both benefits.
A bit off topic but have any other home-based LLC owners found good tax software? I tried H&R Block last year and it missed so many self-employed deductions. Thinking about switching for 2025 filing.
I've been using TaxSlayer Self-Employed for my home consulting business and it's been surprisingly good for the price. Much better questionnaire for finding business deductions than the big names, especially for home office stuff.
How to handle capital gains tax after selling house during divorce?
I finalized my divorce in November 2022 and we sold our house as part of the settlement. Based on this timing, I know I need to file as single for 2023. Where I'm completely lost is how to handle any potential capital gains from the house sale. The proceeds were divided unevenly between me and my ex according to our mediation agreement. The closing documents included what looks like a substitute 1099-S form, but it only shows the selling price of the house ($735k), not any other details. Here's the breakdown: $735k sale price, $367k remaining mortgage paid off, $120k to my ex, $190k to me, and the rest went to realtors and various closing costs. Do I need to report capital gains on this? If so, how do I calculate it when the proceeds were split? I lived in the house for almost 8 years if that matters. I've never dealt with selling real estate during a divorce and could really use some clear guidance on how this works for my taxes.
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One thing nobody has mentioned yet is that you should check your state taxes too! The federal capital gains exclusion is great, but some states have different rules. I sold my house last year after my divorce and qualified for the federal exclusion, but my state still wanted a piece of the action. Check your state tax department website or talk to a local tax pro.
I didn't even think about state taxes! Do you know if most states follow the federal rules for the $250k exclusion or do they have their own systems?
Most states do follow the federal capital gains exclusion rules, but there are definitely exceptions. For example, Massachusetts has its own rules that sometimes differ from federal treatment. It's also worth checking if your state has any special forms for reporting real estate transactions. My state required an additional form that wasn't part of the federal return. Your state's tax department website should have information specific to your location.
Has anyone dealt with splitting home office deductions in a divorce situation? We both worked from home in different rooms before selling, and I'm wondering if that affects the capital gains exclusion at all.
Yes, if you claimed a home office deduction, it can affect your capital gains exclusion. When you take a home office deduction, that portion of your home is considered business use, not personal use. If you claimed a home office deduction for part of your home, you may have to pay taxes on the gain allocated to that portion of your home, even if the gain on the residential portion is excluded. It's proportional - so if 10% of your home was used as an office, 10% of the gain might be taxable regardless of the exclusion.
Thanks for explaining that. I only used about 8% of the house as my office, so it sounds like a small portion might be taxable. I'll make sure to track that separately when I file.
Keisha Jackson
For the Child Tax Credit specifically, make sure you have your kids' Social Security numbers and that they lived with you for more than half the year. The IRS has been cracking down on improper CTC claims lately.
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Paolo Moretti
They actually ask for proof that kids lived with you when filing? I've never had to upload school records or anything using turbotax.
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Amina Diop
don't stress too much abt the audit thing. i did landscaping work for 3 yrs, claimed EITC and CTC, and never got audited. just be reasonable with ur estimates and keep what records u can going forward. the irs is mainly looking for people claiming crazy business losses or suspicious deductions, not regular ppl trying to do right. the Schedule C tax form is pretty straightforward for this kind of work. just make sure u track those business expenses - equipment, gas, repairs, etc. it'll reduce ur taxable income significantly!!
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Dylan Mitchell
AuthorThat's reassuring to hear. I'm definitely not trying to cheat the system, just worried about my lack of documentation. Any tips on tracking business expenses for yard work specifically?
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