Is there any official IRS documentation we can point to that specifically states this? My husband doesn't believe me that our November baby qualifies us for the full amount.

Yes! Check IRS Publication 972 (Child Tax Credit) which states that a child who was born or died during the year is treated as having lived with you for more than half of the year if your home was the child's home for more than half the time they were alive during the year. Since your home was presumably your November baby's home for their entire life in 2024 (even if that was just 2 months), they qualify as having lived with you for more than half the year. There's also IRS Publication 501 which clarifies dependent qualifications and specifically addresses children born during the tax year.

Which tax software do you recommend for situations like this? I've been using H&R Block online but now I'm worried they might get this wrong too.

In my experience, all the major tax software programs (TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA) correctly handle newborns and the Child Tax Credit. The issue isn't usually with the software itself but with individual preparers who might be misinformed. If you're using the software yourself rather than going to a preparation office, just make sure you answer all questions about your new dependent accurately, including their date of birth and SSN. The software will automatically calculate the correct credit. If the software seems to miss the credit, double-check that you entered all information correctly, especially the child's SSN which is required for claiming the CTC.

17 Is that also true if you're leasing the car? My tax software is asking for all this info but I don't own my vehicle.

3 For leased vehicles, it works differently. You generally can't claim depreciation or Section 179 on a leased vehicle because you don't own it. Instead, you can deduct the business portion of your lease payments as a business expense. You still need to track your business vs. personal use percentage, but you'll apply that percentage to your lease payments rather than calculating depreciation. The "date placed in service" would still be when you first started using the leased vehicle for business purposes, but it's used differently in your tax calculations.

2 I use Stride. It's free and automatically tracks your miles while you drive. You can categorize trips as business or personal, and it calculates your potential tax deduction based on the current IRS mileage rate. It also lets you track other expenses like car washes, phone bills, etc. Been using it for 2 years now and it makes tax time way easier.

I logged into my account and there's nothing about an outstanding balance or pending charges. Just looks normal. I've checked all email folders including spam - absolutely nothing from them requesting payment. My contact info is all current too. It's just weird that they haven't made any attempt to collect.

That's definitely unusual. Their automated system should have flagged your account by now. Most likely explanations: There's a glitch in their system that failed to flag your account as unpaid. This happens sometimes when the IRS changes delivery method without proper notification codes to the software company. The best ethical approach would be to contact them, but realistically, if you don't, there are two possible outcomes: either they'll eventually discover the error and bill you (could be weeks or even months), or it falls through the cracks permanently. I've seen both happen.

Do tax prep companies really send unpaid fees to collections? Seems excessive for what, like a $100 charge?

That's the kind of thing I'm worried about! I don't mind paying what I owe, but it's weird they haven't contacted me at all. Maybe I should just call them before it gets worse. Thanks for sharing what happened to your friend - definitely don't want collections involvement.

I've heard people recommend using crypto tax software that keeps track of your cost basis across different platforms. Do you think that's necessary, or is just keeping my own records in a spreadsheet good enough?

A spreadsheet can be sufficient if you're diligent and have relatively simple crypto activity. I started with spreadsheets myself. But they become cumbersome quickly, especially if you're dealing with multiple exchanges, token swaps, staking rewards, or DeFi transactions. The key advantage of specialized crypto tax software is that it handles complex situations like FIFO vs LIFO accounting methods, tracks cost basis across platforms, and automatically identifies which specific coins were sold from your holdings. The IRS allows different accounting methods, and your choice can significantly impact your tax liability, especially if you bought the same crypto at different price points.

I used FreeTaxUSA for my crypto last year. They handle it pretty well! You'll need to enter each transaction manually on Form 8949, but the interface makes it straightforward. Just make sure you've calculated your cost basis correctly beforehand. If you have tons of transactions, it can get tedious, but for a reasonable number it works great.

Don't waste your money on H&R Block for a simple return. The people at those physical locations often just input your info into the same software you could use yourself for free. I made that mistake my first year - paid like $150 for something I could've done myself in 30 minutes.

Wow, that's really good to know! Do I need to file those previous years separately or can I do it all at once with this year's taxes?

You need to file each year separately. For previous years, you'll need to use the tax forms specific to those years - you can't use 2024 forms to file for 2022 or 2023. You can find previous year forms on the IRS website, and most tax software can handle prior year returns (though they might charge for this service). Start with the most recent unfiled year and work backward. The good news is that if you're owed refunds, there's generally no penalty for filing late. You're just losing out on money that was already yours!