Thanks for all the detailed responses everyone! This is exactly the kind of insight I was hoping for. Based on what I'm hearing, it sounds like H&R Block would be the better choice for my situation. The software-based training seems more practical, and the advancement opportunities are appealing since I'm thinking about this as a potential career path rather than just seasonal work. @Sofia Peña and @Luca Esposito - your points about the franchise vs corporate structure really resonated with me. I hadn't considered how much that could affect the quality and consistency of the experience. I think I'm going to finish out my current Liberty Tax class (since I'm already halfway through) but then switch to H&R Block for actual employment. At least the foundational knowledge from Liberty's manual approach might give me a solid understanding of the concepts, and then I can learn the practical software skills at Block. Has anyone made a similar switch mid-season or between companies? Any tips for making that transition smooth? Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences!

I've been working in tax preparation for about 5 years now and wanted to add a perspective on the client experience side of things. One major difference I've noticed is that H&R Block clients tend to have higher expectations for service quality, which can be both good and bad. Good because it pushes you to really know your stuff and provide thorough explanations. Bad because you'll deal with more demanding clients who expect perfection. Liberty Tax clients are often more focused on speed and getting their refund quickly, so there's less pressure for detailed explanations but more emphasis on volume and efficiency. From a learning standpoint, I'd echo what others have said about Block being better for career development. They also offer more specialized training - like workshops for small business returns, rental property, etc. - which can really boost your skills and earning potential. The other thing to consider is office culture. This varies by location, but in my experience, H&R Block offices tend to be more professional environments, while Liberty can be more casual (sometimes too casual). If you're looking at this as a serious career move, the professional atmosphere at Block might serve you better for networking and building relationships in the industry. Also worth noting - Block typically has better resources for handling audits and IRS correspondence, which is something you'll definitely encounter as you gain more experience with complex returns.

Just want to echo what others have said - you're definitely not alone in this situation! I made the same mistake for 3 years before realizing Form 8606 was required for non-deductible contributions. One thing I learned the hard way is to double-check that your IRA custodian has accurate records of which contributions were deductible vs. non-deductible. When I was preparing my backdated 8606 forms, I discovered that my investment company's records weren't clear about the deductible status of some contributions, which could have caused problems down the road. I'd recommend calling your husband's IRA provider and asking them to clearly mark in their system which contributions were non-deductible for each year. This will make future distributions much smoother and help avoid any confusion about your basis. Also, once you get all the forms filed, keep copies somewhere safe along with documentation of the contributions. When retirement time comes, you'll be grateful to have everything organized!

I just went through this exact same situation last month! Had 4 years of missing 8606 forms for my wife's non-deductible IRA contributions. Here's what I learned from the process: **The filing approach everyone mentioned is correct** - you need separate 8606 forms for each year. I initially tried to combine them and it would have been a disaster for tracking basis properly. **One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet:** When you're filling out the forms, pay special attention to Part I, Line 14 on each form. This is where you report your total basis, and it should increase cumulatively each year. So if you contributed $6,000 in 2019, that's your basis for 2019. Then if you contributed another $6,000 in 2020, your basis on the 2020 form should show $12,000, and so on. **The IRS was actually pretty reasonable** - I included a cover letter explaining the oversight and requesting penalty waiver for "reasonable cause." Got no pushback and no penalties assessed. **Pro tip:** I created a simple spreadsheet tracking each year's contribution and cumulative basis before filling out the forms. Made the whole process much less stressful and helped me catch a calculation error before sending everything in. You're doing the right thing by fixing this proactively. The peace of mind is worth the effort!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also a student who just got invited to Amazon Vine and was completely overwhelmed by the tax implications. Reading through everyone's experiences has made me feel much more confident about participating. A few key takeaways I'm getting: 1. Keep detailed records from day one (screenshots of tax values, spreadsheet tracking) 2. Set aside money throughout the year for potential taxes (15-25% suggestion seems smart) 3. Even amounts under $600 technically need to be reported 4. If you're serious about reviewing, treat it like a business for potential deductions One question I still have - for those of you who've been doing this for multiple years, have you ever been audited specifically related to Amazon Vine income? I'm wondering how common that is and what kind of documentation the IRS would want to see if it happened. Also, does anyone know if there are any changes coming to how Amazon handles the tax reporting for Vine? I've heard rumors that they might start issuing 1099s for smaller amounts, but I'm not sure if that's true. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is awesome for helping navigate these confusing tax situations!

I've been in Amazon Vine for about 3 years now and wanted to share a few additional tips that might help newcomers navigate the tax side more smoothly. First, don't panic about the tax implications - yes, it's real income that needs to be reported, but if you're organized about it, it's very manageable. I use a simple Google Sheet with columns for: Date Received, Product Name, Amazon's Tax Value, and Notes. Takes maybe 2 minutes per item to log. Second, here's something I learned the hard way - Amazon's "Estimated Tax Value" can sometimes change between when you order an item and when it arrives. I always screenshot both the order confirmation AND the final tax value shown in my account after receiving the item. This has saved me during tax prep when values didn't match my initial records. Third, if you're a student with minimal other income, you might be surprised at how little tax you actually owe. In my first year, I received about $1,200 in products but only owed around $180 in additional taxes because of the standard deduction and my low income bracket. Finally, consider talking to your parents sooner rather than later if they claim you as a dependent. Mine were initially worried but became supportive once I showed them my organized tracking system and explained the potential tax impact. Having their buy-in makes tax season much less stressful. The program really is worth participating in if you enjoy writing detailed reviews - just stay organized from day one!

11 I've been filing 1099s wrong for years! I thought any business with a name (even "Joe's Plumbing") didn't need a 1099. Just found out many of these are sole proprietorships with DBAs and DO need 1099s. My tax software never flagged this!

Don't panic about past years! The IRS is generally more concerned with current compliance than going back to penalize small businesses for honest mistakes on 1099 reporting. However, if you paid the same vendors significant amounts in recent years, it might be worth consulting with a tax professional about whether amended returns make sense. The key going forward is getting those W-9s from everyone. I learned this the hard way too - "ABC Construction LLC" sounds like a corporation but could be a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship, which definitely needs a 1099. The business name alone doesn't tell you the tax classification. One thing that helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet with vendor name, total payments for the year, business type from W-9, and whether 1099 is required. Makes January much less stressful when you're not scrambling to figure out who needs what forms.

Another thing to consider is splitting your property tax bill between Schedule E and Schedule A. Since you owned the property but it wasn't rented for part of the year, the portion of property taxes for the time when it wasn't a rental can go on Schedule A as an itemized deduction (if you itemize).

Great question! Yes, you absolutely should file Schedule E even with zero rental income. The IRS allows you to deduct expenses for property "held for rental" even if you haven't secured tenants yet. Since you purchased the property with rental intent and had legitimate expenses (closing costs, insurance, property taxes) in those final days of the year, these are all deductible on Schedule E. You'll report $0 income but can list all your expenses in their proper categories - this will create a rental loss, which is completely normal for a first-year rental property. The key is documenting your rental intent through things like property preparation, advertising efforts, or working with property managers. One important note: don't forget to start taking depreciation! You can begin depreciating the property when it's "placed in service" (ready and available for rent), not when you actually get tenants. This is often the largest deduction rental property owners can take, so make sure your tax preparer includes it on your Schedule E.