This has been such an insightful discussion! As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by the depth of practical experience being shared here. I'm facing a very similar situation with my small marketing consultancy and two kids in college. The tuition burden is definitely challenging, and I was initially drawn to the idea of making it tax-deductible through business expenses. But it's crystal clear from everyone's responses that directly deducting tuition is a non-starter. What I find most valuable is hearing about the legitimate employment strategies that actually work. My kids are already helping me informally - my daughter manages our Instagram and creates graphics, while my son handles basic website maintenance. Formalizing this into proper employment with market-rate pay and solid documentation sounds like the right approach. The emphasis on treating family members exactly like any other employee really resonates. I think my biggest challenge will be shifting from the casual "can you help with this?" approach to maintaining professional boundaries and expectations, even with my own kids. I'm particularly interested in the tools mentioned for time tracking and the professional services like taxr.ai for getting proper guidance before implementing anything. Given the complexity and potential audit risks, having expert validation seems essential. One question for the group - for those who've made this transition from informal help to formal employment, how did you handle the conversation with your kids about the change? Did they embrace the more structured approach, or was there resistance to the increased accountability and documentation requirements?

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! I'm in a similar situation with my small business and college expenses that are really straining our budget. The unanimous advice against trying to deduct tuition directly as a business expense is noted - clearly that's not a viable path. But I'm encouraged by all the examples of legitimate family employment arrangements that people have successfully implemented. What strikes me most is how everyone emphasizes treating this like a real business relationship with proper documentation, market rates, and genuine work requirements. It makes complete sense that the IRS would scrutinize these arrangements, so having everything above board from the start seems essential. I'm particularly interested in the time-tracking and documentation systems people have mentioned. My kids already help with various tasks in my consulting business - mostly social media and basic administrative work - but it's all been very informal. Moving to a structured employment arrangement with clear expectations and proper record-keeping sounds like it could benefit everyone involved. The services mentioned here (taxr.ai and Claimyr) seem worth investigating before making any changes. Getting professional guidance upfront would definitely give me more confidence in whatever approach I decide to take. One thing I'm curious about - for those paying family members for marketing work, how do you measure and document the value they're providing to the business? Are you tracking metrics like social media engagement, website traffic, or other KPIs to justify the business expense?

I'm dealing with a similar inheritance situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My grandmother recently passed and left me about $35,000, plus some stocks that I have no idea how to handle tax-wise. From reading everyone's responses, it sounds like the cash inheritance itself won't be taxable, which is a huge relief. But I'm still confused about those stocks - if they've gone up in value since she bought them years ago, do I need to figure out what she originally paid for them? Or does that step-up basis thing mentioned earlier mean I only care about their value when she passed away? Also, should I be proactive about getting documentation from the estate executor, or just wait for them to provide whatever they think I need? I don't want to be a pest, but I also don't want to miss something important for tax purposes later. Thanks for all the great advice everyone has shared - it's made this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

I went through almost the exact same situation about 6 months ago when my grandfather passed and left me $42,000. I was completely panicking about the tax implications and spent way too much time researching online with conflicting information everywhere. The advice everyone has given here is spot on - you don't owe any federal income tax on the inheritance itself. The estate would have handled any necessary taxes before distributing funds to beneficiaries. Since you're in California, you also don't have to worry about state inheritance taxes. One thing I wish I had known earlier is to keep really good records of everything, even though it's "just" cash. I created a simple folder with the date I received the inheritance, the exact amount, and any documentation from the estate attorney. It gives me peace of mind and will be helpful if I ever need to show the source of those funds later. Also, don't stress about not getting any tax forms for the inheritance - you typically won't receive a 1099 or anything like that for inherited cash because it's not considered taxable income to you. The only forms you'll get in the future are for any interest or gains you earn from investing that money. Your grandfather sounds like he was thoughtful to leave you this gift. Take some time to decide what to do with it, but rest assured the IRS won't be coming after you for taxes on the inheritance itself!

This is absolutely outrageous and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! As someone who's been through similar employer classification games, I can tell you with certainty that they cannot legally change your worker status retroactively - especially when you have documentation showing you specifically negotiated W-2 status as a condition of employment. The IRS worker classification rules are crystal clear: it's based on the actual working relationship, not what becomes convenient for the employer later. Since you're working their scheduled shifts, using hospital equipment, and following their protocols, you clearly meet the definition of an employee regardless of the "PRN" label. If they somehow refuse to honor the original W-2 agreement (which they absolutely should), don't accept anything less than $95-100/hour for equivalent 1099 compensation. This needs to account for the additional 15.3% self-employment tax, loss of unemployment and workers' comp protection, need for your own professional liability insurance, and all the administrative headaches of quarterly tax filings and business record-keeping. My advice: Send them a firm but professional email referencing your original employment negotiations and make it clear you'll continue under the agreed W-2 terms. If they persist with this "correction," present them with the math showing what true equivalent 1099 compensation looks like. Don't let them gaslight you into thinking their failure to understand their own policies is somehow your problem to solve. You negotiated in good faith and they need to honor their commitments!

This is absolutely infuriating and unfortunately I've seen this exact scenario play out multiple times in healthcare settings. Your employer cannot legally change your classification retroactively - the IRS determines worker status based on the actual working relationship at the time the work was performed, not what becomes convenient for the employer months later. Since you specifically negotiated W-2 status as a condition of accepting this PRN position and have documentation of their agreement, you're in a very strong legal position. The fact that you work scheduled shifts, use their equipment, and follow their protocols clearly establishes an employee relationship under IRS guidelines. If they absolutely refuse to honor the original W-2 agreement, here's what equivalent 1099 compensation should look like for your $70/hour rate: - Base adjustment for self-employment tax (15.3%): ~$11/hour - Loss of unemployment insurance protection: ~$2-3/hour - Loss of workers' compensation coverage: ~$2-4/hour - Professional liability insurance (essential in healthcare): ~$3-5/hour - Administrative burden of quarterly filings and business accounting: ~$2-3/hour This puts you at a minimum of $90-95/hour, and honestly I'd push for $100/hour given the hassle they're putting you through. My recommendation: Send them a professional but firm email stating you will continue under the original W-2 terms as negotiated and documented. Make it clear that worker classification cannot be changed retroactively for work already performed. Include copies of your original employment discussions where you specifically requested W-2 status. Don't let them frame their policy confusion as your mistake to fix!

Something to consider that no one has mentioned - if you're expecting to have significant income or asset gains shortly after bankruptcy (like an inheritance, insurance settlement, or work bonus), talk to your attorney about timing. My cousin filed Chapter 7, then got a $30k work bonus three months later that he had to surrender to the trustee because his case was still open. For taxes specifically, if you're expecting a large tax refund from a pending amended return or audit reconsideration, that could be considered an asset too.

I went through bankruptcy in 2022 and can share some practical advice about the tax situation. First, definitely get all your unfiled returns current before filing - the trustee will require this and it can delay your case significantly. One thing I wish I'd known earlier is about the "look back" period. The bankruptcy court examines your finances for several months before filing, so any unusual financial moves (like spending a big tax refund right before filing) will be scrutinized. My attorney advised me to file my taxes early and use any refund for legitimate living expenses rather than trying to "hide" it. Also, keep meticulous records of everything tax-related during your bankruptcy. I had to provide copies of all tax returns, transcripts, and correspondence with the IRS to my trustee. Having everything organized made the process much smoother. The good news is that once you get through it, the fresh start is real. My dischargeable tax debts were eliminated, and I was able to work out a manageable payment plan with the IRS for the taxes that couldn't be discharged. Don't let the tax complexity scare you away from getting the help you need - just make sure you work with an attorney who understands both bankruptcy and tax law.

One additional resource that might be helpful is the SEC's EDGAR database. You can search for IBM's Form 8-K filings from late 2021 which should contain the official details about the Kyndryl spin-off, including the exact distribution ratio and valuation methods used. I had a similar issue with a Verizon/Frontier spin-off a few years ago, and finding the original SEC filing gave me the definitive documentation I needed to convince my broker to make the corrections. The Form 8-K will typically include a section called "Material Agreement" or "Other Events" that describes the distribution terms in detail. Also, if you're still having trouble after trying all the excellent suggestions here, consider filing a complaint with FINRA if Fidelity refuses to correct obviously incorrect cost basis information. Brokers are required to maintain accurate records, and persistent refusal to fix clear errors can sometimes prompt faster resolution when regulatory pressure is involved. The key is being prepared with multiple sources of official documentation - the Kyndryl website allocation info, IBM's SEC filings, and any IRS forms the companies filed. Having that comprehensive paper trail makes it very difficult for a brokerage to claim the correction isn't warranted.

I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this thread - the collective knowledge shared here is absolutely incredible! As someone who was completely overwhelmed by this IBM/KD cost basis issue when I first posted, I now feel like I have a comprehensive roadmap for getting it resolved. The step-by-step guidance from folks who've been through the exact same situation, the professional insights from the CPA, the practical tips about timing calls to Fidelity, and the additional resources like SEC filings - this is exactly the kind of detailed, actionable advice that makes online communities so valuable. I'm planning to tackle this systematically using the approach outlined here: gather all the official documentation (IBM's spin-off materials, SEC Form 8-K, Form 8937 if available), create a detailed spreadsheet showing my original purchases and the proper 96%/4% allocation, then call Fidelity's cost basis department during off-peak hours and ask specifically about corporate action notifications for the IBM/KD spin-off. I'll definitely follow up in this thread once I get it resolved to let others know how it goes. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like persistence and having the right documentation should do the trick, but knowing about the FINRA complaint option as a backup is reassuring too. Thanks again to this amazing community for turning what felt like an impossible problem into a manageable process with clear next steps!