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I'm sort of in the same boat but I did multiple apps - DoorDash, UberEats and Instacart all under $600 each. Do I combine them all on one Schedule C or do separate ones for each app?
You can combine all your food/grocery delivery gig work on a single Schedule C since they're similar business activities. Just total up all your income from the different platforms and list it as gross receipts on one Schedule C. You would only need separate Schedule Cs if you were doing substantially different types of self-employment work (like if you were doing delivery gigs AND selling handmade items online).
Great question! I was in a similar situation a couple years ago with small gig earnings. Just to add to what others have said - when you file your Schedule C, make sure to keep good records of everything even for small amounts. The IRS doesn't care if you made $50 or $5000, they want to see it reported correctly. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, platform (DoorDash), gross earnings, and miles driven. Even if you're reconstructing this after the fact, having it organized makes filing much easier. Also worth noting - if your net profit after expenses ends up being under $400, you won't owe self-employment tax, but you still report the income on Schedule C and it flows to your 1040. The income might still be subject to regular income tax depending on your total income and tax situation. Keep all your records for at least 3 years in case the IRS has questions later!
Another thing to keep in mind is that your mom will need your Social Security Number to claim you as a dependent on her return. Make sure she has that information when she files. Also, if you've already received a tax refund based on your incorrect filing status, you'll probably need to pay some of that back when you file the 1040X.
Do you know approximately how much I might have to pay back? I got about $1,200 as a refund. And will this affect any credits I claimed like the education credit?
It really depends on your specific situation, including your income level and which credits you claimed. The standard deduction difference could mean anywhere from a couple hundred to over a thousand dollars difference in your tax liability. And yes, your dependent status absolutely can affect education credits. For example, if you claimed the American Opportunity Credit but should have been claimed as a dependent, your mom might be the one who should have claimed that credit instead of you. You'll need to make sure these credits are properly allocated on both returns after the amendment.
Make sure you submit your 1040X before your mom files her return claiming you as a dependent! If the IRS processes her return first and then sees your original return where you didn't indicate you could be claimed, it could trigger a review or audit for both of you.
Too late for that actually - my mom already filed her return claiming me as a dependent. That's how we discovered the issue with my return. So now I'm trying to fix mine to match her correct filing.
That actually makes things easier! Since your mom already filed correctly claiming you as a dependent, the IRS will expect your amended return to match that. When you file your 1040X, make sure to include a note in Part III explaining that you're correcting your return to align with your mother's filing where she claimed you as a dependent. This shows the IRS that both returns are now consistent and should help avoid any matching issues or notices.
I think everyone is overcomplicating this. Our LLC accountant told us to just record it as "Due to Member" on the books, then when the LLC pays us back, it's recorded as reducing that liability. Simple journal entries, no loan docs needed, and the LLC still gets the deduction while member repayment isn't taxable income. Worked for us with no issues.
But doesn't that basically just make it a loan without calling it a loan? I've heard the IRS can reclassify things if they don't have proper documentation. Did your accountant say anything about needing some kind of paper trail beyond the journal entries?
You're right that it's essentially functioning as a loan, but our accountant said for amounts under $10,000, the journal entries plus receipts showing business purpose are usually sufficient documentation. For larger amounts or if you're extending the repayment over multiple tax years, then formal loan documentation becomes more important. The key is being consistent in how you treat it in your books and maintaining the receipts that prove these were legitimate business expenses.
Great question! I went through something similar when starting my LLC. The confusion about reimbursements vs deductions is really common, but here's the key point: the LLC can absolutely still deduct legitimate business expenses even if members initially paid for them personally. The critical thing is documentation. You need to clearly establish that these were business expenses paid on behalf of the LLC, not personal expenses. Keep all receipts and create a clear paper trail showing the business purpose of each expense. You have a few options for how to handle the accounting: 1. Treat the payments as capital contributions (increases your basis in the LLC) 2. Document them as loans to the LLC (allows for formal repayment) 3. Set up an accountable plan for reimbursements The loan approach is often preferred because it gives you the most flexibility - the LLC gets the deductions, you can be repaid without it counting as taxable income to you, and it doesn't affect ownership percentages if members contributed different amounts. Just make sure you document everything properly from the start. The IRS wants to see clear business purpose and proper substantiation for any deductions.
Has anyone used TurboTax for calculating how bonuses affect your taxes? I'm trying to figure out if I should upgrade to their premium version this year since I got a significant bonus.
I use TurboTax Premium and it handles bonuses just fine. You just enter the total from your W-2, and it doesn't matter whether the money came from regular salary or bonuses - it's all just income. You don't need to do anything special.
One thing that might help with your planning - if you're concerned about underwithholding on your bonus, you can submit a new W-4 to your employer to increase your withholding for the rest of the year. This way you can avoid owing a large amount at tax time without having to set aside cash separately. You can use the IRS withholding calculator on their website to figure out if you need to adjust. It takes into account your bonus and helps determine if your current withholding will cover your total tax liability. If not, you can increase your withholding on future paychecks to make up the difference. Another option is to make estimated quarterly tax payments if you prefer to handle the extra tax obligation that way rather than adjusting payroll withholding.
Sofia Ramirez
Just my 2 cents, but even tho u don't technically need 2 file an amended return, u might want to check if TurboTax charged u extra for setting up those vouchers. I got hit with a $35 fee for "advanced tax planning features" when this happened to me, but had no idea until I looked at my receipt later. They bury these charges in the final bill sometimes.
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Dmitry Popov
ā¢Omg yes!! I just checked my TurboTax receipt and they charged me an extra $25 for "Tax Planning Plus" which I never asked for! How do you even get that refunded?
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Sofia Ramirez
You're absolutely right to be concerned about those hidden fees! I had the same thing happen - TurboTax automatically enrolled me in their "Tax Planning Plus" package when it generated those estimated payment vouchers, and I didn't notice the extra charge until later. To get a refund, you'll need to contact TurboTax customer service and explain that you didn't knowingly purchase the tax planning features. They should be able to see that the vouchers were auto-generated without your explicit request for that service. In my case, they refunded the fee after I explained I never wanted or used the estimated payment feature. It's really frustrating how they bundle these charges with features that many people don't actually need. Definitely worth checking your final bill carefully!
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