The 1099-INT from the IRS is definitely just reporting interest they paid you on a delayed refund - it's pretty common when refunds take longer than 45 days to process. You're right that you don't need to "fill it out" - it's just an informational document showing taxable income you received. In TurboTax, go to the Federal Taxes section, then Income & Expenses, and look for "Interest and Dividends." Enter the information from your 1099-INT there - the payer will be "Internal Revenue Service" and the amount will be whatever's shown in Box 1 of the form. And definitely ignore anything about Form 1096 - that's only for businesses that are sending information returns TO the IRS, not for individuals receiving them. The fact that you can't print it is actually irrelevant since you don't need it anyway! This interest is taxable income, so it will add a small amount to your tax liability, but it's straightforward to report. Don't stress about it - the IRS already knows they paid you this interest, so as long as you report it correctly on your return, you'll be fine.

I had the exact same confusion when I received my first 1099-INT from the IRS! It's totally normal to feel overwhelmed by it, but everyone here has given you great advice. Just to reinforce what others have said - this is definitely interest the IRS paid you because your refund was delayed beyond their standard processing timeframe. The form itself doesn't need any action from you other than reporting the income on your tax return. One thing that helped me when I was in your situation was to think of it like any other 1099-INT you might get from a bank - it's just documenting interest income you received during the tax year. The only difference is the payer happens to be the government instead of a financial institution. Don't let the bare-bones appearance of the form stress you out - that's actually normal for IRS-issued 1099-INTs since they don't need to include all the detailed information that banks typically provide. As long as you can see the payer (IRS), your info as recipient, and the dollar amount, you have everything you need to report it correctly. You've got this! Tax deadline stress is real, but this particular issue is much more straightforward than it initially appears.

This HSA reporting issue cost me $900 in excess contribution penalties because my tax software just pulled in the Box 2 amount automatically without any warning! Has anyone found a tax software that handles this correctly? I've been using TurboTax but might switch if there's something better for HSA users.

This is such a crucial topic that more people need to understand! I work as an EA and see this mistake constantly. One thing I always tell my clients is to keep detailed records of when they make HSA contributions and which tax year they designate them for, especially those January-April contributions. I also recommend reconciling your own records with what appears on Form 5498-SA rather than blindly trusting it. HSA providers sometimes make errors in reporting, and I've seen cases where Box 3 was incorrectly calculated or missing entirely. For anyone dealing with this issue, you can also request a corrected 5498-SA from your HSA provider if you notice discrepancies. They're required to issue corrections if the original form contains errors. It's much easier to get this sorted out before filing your return than trying to amend later!

its getting wild out here with identity theft. irs trying to crack down but making life impossible for everyone else fr

This is becoming super common unfortunately. The IRS has been automatically enrolling people in the IP PIN program if they detect any suspicious activity on the SSN, even if you weren't aware of it. Sometimes it's triggered by data breaches or just their algorithm flagging something. You definitely need to get the PIN before you can file - there's no way around it once you're in the system. Try calling early morning or late afternoon for better chances of getting through to someone.

This entire discussion has been a masterclass in sports betting tax strategy! As someone who's been making similar income from DraftKings and FanDuel ($75k+ annually), I was heading down the exact same LLC path until reading all these real-world experiences. The point about sportsbooks requiring SSN reporting really is the fatal flaw in the LLC approach. I hadn't fully grasped how that creates an impossible paper trail to defend - you're essentially trying to argue that personally-earned, personally-reported income is somehow business income just because you transfer it to a business account afterward. What's been most valuable is seeing the actual numbers people calculated for SE tax savings. When you factor in reasonable salary requirements, payroll processing, additional filing costs, and LLC maintenance fees, those theoretical savings shrink dramatically. The $3,000-4,500 annual benefit mentioned earlier really puts it in perspective - not worth the complexity and audit risk. I'm convinced that the Schedule C professional gambler route is the way to go. The systematic documentation approach several people described (detailed time tracking, expense categorization, business-like record keeping) seems to provide the same tax benefits without the structural complications. One follow-up question: for those tracking "substantial time investment" to maintain professional status, what specific activities do you log beyond just the actual betting? I'm thinking research time, odds analysis, bankroll management, etc. - but want to make sure I'm capturing everything that legitimately supports the professional classification. The peace of mind factor really resonates too. Having a clean, defensible position aligned with how the income actually flows seems much better than trying to force a square peg into a round hole just for modest tax optimization.

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's been making consistent income from sports betting ($60k+ annually) and considering the exact same LLC question, reading everyone's experiences has saved me from what would likely have been a costly mistake. The fundamental issue that keeps coming up - that sportsbooks report everything under your SSN and don't allow business accounts - really is a deal-breaker for the LLC approach. I was getting caught up in the theoretical SE tax savings without considering how impossible it would be to justify the business treatment during an audit. What's particularly valuable is seeing the actual dollar amounts people calculated. When the potential savings are only $3,000-5,000 annually after all the additional costs and complexity, it's clearly not worth the risk and administrative burden. I'm definitely going with the Schedule C professional gambler approach now. The documentation strategies everyone shared (time tracking, expense categorization, systematic record-keeping) seem much more aligned with how the income actually works while still capturing legitimate tax benefits. One thing I'm curious about: for those who've maintained professional gambler status through IRS interactions, did they ever question your lack of a formal business entity? I'm wondering if the IRS expects professional activities to be conducted through LLCs or if they're comfortable with sole proprietorship treatment for gambling income given the platform restrictions. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this discussion has been worth its weight in gold for tax planning purposes!

I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now! Just wanted to add that if you do decide to go ahead with the second job, make sure to keep really good records of all your expenses related to it - things like gas for commuting, work clothes if the retail job requires specific uniforms, etc. These can sometimes be deductible and help offset some of the additional tax burden. Also, since you mentioned credit card debt from your wedding, you might want to look into whether any of the interest is deductible (probably not for personal credit cards, but worth checking). The extra income from the second job could also help you qualify for better debt consolidation rates if that's something you're considering. One last thing - retail jobs during tax season (which you'd be starting soon) can sometimes lead to opportunities to learn about tax prep services, which could be another potential income stream down the road if you find you're good with numbers. Just a thought! Good luck with whatever you decide.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the timing aspect of starting your second job. Since we're already into 2025, you'll want to be extra careful about your withholding calculations because you'll have fewer pay periods to spread the additional tax burden across. I'd strongly recommend using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (irs.gov/W4App) rather than just the paper worksheet, since it can account for the partial year of second job income. When you input your information, make sure to include what you've already earned and had withheld so far this year from your main job. Also, consider this: at $58k + potential $12k from the retail job, you're looking at about $70k total income. That keeps you comfortably in the 22% bracket for 2025 (which doesn't kick in until around $47k for single filers). The real benefit is that extra $1000/month could knock out your credit card debt much faster, saving you tons in interest charges that far outweigh any additional tax burden. One practical tip: ask your retail employer about their payroll schedule. If they pay weekly while your main job pays bi-weekly, it might actually help smooth out your cash flow for debt payments!