Has anyone here specifically done both a full-time W-2 job and Uber Eats? I'm in a similar situation and wondering if there's any specific tax software that makes this combination easier to file? My full-time job is simple but I'm worried about messing up the Uber part.

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned is to consider setting up a separate bank account just for your Uber Eats earnings and expenses. This makes tracking everything so much easier come tax time! I opened a free business checking account and have all my delivery income deposited there, plus I pay for gas, car maintenance, and other delivery-related expenses from that account. At the end of the year, it's super easy to see exactly what I earned and what I spent. Also, don't forget you can deduct things like insulated delivery bags, phone mounts for your car, and even hand sanitizer if you bought it specifically for delivery work. These smaller expenses add up and can reduce your taxable income. Just keep all your receipts! With your current income level and the amount you're planning to work, you'll likely be in the 12% tax bracket for most of that Uber income, plus the 15.3% self-employment tax. So budgeting around 25-30% of your gross Uber earnings for taxes is smart advice.

As someone who's helped dozens of coworkers through relocation packages, I want to emphasize something that often gets overlooked: timing matters a lot for your overall tax situation. If your company processes the relocation payment late in the year, you might not have enough remaining paychecks to properly spread out the tax impact through normal withholding. I've seen cases where someone got their relocation gross up in November, and even though the calculation was technically correct, they ended up owing money at tax time because the withholding system couldn't account for their full year tax bracket properly with only a few paychecks left. If you're planning a move, try to time the relocation payment earlier in the year if possible. This gives the payroll system more pay periods to accurately calculate your withholding and helps avoid any surprises. Also, keep all your relocation documentation - receipts, the gross up calculation from HR, everything. You'll want it for your tax preparer and for your own peace of mind when reviewing your W-2. One last tip: if your company offers it, consider asking for a "tax equalization" calculation instead of just gross up. This accounts for the broader tax impacts that others have mentioned here, not just the direct taxes on the relocation benefit itself.

I've been through this exact situation and want to add something that really helped me understand it better. Think of gross up withholding like this: your employer is essentially "buying" you the tax liability that comes with their relocation benefit. When they give you $27k for relocation, that becomes taxable income to you. But since you didn't ask for taxable income - you just needed help moving - they calculate how much extra money they need to give you to cover ALL the taxes on the entire amount (including the extra amount itself). It's like a recursive calculation. Here's what I wish someone had told me: the gross up amount often looks scary on your paystub because it can nearly double the relocation benefit amount. In my case, a $20k relocation became about $35k total income on my W-2 due to the gross up. But that extra $15k wasn't "free money" - it was specifically calculated to pay the taxes on the full $35k. One practical tip: if you're planning to use a tax preparation service, give them a heads up about the relocation gross up when you make your appointment. It's not complicated for them to handle, but it helps if they know to expect it so they can explain exactly how it affected your return.

Just to clarify something that might help others - there's actually been some changes to the Child Tax Credit over the years that can cause confusion. For 2024 tax year (filing in 2025), the credit is $2,000 per qualifying child under 17, with up to $1,700 being refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit. The key point everyone's made is correct - no minimum income required for the Child Tax Credit itself. But if you have very low or no income, you'll mainly benefit from the refundable portion (up to $1,700 per child). The non-refundable portion can only offset actual tax liability. Make sure your children have valid Social Security Numbers (not ITINs) to qualify for the full credit. Also, with your income under $10,000, you should definitely file a return even if not required to - that's the only way to get the refundable portion back as a refund.

I want to add something that might help clarify the confusion you're experiencing. The Child Tax Credit has NO minimum income requirement - you can have $0 in income and still qualify. What you might be thinking of is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which does require earned income. However, here's the important part for your situation with under $10,000 income: while you can qualify for the Child Tax Credit, the benefit you actually receive depends on whether it's refundable or non-refundable. For 2024 (filing in 2025), up to $1,700 per child is refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit - meaning you can get this as a refund even with no tax liability. The key requirements for your kids (ages 4 and 7) are that they: - Have valid Social Security Numbers (not ITINs) - Lived with you for more than half the year - Are under 17 at the end of the tax year - You provided more than half their support You should definitely file a return to claim this credit, even if your income is below the filing threshold. With two qualifying children, you could potentially get up to $3,400 back as a refund ($1,700 × 2) regardless of your low income level.

Quick question - does anyone know if this NUA strategy still makes sense if you're going to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement? I'm trying to decide between traditional NUA and just rolling everything to an IRA and taking distributions later.

This is a great discussion and really helpful for understanding NUA taxation. One thing I'd add for anyone considering this strategy - make sure to understand the timing requirements. You have to take the entire distribution of your employer stock in the same tax year to qualify for NUA treatment. You can't spread it out over multiple years. Also, there's a "lump sum distribution" requirement that means you have to distribute your entire 401k balance within one tax year after a qualifying event (like separation from service). You can't just take out the employer stock and leave other funds in the 401k. The IRS is pretty strict about these requirements, so if you're planning an NUA transaction, work closely with both your 401k provider and tax advisor to make sure you meet all the criteria. Missing any of these requirements means you lose the favorable tax treatment and everything gets taxed as ordinary income.

Does anyone know if you can bundle these kinds of donations with your regular charitable giving to help hit the itemized deduction threshold? My tax guy isn't very clear on this, and I'm below the standard deduction by about $1000, but I gave almost $2000 to various gofundmes this year.

I went through this exact same situation last year and learned the hard way that documentation is everything. Even if you think a GoFundMe might qualify (like when it mentions partnering with a charity), you need official receipts from the actual 501(c)(3) organization to claim any deduction. What I ended up doing was keeping detailed records of all my GoFundMe donations in a separate spreadsheet with notes about why I donated and whether there was any charitable organization involvement. While most weren't deductible, it helped me identify a couple that actually were connected to registered nonprofits - but only after I contacted those organizations directly for proper tax receipts. For future reference, if you want to help individuals while still getting tax benefits, consider looking into donor-advised funds. Some allow you to recommend grants to help specific people in need while still qualifying as charitable deductions since the fund itself is a qualified charity. It's not as direct as GoFundMe, but it's an option for people who want both the personal connection and the tax benefit.