This is such a thoughtful question! As a parent myself, I really appreciate your desire to teach your daughter about work ethic and responsibility at a young age. I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that might help: before you go down the route of creating a separate sole proprietorship (which seems like the most viable option based on the discussion here), you might want to consider starting with informal documentation of her work to see if this arrangement actually works for your family. Track her hours, the specific tasks she does, and pay her a reasonable rate from your personal funds for now. This will help you determine if she's consistently interested and capable of the work, and give you real data on what her contribution is worth. If it works well over a few months, then you'll have a solid foundation for formalizing the employment structure. Also, don't forget to involve her in understanding what she's earning and maybe help her set savings goals. At 6, this could be as much about financial literacy as it is about work experience. The tax benefits are nice, but the life lessons might be even more valuable!

As someone who's dealt with similar challenges, I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax attorney or CPA who specializes in family business structures before implementing any of these suggestions. While the advice here is helpful, employment law and tax regulations around children working in family businesses are incredibly nuanced and vary significantly by state. The separate sole proprietorship approach mentioned earlier is probably your best bet, but you'll need to ensure it has legitimate business purpose beyond just employing your daughter. The IRS scrutinizes family employment arrangements closely, especially when they seem designed primarily for tax benefits. A few additional considerations: make sure any work is truly age-appropriate and documented properly, consider workers' compensation insurance requirements even for family members, and remember that paying your child wages means they may need to file a tax return depending on the amount. The informal tracking approach suggested by others is wise - start there, then formalize if it makes sense for your situation long-term.

I just went through this exact situation last month! Had two 1095-A forms from the same insurer (Anthem) after switching from their Bronze plan to Gold mid-year. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet before entering anything into FreeTaxUSA. I listed out each month, which form it came from, the premium amounts, SLCSP values, and APTC amounts. This made it much easier to spot any inconsistencies and ensured I didn't miss anything when entering the data. Also, keep both original forms in your tax records even after filing. I know someone who got an IRS notice months later asking for clarification about their premium tax credit calculation, and having the original 1095-A forms made resolving it much quicker. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected once I got organized. FreeTaxUSA walked me through each form step by step, and the final calculation matched what I expected based on my monthly premium payments.

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a twist - I have two 1095-A forms from different states! I moved from California to Texas in March 2024 and had to switch from Covered California to the federal marketplace. The California form covers January-March, and the federal marketplace form covers April-December. I'm wondering if the process is the same as having multiple forms from the same state? Also, do I need to be concerned about any state-specific tax implications when filing my federal return? I've been putting off filing because I wasn't sure how to handle this cross-state situation, but reading through all these responses is giving me more confidence that the tax software should be able to handle it. Has anyone else dealt with moving between state and federal marketplaces mid-year?

I've been banking with US Bank for about 6 years and can confirm what others have said - they stick to the exact IRS date, no early releases. But here's something that might help with your planning: US Bank typically processes their ACH batches around 2-3 AM on the deposit date, so your refund will usually be available first thing in the morning rather than later in the day. Since you filed March 3rd and got accepted same day, you're actually in a pretty good spot timing-wise. Most people who filed early March are seeing deposit dates in the March 20-25 range right now. One thing I learned the hard way - don't schedule any automatic payments for the exact day you expect your refund. Give yourself at least a day buffer just in case there are any processing delays on either the IRS or bank side. Also, if you're really anxious about the timing, you can call US Bank customer service and ask if they see any pending Treasury deposits to your account. They can often see incoming ACH transfers a day or two before they post, which might give you that extra peace of mind for your planning.

I work in banking operations (not at US Bank specifically, but familiar with ACH processing industry-wide) and wanted to add some technical context that might help you and others understand the timing better. US Bank, like most traditional banks, follows Federal Reserve ACH settlement schedules strictly. When the IRS sends your refund, it goes through the Fed's ACH network with a specific "effective date" - this is the earliest date the receiving bank is allowed to make those funds available to you. US Bank doesn't choose to hold funds longer than required, but they also don't release them early as a matter of policy. The reason some online banks can offer early access is they're essentially giving you a short-term advance against the incoming deposit - they're taking on risk to provide that service. Traditional banks like US Bank generally don't offer this. For your March 3rd filing date, you're looking at roughly 18-21 calendar days from acceptance for direct deposit, so your window is probably March 21-24 as others mentioned. The fact that WMR shows approved means you've cleared the main processing hurdles and are just waiting for the Treasury to schedule the payment batch. Pro tip: US Bank's online banking typically updates around midnight, so you might see the deposit reflected before you wake up on deposit day, which helps with early morning financial planning.

Congratulations on your PCH win! I work in tax preparation and can confirm what others have said - since you physically received the check in January 2025, this counts as 2025 income that you'll report when you file your 2026 tax return. For the $15 amount, you're absolutely right to want to do things correctly even though it's small. You'll report this as "Other Income" on Schedule 1 of your Form 1040. The good news is that at your likely tax bracket, this will add maybe $2-4 to your total tax liability. One practical tip: keep the check stub and any documentation from PCH in your tax records for 2025. Even though PCH won't send you a 1099 for amounts under $600, having your own documentation is always smart. You can definitely cash the check now - the timing of cashing it doesn't affect the tax treatment at all. Enjoy your unexpected windfall!

This is such a great question and I love seeing how thorough everyone's responses have been! As someone who occasionally wins small prizes from various contests, I've been following similar guidelines. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're planning to use tax software this year, most of the major programs (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc.) have gotten really good at walking you through reporting miscellaneous income like this. They usually have a section that asks about prizes, awards, and other income that makes it pretty straightforward to enter. Also, since this is your first PCH win, you might want to keep an eye out for any future winnings throughout 2025. If you do happen to win more prizes that total over $600 from PCH specifically, then they would send you a 1099-MISC and you'd definitely want to make sure everything matches up on your return. But honestly, for a $15 prize, you're being wonderfully conscientious about doing things right! Cash that check and enjoy your win - you've got all the information you need to handle the tax side correctly.

As someone who's been living in Canada for several years, I want to add a few practical tips that might help with your decision-making process, even though the consensus here is clearly that tax refunds aren't available for tourists. First, if you're absolutely set on making the purchase in Canada, consider the timing and location carefully. As Owen mentioned, Alberta has the lowest tax rate (5% GST only), so cities like Calgary or Edmonton would be your best bet tax-wise. Ontario and the Maritime provinces can hit you with 13-15% total tax. Second, I'd suggest calling your home country's customs office before traveling to get the exact import duty rates and thresholds in writing. Many people are surprised to learn that some countries have duty-free allowances for goods purchased abroad if you're traveling for certain durations or purposes. Third, if you do proceed with the purchase, consider buying accessories and cases separately back home. Often the accessories have higher markup margins in Canada, and you'll avoid paying tax on those items entirely. Finally, keep in mind that Apple occasionally has region-specific promotions or bundles that aren't available elsewhere. Last year they had a promotion in Canada that included free AirPods with iPhone purchases during back-to-school season. Sometimes these promotions can tip the scales even when taxes can't be refunded. The math usually doesn't work out, but at least now you have all the information to make an informed decision!

Coming at this from a different angle - I'm a Canadian who frequently shops for electronics in the US, and the tax situation is actually the reverse of what many expect. While Canada doesn't offer tax refunds to tourists, many US states DO have tax-free shopping programs or refund processes for international visitors. If you're flexible with your travel plans, you might want to consider whether a US trip could work instead. States like Delaware, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no sales tax at all, while others like Texas and Louisiana have specific tax refund programs for international shoppers. The US Apple stores often have competitive pricing, and you'd avoid the 13-15% Canadian taxes entirely. I know this doesn't directly answer your original question about Canada, but given all the complications everyone has outlined here (no refunds, import duties, etc.), it might be worth exploring whether there are better options for your electronics purchase. Sometimes the best way to save money on a Canadian purchase is to not make it in Canada at all! Just another perspective to consider as you're doing your cost comparisons. The community has done an amazing job covering all the Canadian angles, but there might be other international options worth exploring too.