Is anyone else having issues with the mileage tracker on the FreeTaxUSA self-employment section? It keeps resetting my numbers.

This is such a common issue that catches so many gig workers off guard! I went through the exact same thing last year with my Instacart deliveries. What helped me understand it was thinking about it this way: the tax system has different "buckets" - regular income tax and tax credits. Your mileage deduction reduces the income tax bucket, but it can also shrink the tax credits bucket (especially EITC) if it pushes your earned income too low. For me, the mileage deduction saved me about $800 in income taxes, but I lost $1,200 in earned income credit, so my overall refund went down by $400. It was still the right thing to do tax-wise, just not what I expected. One thing that helped: I kept detailed records of actual car expenses (gas, maintenance, repairs) throughout the year. Sometimes using actual expenses instead of the standard mileage rate can work out better, especially if you had a lot of car repairs or drove an older vehicle with high maintenance costs. You should definitely claim your legitimate business miles - just know that the refund impact might not be what you expect due to how credits work.

idk why everyone uses chime anyway their customer service is trash 🤡

Still waiting on mine too! Filed CA state on Jan 27th through TurboTax and it's been radio silence. My federal hit Chime in like 8 days but state is dragging. At least I'm not the only one dealing with this wait 😅

I had my company's tax advisor on the phone yesterday and specifically asked about this! She said the decision about making the 280C election is getting more complex now that 174 expenses must be amortized. Her explanation was that it depends on several factors: 1. Your effective tax rate 2. Whether you're in an NOL position 3. Your projected tax positions over the next 5 years 4. State tax considerations 5. International tax implications if you have foreign R&E She also mentioned that some of the Big 4 disagree about the "optimal approach" because they're using different economic models to project the long-term impact. So it's less about the technical requirements and more about strategic tax planning under uncertainty.

This is a really timely discussion - I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Our company has been going back and forth on the 280C election for months. What I've learned from our research is that the "optimal" approach really depends on your specific tax profile. For companies with significant R&E expenses that are now subject to the 174 amortization requirements, the cash flow timing differences between the two approaches can be substantial. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the impact on state taxes. Some states don't conform to federal treatment of R&E credits or the 280C election, which can create additional complexity. We discovered that in our case, not making the 280C election actually resulted in better state tax treatment even though the federal impact was roughly neutral. I'd also add that given the ongoing uncertainty around potential legislative changes to Section 174 (there's been talk of repealing the amortization requirement), some firms may be taking a more conservative "wait and see" approach by not making the irrevocable election. Have you considered running both scenarios through a detailed projection model? That's what finally helped us understand why our new advisor was recommending against the election - the 5-year NPV analysis showed a meaningful difference we hadn't initially recognized.

I'm having a similar issue but with a PTIN renewal rather than a new application. Has anyone successfully renewed after being locked out? My access code from last year isn't working.

I went through this exact same PTIN lockout situation last month and it was incredibly stressful! Just want to reassure you that this won't affect your personal tax refund at all - the PTIN is only required if you're preparing taxes for other people as a paid preparer. For the lockout issue, I found that double-checking the exact format of how your name appears on all your documents is crucial. Sometimes it's as simple as including or excluding a middle initial, or how suffixes like "Jr." are formatted. The IRS system is very particular about exact matches. One thing that helped me was calling the PTIN hotline at 877-613-7846 during off-peak hours (early morning worked best). They can sometimes tell you what specific field is causing the mismatch without you having to go through the full paper application process. The wait times can be long, but it's worth trying before going the notarization route. Also, make sure you don't have any credit freezes in place - that was actually my issue and lifting it temporarily solved everything immediately. Hope this helps and try not to stress too much about the refund timing!

Has anyone mentioned the application fee for an OIC? It's $205 unless you qualify for the low-income certification. For an estate, I think the qualification is based on the estate's assets, not your personal income. Also remember you'll need to submit an initial payment with your offer - typically 20% of the offer amount if you're doing a lump sum payment option.

I went through something very similar with my grandmother's estate last year. One thing that really helped was getting a formal appraisal of the mobile home in its current condition - not just relying on county assessments or informal estimates. The appraiser documented all the issues you mentioned (structural damage, infestations, etc.) and valued it at about 20% of what a similar home in good condition would be worth. This professional documentation was crucial for the OIC because the IRS couldn't argue with third-party expert opinions. It cost me $400 for the appraisal, but it probably saved thousands in the final settlement amount. Also, don't overlook documenting the cost to make the mobile home habitable again. Get estimates for pest control, flooring replacement, utility reconnections, etc. The IRS considers these necessary expenses when evaluating what they could realistically collect if they seized the property. In our case, the repair estimates were higher than the property's fair market value, which strengthened our "doubt as to collectibility" argument significantly. The vacant land will be easier to value, but make sure you get a current market analysis rather than relying on old assessments. Property values have shifted a lot in recent years.