I own both an S corp and a C corp (different businesses) and have dealt with compensation issues for both. Here's my practical experience: For my S corp, I make sure to pay myself a salary in line with industry standards before taking any distributions. I use the Department of Labor stats for my area and profession as a guide. For my C corp, I actually do the opposite math. Since dividends are taxed twice (corporate level and then personal), I generally want to take more salary (which is deductible to the corporation) and fewer dividends. But the salary still needs to be "reasonable" - too high and it could be reclassified as dividends. The key is documentation. Whatever you decide for either entity type, document WHY your compensation is reasonable with market research, job descriptions, hours worked, etc.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that the "reasonable compensation" standard comes from different parts of the tax code for S corps vs C corps! For S corps, it comes from employment tax regulations - basically saying you can't avoid payroll taxes by taking distributions instead of salary. For C corps, it comes from Code Section 162 about "ordinary and necessary" business expenses - meaning the corporation can't deduct excessive compensation as a business expense. So while both entity types have to deal with reasonable compensation, they're actually based on different legal foundations, which is why the enforcement focuses on different issues (too low for S corps, too high for C corps).

I see everyone talking about Schedule C vs E, but has anyone mentioned state taxes? Depending on your state, you might need to file additional forms for your self-employment income. I stream on Twitch in California and had to file a Schedule CA too.

I went through this exact same situation last year with my Twitch streaming! The confusion about "royalties" vs "self-employment" is so common. Here's what I learned after consulting with a tax professional: Even though Twitch reports your income as "royalties" in box 2 of the 1099-MISC, the IRS considers content creation (streaming, making videos, etc.) as self-employment income because you're actively working to generate it. This means Schedule C is correct, not Schedule E. Since you're operating at a loss ($800 expenses vs $650 income), you actually won't owe any self-employment tax this year, but you still need to file Schedule SE to show that calculation. The good news is that $150 loss can offset some of your other income from your full-time job, potentially saving you money on your overall tax bill. Make sure you're deducting everything legitimate - equipment, software, portion of internet bill, even a percentage of your home office space if you have a dedicated streaming area. Keep detailed records because the IRS can be picky about hobby vs business distinctions if you show losses multiple years in a row. Don't let the tax software confusion stress you out too much - this is a really common issue for content creators and you're not alone in finding it confusing!

One thing I learned the hard way is that the type of assets you transfer into the trust can have different tax implications. We initially planned to fund our children's trust with appreciated stock, but our attorney explained that transferring appreciated assets to an irrevocable trust means losing the potential step-up in basis that would occur if we held them until death. For example, if you have stock worth $100k that you originally bought for $20k, transferring it to an irrevocable trust locks in that $20k basis. If your kids eventually sell it, they'll pay capital gains on the full $80k appreciation. But if you kept it and passed it through your estate, they'd get a stepped-up basis to the $100k value. We ended up funding the trust with cash instead and keeping the appreciated assets in our names. Just something to consider when you're deciding what assets to use for the $650k transfer. Your estate planning attorney should definitely walk through these basis considerations with you!

Great question! I went through this same process about two years ago when we set up a trust for our kids after my mother passed away. The good news is that there are typically no immediate taxes just for *creating* the trust structure itself. However, once you transfer that $650k into the trust, that's when the tax considerations kick in depending on what type of trust you establish. A few key points from my experience: - If you go with a revocable trust (where you maintain control), it's still considered your asset for tax purposes, so no immediate gift tax issues - For irrevocable trusts, you'll be making a gift to the trust which uses your lifetime gift tax exemption ($13.61M for 2024), but with $650k you're well under that limit - You'll still need to file Form 709 (gift tax return) even if no tax is owed - just for documentation - The trust will need its own EIN and may need to file Form 1041 annually if it generates income over $600 One thing I'd definitely recommend is discussing the timing of when you fund the trust vs. when you actually establish it. We spread our funding over two tax years to use both my wife's and my annual gift exclusions more effectively. Smart move meeting with an estate planning attorney - they'll help you structure everything to minimize ongoing tax complications!

As someone who recently navigated a similar non-resident alien tax situation, I wanted to share a few practical tips that helped me get through the HSA and IRA filing process. For the Form 8889 issue with Sprintax - I found it helpful to complete the Sprintax return first, then print out a draft to see exactly where the HSA deduction should flow. The key is making sure the deduction amount from Form 8889 gets properly reflected on Schedule 1, Line 13, and then recalculating your AGI manually. I used a simple spreadsheet to track the adjustments and make sure everything balanced. One thing I learned the hard way - if you're filing electronically through Sprintax, you'll need to print and mail your return anyway once you attach the manual Form 8889. The IRS systems can't process mixed electronic/paper filings, so you lose the e-file option. For the IRA deduction question - since you mentioned you're on a TN visa from Canada, you should definitely be eligible for the deduction assuming you meet the income requirements. The US-Canada tax treaty actually has favorable provisions for retirement savings. Just make sure you're not also claiming RRSP contributions in Canada for the same income, as that could create treaty complications. One final tip - keep detailed records of all your manual calculations and adjustments. If the IRS has questions later, you'll want to be able to show exactly how you arrived at your numbers.

I wanted to add another perspective as someone who dealt with a similar HSA/IRA situation as a non-resident alien. One thing that caught me off guard was the timing requirements for HSA contributions versus when you can actually claim the deduction. Even though you can contribute to your HSA through April 15th for the previous tax year, if you're manually filing Form 8889 with your non-resident return, you'll want to make sure all contributions are actually completed before you file. Unlike regular filers who might estimate and adjust later, the manual process makes corrections much more complicated. For your IRA situation on the TN visa - definitely confirm your contribution limits based on your earned income. As a non-resident alien, you can only contribute up to 100% of your US earned income or the annual limit ($7,000 for 2024), whichever is less. This is different from residents who might have other forms of compensation that count. Also, one practical tip for the Sprintax + manual Form 8889 approach - complete everything in Sprintax first, then print the entire return. Fill out Form 8889 separately, and physically attach it to the printed return before mailing. Don't try to modify the Sprintax PDF directly as it can cause formatting issues that might confuse IRS processing. The manual recalculation process mentioned by others is definitely doable - I found it helpful to work backwards from the final tax owed to make sure my adjustments were correct.

Welcome to the community! Your situation is actually quite common among startup founders, and the good news is that you're not in uncharted territory here. From my experience helping other founders with similar issues, the most important thing to understand is that your timely 30-day filing is what legally establishes your 83(b) election. The tax return attachment requirement is essentially a backup notification to ensure the IRS has the documentation in the right place when they process your return. Here's what I'd recommend for your cover letter to maximize clarity: - Include your full legal name exactly as it appears on your tax return - Your SSN and the specific tax year (2024 for your 2025 filing) - A clear statement: "This 83(b) election is submitted as supplemental documentation to my e-filed 2024 tax return" - The original filing date of your 83(b) election - Your business name and the date you purchased the restricted stock The IRS processing systems are actually pretty good at matching these supplemental submissions when you provide clear identifying information. I haven't seen cases where properly documented supplemental 83(b) elections got lost in the system, especially when sent via certified mail. One additional tip: consider keeping a copy of this submission with your corporate records alongside your original 83(b) filing. If you ever need to prove the election was made (during future financing rounds, audits, etc.), having this complete paper trail will be invaluable. You're being appropriately proactive about this - better to handle it now than discover an issue later when the stakes are higher!

As someone who's been through this exact scenario, I can definitely relate to the stress you're feeling! The good news is that you've already completed the most crucial step by filing your 83(b) election within the 30-day window after purchasing your restricted stock. I had a similar situation with my startup last year - filed the 83(b) on time but completely forgot about including it with my tax return until after I'd already e-filed. The panic was real, especially knowing the potential phantom income implications with a 4-year vesting schedule. Here's what worked for me: I sent a straightforward cover letter to the IRS Fresno processing center explaining that I had timely filed my 83(b) election but inadvertently omitted it from my e-filed return. I included my name, SSN, tax year, and clearly stated this was supplemental documentation for my already-processed return. I attached a clean copy of my original 83(b) election and sent everything via certified mail. The key is being clear and direct - no need for complex language or amended returns. The IRS processing centers handle these supplemental 83(b) submissions regularly, and as long as you provide proper identifying information, they're quite good at matching it to your tax return. Since you filed within the initial 30-day deadline, your election should be legally valid. The supplemental submission just ensures everything is properly documented in their system. Given the stakes with your vesting schedule, getting this sorted now will definitely give you peace of mind going forward.