Where exactly am I supposed to sign my Schedule C (Form 1040)? First-time self-employed filer here!

So what happens if I already mailed in my forms but can't remember if I signed the 1040? Will they just send everything back to me or will they contact me somehow?

If you forgot to sign your 1040, the IRS will usually send you a notice asking for a signature. They typically won't process an unsigned return, but they don't just throw it away either. They'll generally mail you a letter explaining the issue and giving you instructions on how to correct it, which usually involves signing a declaration form they provide and sending it back. This will delay your processing time though, so it's always best to double-check for signatures before mailing.

Does it work well for more complicated situations? I have a side business plus a regular W-2 job, and sometimes I do contract work in other states. Would it handle all that?

I've heard about document analysis tools but I'm skeptical about the accuracy. How does it compare to having an actual tax professional look at your forms? Can it really catch everything?

It actually handles mixed income situations really well. I have W-2 income from my day job plus my photography business income, and it properly identified which expenses belonged to the business versus personal. It even explained how to allocate partially business expenses which saved me a ton of money. As for accuracy, I was also skeptical initially, but it's powered by AI that's specifically trained on tax documents and IRS publications. It's not just generic AI - it actually knows tax rules. My accountant friend was impressed with the results when I showed him what it found. I still had a human review everything, but the tool did most of the heavy lifting.

Wait so how does this actually work? Do you have to give them your personal info? Seems weird to have someone else call the IRS for you.

Yeah right. There's no way this works. The IRS is going to talk to some random third party about my tax situation? I'll believe it when I see it. Sounds like a scam to get desperate people's money right before tax deadlines.

You don't give them any personal tax information at all. They just navigate the phone tree and wait on hold for you - that's it. When they get an IRS agent on the line, they call you and connect you directly. You're the only one who talks to the IRS about your actual tax situation. Honestly I understand the skepticism. I felt the same way and almost didn't try it. But after wasting an entire afternoon trying to get through myself, I gave it a shot. The way it works is they have technology that handles the hold times, and then they just bridge the call to you when there's a human on the line. You're in complete control of the actual conversation with the IRS.

How detailed do the records need to be? Like do I need to keep physical receipts for everything or are credit card statements enough?

Credit card statements alone usually aren't enough if you get audited. The IRS wants to see what specifically was purchased, not just the amount and vendor. For smaller purchases, a receipt showing what was bought is typically sufficient. For larger expenses like equipment, keep the receipt plus any documentation showing business purpose. For a home office, you'll want records of your home's square footage, the area used exclusively for business, and related expenses. Taking photos of your home office space is also recommended.

What expense categories are most likely to trigger an audit? I just started as a freelance graphic designer and I'm nervous about claiming my home office and computer equipment.

Omg I didn't even think about that. Are the quarterly payments mandatory? My business is pretty small - made like $8,500 last year from my Etsy store. How do I even figure out how much to pay each quarter?

Generally, you need to make quarterly payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes when you file. With $8,500 in business income, you might be under that threshold, especially if you have taxes withheld from another job. The easy way is to pay 100% of your previous year's tax liability divided by 4 (or 110% if your income is over a certain threshold). You can use Form 1040-ES to calculate this. If you don't make enough estimated payments, you might face an underpayment penalty, though it's usually not huge for smaller amounts.