I've been importing anime merchandise from Japan for about 3 years now and can confirm the $800 threshold is correct. One thing I learned the hard way is that even if your order is exactly $800, customs can sometimes add shipping costs to the declared value depending on how the seller fills out the customs form. Also, be aware that some Japanese sellers will automatically split large orders into multiple packages to help you avoid duties, but others won't unless you specifically ask. Places like AmiAmi and HobbyLink Japan are usually pretty good about this if you contact their customer service before placing a big order. One more tip: if you do get hit with duties, keep track of what you paid because you can sometimes use it as a tax deduction if you're a content creator or run a business related to your imports.

One thing I'd add about the shipping costs being included in the declared value - it really depends on how the seller fills out the customs form. Japanese retailers like AmiAmi and Good Smile Company usually separate the merchandise value from shipping, but smaller sellers on platforms like Mercari might lump everything together. As for the tax deduction question - yes, I've successfully claimed import duties as business expenses for my anime review channel! Since you're creating content about the items you're importing, the IRS generally considers those legitimate business expenses. Just make sure to keep detailed records of what you purchased, how much you paid in duties, and how the items relate to your content creation. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything throughout the year. The key is being able to demonstrate that the imports are "ordinary and necessary" for your business activities. Since anime merchandise is directly related to your review content, you should be in good shape. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional if you're doing significant volume though - they can help you set up proper documentation procedures.

this happened to me last year! i freaked out and called my employer and they said they didn't withhold any cuz i didn't make enough. also my w4 was filled out as "exempt" when i started, did u check ur w4? if u marked exempt they don't withhold anything.

Just to clarify something that might be confusing - there's a difference between having $0 withheld because your income is too low versus having $0 withheld because you claimed "exempt" on your W-4. In Anna's case with only $470 in income, even if she didn't claim exempt, the withholding calculation would likely result in $0 federal tax being taken out anyway since her projected annual income would be well below the standard deduction threshold. The "exempt" status on a W-4 tells your employer "don't withhold ANY federal income tax regardless of my income level" - which is totally different. So Anna, you might want to double-check what you put on your W-4, but either way, with such low earnings, the result would probably be the same!

Be careful with amendments for removing children from tax returns! My sister did this last year and it triggered an audit. When she removed her son from her return after initially claiming him, the IRS wanted proof of why she was making the change. Make sure your ex kept copies of EVERYTHING for her amendment explaining why she removed your child. And when you paper file, include a detailed letter explaining the situation.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago with my daughter's EIC claim. The SEIC-F1040-506 error is incredibly frustrating because even though the amendment has been filed and accepted, the IRS systems don't communicate with each other in real time. What really helped me was calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) at 1-877-777-4778. They can sometimes expedite the processing of your return when there's a clear documentation trail showing the other parent filed an amendment to correct the duplicate claim. You'll need to have your ex's amendment confirmation number and be able to explain the timeline of events. Also, when you do paper file, make sure to write "DUPLICATE SSN - AMENDMENT FILED" in red ink at the top of your Form 1040. This helps the processing center understand immediately what's happening instead of your return sitting in a pile for weeks while they figure out the issue. The whole process is a nightmare, but with proper documentation and following up with TAS if needed, you should get it resolved within 8-10 weeks instead of the usual 16+ weeks for complicated amendments.

I had a very similar situation last year! Filed jointly for the first time with my hyphenated name in the wrong order (had it as "Davis-Chen" on my return but it's "Chen-Davis" on my Social Security card). I was absolutely panicking because I'd already e-filed and couldn't take it back. Here's what happened: my return processed completely normally and I got my refund in about 3 weeks, which was actually faster than expected. The IRS never contacted me about the name discrepancy. Like others mentioned, they really do focus on the SSN match first and foremost. My advice would be to just wait and see. If there was going to be a major issue, your e-file probably wouldn't have been accepted in the first place. The acceptance is a good sign that their system didn't flag anything serious. Save yourself the stress and potential delays of filing an amendment unless you actually get a notice from the IRS asking about it.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago when I first filed jointly with my spouse. Had my hyphenated name as "Williams-Rodriguez" on the return but it's actually "Rodriguez-Williams" on my Social Security card and W-2. I was convinced I'd screwed everything up and would face delays or penalties. Here's what actually happened: absolutely nothing. My refund came through in the normal timeframe (about 2.5 weeks), and I never heard a peep from the IRS about the name order issue. The e-file acceptance was indeed a good indicator that their system didn't flag it as a serious problem. The key thing to remember is that the IRS processes millions of returns, and they've built their systems to handle common variations and minor discrepancies. Your Social Security Number is the primary identifier they use for matching, and as long as that's correct (which it sounds like it is since your e-file was accepted), you're likely in the clear. My recommendation is to resist the urge to file an amendment unless you actually receive correspondence from the IRS requesting clarification. Filing an unnecessary amendment will definitely delay your refund, whereas the name order issue might not cause any delay at all. Save yourself the stress and paperwork!

Great discussion everyone! As someone who went through a similar partnership sale two years ago, I want to emphasize the importance of getting a professional Section 751 analysis done. I thought I understood the basics, but it turned out our manufacturing partnership had significant "hot assets" that I completely missed. We had accounts receivable that qualified under Section 751, plus some inventory that had appreciated substantially since we switched to FIFO accounting. About 30% of what I thought would be capital gains ended up being ordinary income taxed at much higher rates. The difference in my tax bill was over $15,000! Also, @Ravi, since you mentioned equipment loans - make sure you understand exactly how the debt relief is calculated. In our case, the partnership had recently refinanced, and the debt allocation among partners had shifted slightly from our original percentages. The buyer's attorney caught this during due diligence, but it could have been a nasty surprise at tax time. One last tip: if your partnership has made any Section 754 elections in the past (usually when partners have left), this can create additional basis adjustments that affect your calculation. Worth double-checking your partnership's tax returns from prior years.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly educational! I'm actually in the early stages of considering a partial sale of my partnership interest in a consulting firm, and reading through everyone's experiences has opened my eyes to complexities I hadn't even thought about. The debt relief aspect that @Astrid mentioned is particularly eye-opening - I would have completely missed that in my calculations. And @Ava's point about Section 754 elections from prior partner exits is something I need to investigate immediately, as we've had two partners leave over the past five years. I'm curious - for those who have been through this process, how far in advance did you start planning for the tax implications? It sounds like there's quite a bit of analysis that needs to be done before you can even accurately estimate your tax liability. Would you recommend getting professional help from the very beginning, or is there preliminary research/calculation that's safe to do on your own first? Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread is going to save me from making some costly mistakes!