Warning from personal experience: be super careful about mixing personal and business use with that Tesla rental! I did something similar last year and got audited because I couldn't properly document my business percentage. Make sure you're taking photos of your odometer at the beginning and end of EVERY shift, and maybe even use a backup tracking app too. The IRS is really cracking down on gig workers claiming 100% business use when they're actually using vehicles for personal stuff too. My tax bill ended up being crazy high because they disallowed a bunch of my deductions. Don't make the same mistake!

Great question about the Tesla rental deduction! I've been doing rideshare taxes for several years and can confirm that you're on the right track. When you rent a vehicle specifically for business use, you can indeed deduct the rental costs as a business expense rather than using the standard mileage rate. For your situation with switching mid-year, you'll need to keep separate records for each period: - Personal vehicle period: Use standard mileage deduction based on business miles driven - Rental period: Deduct actual rental costs (business percentage only) A few important tips from my experience: 1. Keep detailed records of when you switch vehicles - exact dates matter 2. Track your business vs personal usage percentage for the rental meticulously 3. Save all rental agreements and payment receipts 4. Consider using a mileage tracking app to document business use The fact that it's an official Uber partner rental program actually helps support the legitimacy of the business expense. Just make sure you're honest about the business percentage - the IRS can cross-reference your claimed usage with your actual trip data from Uber if they audit you. Good luck with the Tesla rental! Many drivers find the electric vehicle savings make it quite profitable once you factor in the tax benefits.

That's a really smart strategy! I hadn't thought about bunching donations like that. For someone like the original poster with $94k income, if they normally donate $4k per year but could bunch two years together for $8k, plus their other deductions, they might actually cross that $29,200 threshold. One thing to add though - make sure the charity can handle receiving a large donation all at once, especially for clothing. Some smaller organizations might not have the capacity to process huge amounts of items. You might need to coordinate with them or spread it across multiple qualifying charities in the same tax year. Also, if you're doing this with cash donations, just remember the AGI limits still apply each year - you can't exceed 60% of your AGI in a single year, though you can carry forward unused deductions to future years.

No, bunching donations won't trigger an audit or cause any issues with the IRS! It's actually a completely legitimate and commonly recommended tax strategy. The IRS expects taxpayers to alternate between itemizing and taking the standard deduction based on what's most beneficial each year. Many people use bunching strategies for various reasons - some bunch medical expenses, others bunch charitable donations, and some even time when they pay property taxes or make large purchases to optimize their deductions. Tax professionals recommend this all the time. The key is just to make sure all your donations are legitimate, properly documented, and made to qualified charitable organizations. As long as you have receipts and follow all the documentation requirements we've discussed (Form 8283 for non-cash donations over $500, appraisals for individual items over $500, etc.), you're golden. Your tax return might look different year to year, but that's totally normal and expected. The IRS systems are designed to handle this kind of variation in taxpayer situations.

Have you looked into setting this up as a family foundation instead? If you're planning to do this long-term and potentially increase the amount, it might be worth the initial setup costs. My in-laws did this for a memorial scholarship and while there was more paperwork, they got the tax deduction and maintained control.

Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who's been through this process. We started with a similar setup - wanting to maintain control while getting tax benefits for our annual $2,500 scholarship. After researching all the options mentioned here, we went with a community foundation and it's been fantastic. The key thing people don't always mention is that most community foundations will let you establish specific criteria for your scholarship (academic merit, financial need, field of study, etc.) and you can usually serve on or influence the selection committee. So while you're not writing the check directly to the student anymore, you're still very much involved in who receives it. The tax deduction has been significant for us - at our tax bracket, we're essentially getting back about 30% of what we contribute, which lets us fund a larger scholarship than we could afford otherwise. The foundation handles all the compliance stuff, tracks the recipients, and even provides updates on how the students are doing. Highly recommend this route if you want both tax benefits and meaningful involvement in the selection process.

don't forget about your cell phone expenses too! if you're using your personal phone for 1099 work you can deduct a percentage of that cost too. same principle as the internet - figure out what % is for business and deduct that part.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is keeping detailed records throughout the year, not just at tax time. Since you're working from home with mixed income sources, I'd recommend setting up a simple tracking system now for 2024. I use a basic spreadsheet to log my work hours by income type (W-2 vs 1099), internet usage patterns, and any work-related calls/activities. This makes calculating business percentages much easier and gives you solid documentation if the IRS ever asks questions. Also consider whether you might benefit from quarterly estimated tax payments on your 1099 income to avoid underpayment penalties. With $4700 in side income, you might owe taxes on that portion depending on your total tax situation. The internet deduction advice others gave is spot on - you can definitely claim a reasonable percentage for your 1099 work. Just make sure whatever method you use (hours worked, income ratio, etc.) is consistent and well-documented.

Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really eye-opening! I'm dealing with a similar situation - my 2023 amended return shows "Completed" as of December 3rd, 2024, so I'm about 2 months out now. Based on what everyone is sharing, it sounds like I'm getting close to the point where I should be concerned. @Lauren Wood's breakdown of the backend processing steps after "Completed" status is incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were quality reviews, check printing queues, and mailing processes that happen after that date. The questions you provided are exactly what I'll ask if I need to call. @Evelyn Kelly definitely call that number tomorrow with those specific questions! Your October completion date puts you way past any reasonable timeframe. The success stories from @Ian Armstrong and @Miguel Ramos show that once you get the right person on the phone, they can usually track down what happened and get a replacement check issued quickly. It's frustrating how the "Completed" status is so misleading - they really should be more transparent about what that actually means vs when people can expect their refunds. This thread has been more informative than anything on the official IRS website! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines.

I'm new to this community but facing the exact same issue! My 2023 amended return shows "Completed" as of November 8th, 2024, and still no refund check. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - way more informative than anything I could find on the official IRS website. It's really concerning how inconsistent the wait times are after the "Completed" status. Some people get their checks in 2-3 weeks while others are waiting 3+ months like @Evelyn Kelly. The fact that @Lauren Wood confirmed there are hidden backend processing steps (quality reviews, check printing queues, mailing processes) after "Completed" status really explains the confusion. @Evelyn Kelly I hope your call goes well tomorrow morning! At 3+ months past your October completion date, you definitely have grounds to push for answers. The success stories from @Ian Armstrong and @Miguel Ramos are encouraging - it sounds like once you get the right representative, they can track down what happened and get replacement checks issued quickly. I'm planning to call that same number (800-829-0582 ext 633) next week if I don't receive anything soon. Thanks to @Lauren Wood for that detailed list of questions to ask - I'm writing those down! This community knowledge is so much more valuable than the vague status updates on the official tools.