I made $9,400 last year and didn't file. Now I regret it because I checked my W-2 and saw they withheld like $500 in federal taxes that I could've gotten back. Is it too late to file for last year?

For someone in your exact situation (single, 24, $9,200 income, not a dependent), you should definitely file! Even though you're under the $12,950 threshold that requires filing, you'll likely get back every penny of federal income tax that was withheld from your paychecks. Check box 2 on your W-2 - if there's any amount there, that's money the government owes you. Plus, you might qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which could actually give you more back than what was withheld. The 1040 form is straightforward for your situation. You can use the IRS Free File program since your income is well under $73,000, or any free tax software. Don't leave money on the table - file that return!

This is such a great question that probably helps a lot of people! I went through the exact same confusion my first year filing. Box 11 is one of those things that looks "missing" but is actually just not applicable to most of us regular employees. Just to add to what everyone else has said - Box 11 specifically reports distributions from nonqualified deferred compensation plans or Section 457(b) plans, which are really specialized benefits usually reserved for executives or very high-level positions. If you're a typical W-2 employee with standard benefits like health insurance and a 401(k), you'll never see Box 11 on your form. Your employer is actually doing you a favor by not printing empty boxes - it keeps the form cleaner and less confusing. As long as your regular retirement contributions show up correctly in Box 12 (sounds like yours do with the "D" code for 401k), you're all set to file normally. No action needed on your part!

You're absolutely not losing your mind! This is probably one of the most common tax filing questions I see every year. Box 11 is specifically for "nonqualified deferred compensation" which is essentially a specialized retirement benefit that's almost exclusively offered to executives and highly compensated employees at larger corporations. Since the vast majority of regular employees don't have access to these types of plans, most employers simply don't include Box 11 on their W-2 forms at all. There's no requirement to print empty boxes, so they save space and reduce confusion by omitting it entirely. The important thing to verify is that your standard retirement contributions (like 401k) are properly reported in Box 12 with the appropriate letter codes - that's where most employees will find their retirement-related tax information. As long as your wages, withholdings, and any retirement contributions match your final December paystub, your W-2 is complete and accurate. You can proceed with filing your taxes normally without any concerns about the "missing" Box 11!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My friend has been staying in my guest room for about 4 months after what was supposed to be a "couple weeks max" arrangement. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the tax implications when we started this. The consensus seems pretty clear: if your friend is writing "rent" on check memos and you've been accepting regular payments for 7 months, the IRS will definitely consider this rental income that needs to be reported on Schedule E. The fact that it wasn't originally intended as a business arrangement doesn't change how the IRS views the actual pattern of payments. What's encouraging is hearing from multiple people that after legitimate deductions, the actual taxable income is often much less than the total collected. The ability to deduct a proportional share of housing expenses (utilities, insurance, maintenance, mortgage interest) based on the room's square footage seems to really help offset the tax burden. I'm definitely going to start documenting everything retroactively like several people suggested - bank statements, utility bills, insurance payments, maintenance receipts. The spreadsheet approach tracking monthly payments against monthly deductible expenses sounds like a smart way to organize everything. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences with this situation. It's made me feel much less anxious about handling it properly on my taxes. Better to be transparent with the IRS and take advantage of legitimate deductions than try to avoid reporting it and risk bigger problems later!

I've been following this thread as someone who went through this exact situation last year. All the advice here is spot-on - you definitely need to report this as rental income on Schedule E, even though it started as just helping a friend. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping track of when the arrangement actually began for tax purposes. Since you mentioned your friend has been there "since last summer" but started paying in a more regular pattern later, make sure you're only reporting income from when the consistent payments actually started. The IRS cares about when the rental relationship was established, not just when someone started staying there. Also, regarding the deductions - don't forget you can include things like a proportional share of property taxes and even home depreciation if you're itemizing everything properly. In my case, these additional deductions made a significant difference in reducing my taxable rental income. The key is being thorough with your documentation now. Even though this wasn't planned as a rental business, treat the record-keeping like it was. Bank statements, utility bills, insurance payments, maintenance receipts - organize everything by month so you can clearly show the IRS exactly how you calculated both your income and deductions. One last thought: consider whether you want to establish a more formal month-to-month agreement going forward. It doesn't have to be complicated, but having something in writing can help clarify expectations for both of you and make future tax seasons much easier to handle.

This is such a comprehensive thread with amazing suggestions! I'm dealing with a similar situation with a small consulting firm that dissolved. One additional resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is checking with your state's Unclaimed Property division. When businesses close unexpectedly, sometimes final paychecks, expense reimbursements, or other employee payments end up being turned over to the state as unclaimed property. You can search your state's unclaimed property database using your name to see if there are any funds from "Coastal Flavors LLC." If there are, the business information listed in those records would definitely include their EIN, since the state needs that for proper reporting when they receive the unclaimed funds. Also, if you ever received any direct deposit payments, check if you can access older bank statements (even if just online). Sometimes the originating company information for ACH transfers includes more details than what shows up in your regular transaction history - you might need to look at the actual deposit slip or detailed transaction record to see if the EIN is embedded in the transfer data. Another thought - if any of your former coworkers are on LinkedIn or social media, they might have saved documents or have other ideas about tracking down the EIN. Sometimes crowd-sourcing among former employees can turn up information that individuals might have missed.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my former employer (a small tech startup) suddenly shut down and I can't get my W-2. One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet is checking with your state's Department of Employment Security or Workforce Development agency. Since employers are required to report new hires to the state, they maintain a database that includes business EINs for tracking purposes. I was able to call my state's new hire reporting division, explain that I was trying to locate my former employer's EIN for tax purposes, and they were able to verify the information after I provided my SSN and the company name. Also, if the business had any employees who were eligible for unemployment benefits when it closed, the state unemployment agency would have records of the employer's EIN since that's how they track which businesses owe unemployment taxes. This might be especially relevant for restaurant workers since many would likely have filed for unemployment after the sudden closure. One more tip - if you remember the business ever posting job openings online (Indeed, Monster, etc.), sometimes those old job postings are still cached in search engines and might contain contact information or business details that could lead you to the EIN. It's worth doing a Google search for "Coastal Flavors LLC jobs" or similar terms to see what comes up.

I've been following this discussion with great interest as someone who's currently weighing the same decision! The insights from everyone who's actually worked at both companies have been invaluable. What really stands out to me is how the choice seems to depend on your learning style and career goals. If you're someone who needs to understand the foundational "why" behind tax concepts (like me), Liberty's manual approach sounds beneficial despite the teaching style challenges Maya mentioned. But if you're more focused on getting job-ready quickly with practical software skills, H&R Block's digital approach seems like the better fit. The pay difference Isaac mentioned is definitely significant - that extra $2-3/hour really adds up over a tax season. But I'm also thinking about the long-term career trajectory that Julian highlighted. Having a clear advancement path and professional development opportunities might be worth more than the immediate hourly difference. I'm leaning toward starting with whichever program fits my schedule better (since consistency in training seems crucial) and then potentially exploring opportunities with the other company once I have some foundation. The hybrid approach several people mentioned - getting strong fundamentals from one program and practical skills from another - seems like it could make someone a really well-rounded tax preparer. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences! This is exactly the kind of real-world insight you can't get from company brochures.

Maya, I completely understand your dilemma! I went through something very similar last year when I was choosing between tax prep programs. From my research and talking to people in both programs, here's what I found most helpful in making the decision: **Consider your long-term goals first.** If you're planning to do this seasonally for extra income, H&R Block's faster software training might be perfect. But if you want to eventually become an EA or work at a CPA firm, that deeper foundation from Liberty's manual approach could be invaluable. **The teaching style issue is real and important.** I ended up switching programs mid-course because the instructor's approach just wasn't clicking for me. Don't underestimate how much this affects your learning - you're investing time and money, so make sure you're actually absorbing the material effectively. **Try before you fully commit.** Most H&R Block locations will let you sit in on a sample session or at least talk through their curriculum approach. Since you're already partway through Liberty, this could help you decide if it's worth switching now or finishing Liberty and potentially supplementing later. The pay difference you mentioned is definitely real in most markets, and the work environment differences Julian described are worth considering too. But remember - your success will ultimately depend on how well you master the material and serve clients, regardless of which company's name is on your certificate. Whatever you decide, don't feel bad about prioritizing what works best for your learning style and goals!