That's a really good catch about the $750 amount - that does seem unusually high for a typical PUCC deduction on a single paycheck. PUCC taxes are usually calculated as a percentage of the vehicle's annual lease value spread across pay periods, so even for an expensive truck, you'd typically see much smaller per-paycheck deductions. I'd definitely ask your payroll department for a detailed breakdown of exactly what this $750 represents. It's possible they're applying some kind of retroactive calculation (like if they decided to suddenly tax the whole year's worth of personal use), or as Alina mentioned, it could be an entirely different tax like the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax that they're incorrectly passing through to you. Either way, given the permanent equipment and clear business use of your truck, you should challenge this. But understanding exactly what type of tax they're applying will help you craft the right response.

Based on your description, your truck definitely sounds like it qualifies as a "qualified nonpersonal use vehicle" under IRS regulations, which would exempt it from PUCC taxation. The permanent equipment (crane, welding tools, toolboxes) and company markings are key factors that support this classification. However, I'm also concerned about that $750 amount - that seems unusually high for a single paycheck PUCC deduction. PUCC is typically calculated as a small percentage of the vehicle's annual lease value divided across pay periods. Even for an expensive truck, you'd normally see much smaller per-check amounts. I'd recommend two steps: First, request a detailed breakdown from payroll showing exactly how they calculated this $750 and what specific tax codes they're applying. Second, prepare your challenge by referencing Section 3 of IRS Publication 15-B (Working Condition Benefits) which covers qualified nonpersonal use vehicles. It's possible they're either applying a retroactive calculation for the entire year, mixing in other vehicle-related taxes that aren't your responsibility, or simply misclassifying your truck. Getting that breakdown will help you understand exactly what you're fighting and give you the specific information needed to challenge it effectively.

For most people starting their first job, your TIN is just your Social Security Number - no need to overthink it! I remember being confused about this exact same thing when I was filling out my W-4 for my first job. The term "TIN" sounds so official and different, but it's really just the IRS's way of referring to any number they use to identify taxpayers. Since you mentioned this is for a new job, you'll definitely want to use your SSN. Just make sure you double-check the number before submitting - those 9 digits are pretty important to get right!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this same confusion! When I was filling out my employment paperwork, I panicked thinking I needed some special taxpayer ID number that I didn't have. Turns out for regular employees like us, your TIN is literally just your Social Security Number - nothing fancy or complicated about it. The confusion comes from the fact that the IRS uses "TIN" as an umbrella term for all the different types of tax identification numbers (SSN, EIN, ITIN, etc.), but for most American workers, it's always going to be your 9-digit SSN. So you can confidently put down your social security number wherever it asks for your TIN on job paperwork. Hope this helps ease your mind - it's definitely not a dumb question when the terminology is so unclear!

One thing that confuses me about all this startup cost talk - if you start "marketing" but have no revenue for the year, don't you just end up carrying those losses forward anyway? What's the benefit of starting to recognize these expenses earlier if you have no income to offset?

Great question about startup costs vs business beginning! I went through this exact situation with my consulting LLC. The key insight that helped me was understanding that "business beginning" isn't about making your first sale - it's about when you start actively pursuing customers or clients. In my case, I had been developing my service offerings for months, but the IRS considers my business to have "begun" when I started networking events, created business cards, and launched my website - even though my first paid client didn't come for another 3 months. Since you mentioned you're planning to start selling "sometime next year," I'd suggest documenting any activities you're doing now that show you're preparing to generate revenue. Things like trademark applications, building a website, creating marketing materials, or establishing supplier relationships can all indicate your business has begun operations. One practical tip: keep a detailed timeline of all your business activities. This documentation becomes crucial if you ever need to justify to the IRS when your business actually began. The clearer your timeline, the stronger your position for claiming those startup deductions.

This happened to my sister two years ago! Her preparer made the same mistake and she almost lost out on about $3,800. Here's what worked for her: 1. **Calculate the exact difference first** - Use tax software or the IRS withholding calculator to see what you should have gotten with HOH status 2. **File Form 1040-X immediately** - Don't wait for the original return to finish processing completely. You can file the amendment once it's accepted 3. **Keep detailed records** - Save copies of everything and document the preparer error 4. **Consider asking your preparer to cover amendment fees** - If they made the error, they should help fix it at no cost to you The processing time for amendments is brutal right now (4-5 months), but you'll get the full difference plus interest. Just make sure you qualify for HOH - you need to have paid more than half the household expenses and have a qualifying dependent who lived with you for more than half the year. Hope this helps and sorry you're dealing with this stress!

I went through this exact situation last year and it was a nightmare! My preparer filed me as Single instead of Head of Household and it cost me nearly $2,800 in refund money. Here's what I learned: **The good news:** Yes, you can absolutely fix this with Form 1040-X **The bad news:** It's going to take forever to get your money What really helped me was creating a side-by-side comparison of what I filed vs. what I should have filed. The difference wasn't just the standard deduction - it affected my tax bracket, Child Tax Credit, and even my state return. **Pro tip:** Keep harassing your preparer about this. Mine initially tried to brush it off as "no big deal" until I showed them the $2,800 difference. They ended up preparing the amendment for free and even paid the overnight shipping costs. The amendment took 18 weeks to process (this was last summer), but I did get interest on the additional refund which was a nice bonus. Start the process now though - don't wait for the original return to fully process. The IRS can handle both simultaneously. Good luck and definitely find a new preparer for next year! This kind of basic error is unacceptable.

One thing I wish I had known earlier - make sure you're tracking your time spent on your Poshmark business! The IRS uses this to determine if you qualify as a business vs. hobby. If they classify it as a hobby, you can't deduct expenses that exceed your income. Keep a simple log of hours spent sourcing, photographing, listing, packaging, and shipping. This documentation helps establish that you're running a legitimate business with profit motive, not just casually selling items. The "hobby loss rule" can be a real problem for resellers if you have a loss year or the IRS decides to audit. Also, since you mentioned setting up better tracking for this year - consider opening a separate business checking account even if you're not formally incorporated. It makes record-keeping so much cleaner and shows the IRS you're treating this as a real business operation.

Great question about record keeping! A simple spreadsheet is absolutely sufficient for tracking your business hours - you don't need fancy apps or minute-by-minute precision. I track mine in 15-30 minute blocks which works well for IRS purposes. For your time log, include columns for: Date, Activity (sourcing, listing, shipping, etc.), Start/End times, and total hours. The IRS mainly wants to see that you're spending substantial and regular time on the business, showing profit motive rather than casual hobby activity. Regarding the separate business checking account that QuantumQuasar mentioned - this is excellent advice even for sole proprietors. Most banks offer simple business checking accounts, and it makes your Schedule C preparation so much easier when all business income and expenses flow through one dedicated account. It also strengthens your position if the IRS ever questions whether you're operating a legitimate business. One more tip: since you're already organizing last year's receipts, consider scanning them or taking photos as backups. Physical receipts can fade or get damaged, and having digital copies stored securely gives you extra protection for potential audits.