Hey everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful and encouraging. As someone who's about to start their first tax season at H&R Block, I can't thank you all enough for sharing your experiences and advice. A few things that really stood out to me from all your responses: 1. The importance of building strong client communication skills alongside technical knowledge 2. Keeping detailed notes and creating reference materials for unusual situations 3. Not being afraid to ask for help when needed - it's better to be cautious than to guess 4. The real value being in the practical experience rather than just the hourly wage I'm definitely going to implement several of your suggestions - the checklist for client interviews, keeping a notebook of interesting cases, and focusing extra attention on EITC and Child Tax Credit rules during training. It's also really reassuring to hear from so many professionals who either started at H&R Block or see real value in that experience. Sometimes I felt like I needed to defend this choice, but now I'm confident I'm making a smart investment in my future career. To those who mentioned useful tools like taxr.ai and Claimyr - I'll definitely look into these as resources that could help me provide better service to clients, especially when dealing with complex situations. Thanks again for making this newcomer feel welcome and prepared. I'll try to pay it forward by sharing my own experiences as I go through my first season!

This is such an inspiring thread! As someone who's been preparing taxes for small businesses for the past 5 years, I want to echo what everyone else has said - you're making an excellent choice starting at H&R Block. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is how this experience will help you understand the "human side" of accounting that textbooks can't teach. You'll see how real people organize (or don't organize) their financial records, how life events impact tax situations, and how to work with incomplete information - skills that are incredibly valuable in any accounting role. A practical tip for your first season: create a simple "red flag" checklist for yourself. Things like unusually high charitable deductions, business losses that seem disproportionate to income, or clients who seem evasive about certain questions. Not saying these are always problems, but they're worth a second look or a quick consultation with your manager. Developing this kind of professional skepticism early will serve you well throughout your career. Also, don't be surprised if you find certain areas of tax law that really interest you - maybe business taxation, or working with specific types of clients. This experience might help you discover what direction you want to take your accounting career in after graduation. You're going to learn so much and build skills that will make you a stronger candidate for any accounting position. Wishing you a successful first season!

I just went through this exact situation with my refund last week! My DDD was Friday 3/1 and I was checking Cash App every hour like a maniac. The funds finally showed up Monday morning at 7:23am. What I learned is that Cash App processes ACH deposits during business hours only, so weekend DDDs always roll to the next business day. One thing that helped my anxiety was calling the IRS automated line (1-800-829-1954) to confirm my refund was actually sent - you can check this with just your SSN and refund amount. Also make sure you have notifications turned on in Cash App so you get alerted the moment it hits! The waiting is the worst part but it's totally normal for weekend deposits to be delayed.

I've been using Cash App for my tax refunds for the past two years and can definitely relate to the weekend anxiety! From my experience, Cash App is actually pretty reliable once you understand their processing schedule. If your DDD falls on a Friday, you'll almost certainly see the deposit Monday morning between 6-9am - I've never had it take longer than that. The key things to double-check: make sure your name on your Cash App account exactly matches your tax return, complete all verification steps including SSN verification, and ensure your account can handle the deposit amount. I also recommend screenshotting your transcript showing the DDD just in case you need it for reference. The wait is stressful but Cash App has never failed to deliver my refund, just sometimes a day or two after the official DDD due to weekend processing rules. You should be good to go Monday morning!

As someone who's been helping folks with tax issues for years, I just want to emphasize a few key points that haven't been mentioned yet: First, make sure you understand the difference between gross income and net profit when reporting your Etsy business. You report your total sales as income, but you can deduct legitimate business expenses to reduce your taxable profit. This is crucial because many new business owners get scared seeing their total sales number without realizing they can offset it with expenses. Second, if this is your first year with self-employment income, be prepared for the "self-employment tax shock." This is the 15.3% tax that covers your Social Security and Medicare contributions (normally split between you and an employer). It's on top of your regular income tax, so factor that into your planning. Finally, since you're clearly committed to this business, I'd strongly recommend opening a separate business checking account next year if you haven't already. It makes expense tracking SO much easier and provides clear separation between personal and business finances, which the IRS appreciates if you ever get audited. Good luck with your jewelry business! The fact that you're being proactive about properly reporting your income shows you're taking this seriously, which is exactly the right approach.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year! I had a small candle-making business and made around $3,800 through various online platforms including Etsy, but never received any 1099 forms. The key thing I learned is that you absolutely must report ALL income, regardless of whether you get forms or not. What helped me was downloading my full sales report from Etsy (you can find this under "Your account" > "Your business" > "Finances") which gives you the exact totals you need. In TurboTax, look for the "Self-Employment" or "Business Income" section - it's usually under "Wages & Income." When it asks if you received a 1099-NEC or 1099-K, just select "No" and it will let you enter your income manually. You'll file a Schedule C form. Pro tip: Don't just focus on the income side - make sure you're deducting ALL your legitimate business expenses! Materials, shipping supplies, packaging, a portion of your workspace if you work from home, even business-related mileage. I was surprised how much my tax burden decreased once I properly accounted for all my expenses. The whole process ended up being much less scary than I thought once I actually dove in. You've got this!

I can definitely help clarify this! You're absolutely right that the 1040 form structure has changed significantly, which trips up a lot of people returning to Schedule C after a few years away. Here's the correct flow for your Schedule C profit or loss: 1. Complete your Schedule C to calculate your net business profit or loss 2. Transfer that amount to **Schedule 1 (Additional Income and Adjustments to Income), Line 3** 3. Complete the rest of Schedule 1 as needed 4. The total from Schedule 1, Line 26 gets transferred to **Form 1040, Line 8** The main 1040 form was redesigned to be much shorter, with most detailed items moved to supplemental schedules. That's why you're not seeing a direct business income line on the main form anymore - it all flows through Schedule 1 now. Lines 3a and 3b on Form 1040 are indeed for dividends, so you were right to be confused about that. Your business income will show up on Line 8 after going through the Schedule 1 process. If you're filing electronically, make sure to include both Schedule C and Schedule 1 with your return. Most tax software handles this flow automatically once you enter your business information, but it's good to understand how it all connects!

I went through this exact same confusion last year when I returned to freelance work after a few years away! The form changes really threw me for a loop. What finally clicked for me was realizing that the new 1040 is basically just a summary page now - all the detailed work happens on the schedules. Here's the path your Schedule C results take: Schedule C (your business profit/loss) → Schedule 1, Line 3 → Schedule 1, Line 26 (total) → Form 1040, Line 8 The key thing I missed initially was Schedule 1 - it's like a middleman that collects various types of additional income (including business income) before summarizing everything on the main 1040. One tip that really helped me: print out blank copies of Schedule C, Schedule 1, and Form 1040, then use a highlighter to trace the path from your business profit through each form. Seeing it visually makes the whole flow much clearer than trying to follow it on screen. Don't forget that if your net self-employment earnings are $400 or more, you'll also need Schedule SE for self-employment tax - that one caught me off guard my first year back in business! Good luck with your taxes, and don't feel bad about the confusion - this redesign stumped a lot of us!

I went through this exact same situation last year and can confirm what others have said. The IRS publications really are confusing on this point, but the key is understanding that "space within the living area" gets special treatment. Here's what I did based on advice from a tax attorney: 1. **Form 8949**: Reported the entire house sale here, claimed my $250k primary residence exclusion 2. **Schedule 1, Line 8z**: Reported all depreciation I had claimed over the 8 years I rented out two bedrooms The depreciation recapture was about $18,000 in my case, which got taxed as ordinary income at 25%. What surprised me was that I could still claim the full primary residence exclusion on the remaining gain, even though I had been renting out rooms. One thing I wish I had known earlier - if you made any capital improvements specifically to the rented rooms (like adding a bathroom or upgrading flooring just for those rooms), you might be able to add those to your basis calculations. It's worth reviewing your records for any room-specific improvements. Also, double-check that you've been consistently using the same percentage for depreciation each year. The IRS will expect your recapture calculation to match what you actually claimed on your Schedule E forms.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - sold my primary residence last year after renting out a basement apartment for 6 years. The confusion around Publication 523 is real! What helped me understand it was realizing that the IRS is trying to simplify things for homeowners who rent space within their primary residence. You don't have to do the complex allocation between personal and rental use that you'd need for a separate rental property. Here's my understanding based on research and consultation with a CPA: **For your situation (rooms within the house):** - Report entire sale on Form 8949/Schedule D - Claim your $250k primary residence exclusion - Report depreciation recapture on Schedule 1, Line 8z as ordinary income **Key point:** The depreciation recapture can't be excluded under Section 121, so you'll pay ordinary income tax on that portion (maxed at 25%). One thing I learned is to make sure you have good documentation showing exactly how you calculated the rental percentage each year. I used square footage, but some people use room count or other methods. Just be consistent. The good news is that even with the depreciation recapture, you still get to use the primary residence exclusion on the rest of your gain, which can save thousands in taxes compared to treating it as a pure rental property sale.