Has anyone used the IRS's Donation Value Guide? I found it super helpful for figuring out reasonable values. Men's shirts $2-12, women's dresses $4-22, etc. Just Google "IRS donation value guide" and you'll find it. Also worth knowing - you can only deduct fair market value (what someone would pay for the used item), NOT what you originally paid. So that $2000 couch you bought 10 years ago might only be worth $200-300 for donation purposes.

The key thing to remember is that charitable donations are only beneficial if you're itemizing deductions. With the standard deduction at $29,200 for married filing jointly in 2025, you need your total itemized deductions (charitable donations + mortgage interest + state/local taxes + medical expenses) to exceed that amount. If you're already over the threshold due to mortgage interest and state taxes, then yes - those donations absolutely still provide tax savings. Each dollar of fair market value reduces your taxable income by a dollar. For your specific situation with $2,700-$3,800 in donations, you'll definitely need Form 8283 since you're over the $500 threshold. But since no individual items are worth $5,000+, you just need to maintain good records with descriptions, dates, fair market values, and receipts - no professional appraisals required. One tip: don't undervalue your donations. Use resources like the Salvation Army Value Guide or Goodwill's valuation tool to ensure you're claiming appropriate fair market values. Many people leave money on the table by being too conservative with their valuations.

2 Don't forget that if you take Section 179 or bonus depreciation and then sell the vehicle or reduce business use below 50% before the end of its recovery period, you'll face recapture provisions where you have to report as income a portion of the deduction you took. This bit me hard when I sold my business truck after only 3 years.

Just want to add another important consideration - make sure you're aware of the Section 280F "luxury auto" limitations that can apply even to vehicles over 6,000 lbs in certain situations. While most heavy-duty trucks escape these limits, some newer electric trucks with high-end features might still be subject to them. Also, regarding your EV credit question - you mentioned it's electric, but make sure it actually qualifies for the credit. Many electric vehicles have lost eligibility due to the new battery component and final assembly requirements that went into effect. You can check the current list of eligible vehicles on the IRS website. One more tip: consider timing. If your business income varies year to year, you might want to evaluate whether taking the full Section 179 deduction this year maximizes your tax benefit, or if spreading it out with regular depreciation might work better for your overall tax situation.

Wanted to add that having a Schedule C loss is much more likely to increase audit risk than just having high expenses relative to income. If your deductions put you in a loss position for multiple years, that's when the hobby loss rules come into play. In your case with $5k income and $2.1k in mileage deductions, you're still showing a profit, so that's much less concerning from an audit risk perspective.

You're definitely overthinking this! As a fellow side business owner, I totally get the anxiety about audit risk, but the reality is that legitimate business expenses are exactly what you're supposed to deduct - regardless of the percentage. The IRS isn't sitting there calculating ratios and flagging returns that hit certain thresholds. What they care about is whether your expenses are: 1. Ordinary and necessary for your business 2. Properly documented 3. Actually business-related (not personal) Since you're already tracking everything with timestamps, locations, and business purpose, you're doing exactly what you should be doing. Don't leave money on the table by under-claiming legitimate expenses just because you're worried about some imaginary percentage rule. Your side business income is small relative to your W-2, you're showing a profit, and mileage is one of the most straightforward business deductions there is. Claim what you're entitled to!

Been there, done that. TBH the early refund option is basically a scam IMO. Last yr I had the same issue - DDD was 2/22, TT promised early deposit, nada happened until exactly 2/22. Called TT customer svc and they just read from a script about "banking partners" and "processing times." This yr I skipped the early option and just had my refund direct deposited - got it exactly on my DDD date. Save ur $$ next time and don't fall for the early deposit hype!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed through TurboTax on 2/1, got accepted same day, and have a 2/24 DDD but their 5-day early option completely failed. What's really annoying is that I specifically paid extra for this feature based on their marketing promises. I've been checking my account obsessively since Monday thinking maybe it would show up, but nothing yet. Called my bank (Chase) and they confirmed no pending deposits. The frustrating part is TurboTax's website just shows "Your refund is being processed" with no real timeline or explanation for why the early deposit didn't work. Has anyone with a 2/24 DDD actually received their deposit yet today? I'm trying to figure out if this is a widespread delay or if some people are getting theirs on schedule. Really hoping it shows up by tomorrow morning since that's the actual DDD date, but this whole experience has me questioning whether I'll use TurboTax again next year.

Be SUPER careful with ERTC claims right now! The IRS has been cracking down hard on what they consider "improper" claims. My business partner's company had their claim audited and they're now fighting penalties. Make sure you're actually eligible and have solid documentation.

I'm going through the exact same situation right now - filed my ERTC claim in February and it's been radio silence from the IRS ever since. The uncertainty is killing me because my business really needs that cash flow. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the 6-9 month timeline that Luca mentioned is pretty accurate, which means I've still got several months to go. The lack of communication from the IRS is the worst part - you have no idea if your paperwork is sitting in a pile somewhere or if there's an issue that needs to be resolved. I'm definitely going to look into some of these tools people mentioned for getting status updates. At this point I just want to know that my claim is actually being processed and hasn't disappeared into the bureaucratic void. Has anyone else tried calling the IRS directly or is that just a waste of time?