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One thing nobody's mentioned - if you drive a LOT for business, sometimes the actual expense method is better than the standard mileage rate. With an S Corp, you can have the company own the vehicle or you can own it and get reimbursed for actual expenses. Has anyone used TurboTax for S Corps? Does it handle this well?
I use TurboTax Business for my S Corp and it does have a vehicle expense section, but it's not super intuitive. For actual expenses, you enter gas, insurance, repairs, etc. separately. For mileage, I had to calculate it manually and enter it as "Other Expenses" with a description. The key is documenting everything properly in case of audit, regardless of which software you use.
This is exactly why I switched from doing my own S Corp taxes! The mileage deduction issue drove me crazy for years. I was making the same mistake as CPA #1 suggested - putting everything on Schedule C on my personal return. What finally clarified everything for me was understanding that once you elect S Corp status, you become an employee of your own corporation. Employees can't deduct unreimbursed business expenses anymore (thanks to the 2017 tax changes), so the mileage deduction has to come from the business side. The solution that worked for me: I set up a simple accountable plan for my S Corp (literally just a one-page document), track all my business miles in a spreadsheet, and submit monthly expense reports to myself as the business owner. Then I reimburse myself at the standard rate and deduct that reimbursement as a business expense on the S Corp return. My tax software (I use FreeTaxUSA Business) doesn't have a specific mileage field either, so I just enter the total calculated amount under "Other Deductions" with "Mileage Reimbursement" as the description. Been doing it this way for three years now with no issues. The key is having that paper trail - the accountable plan, detailed mileage logs, and expense reports showing you properly requested reimbursement from your S Corp before taking the deduction.
My bet is you're fine. The IRS and their systems rarely sync up properly. Last year they said my return was 'still processing' for 3 months AFTER I had already received and spent my refund lol.
I went through this exact same thing! Filed in early March, app stuck on "Refund Received" for almost a month. I was checking my bank obsessively every morning. Then one random Tuesday - boom - there was my refund, no warning at all. The app didn't update to "Approved" until 3 days AFTER the money hit my account. Since you filed in early April and it's been 3+ weeks, you're right around that 21-day processing window. The app is notoriously unreliable - I've learned to just check my bank account instead of driving myself crazy with the app. Keep checking your account each morning since deposits usually post overnight. Your money could show up any day now even if the status never changes!
Think of the IP PIN system like a digital deadbolt that changes every year - the IRS is basically sending you a new key for 2024. The online retrieval system is like having a spare key hidden under the mat - it's there when you need it! For your 2022 return, the address change might be like telling the post office where you live but forgetting to tell your grandmother - the IRS might be sending notices to your old address. Have you checked both your old and new address mail for any IRS correspondence?
I'm dealing with a very similar situation! Moved last spring and never got my 2024 IP PIN in the mail either. I ended up using the "Get an IP PIN" tool on IRS.gov after reading through these comments - it actually worked pretty smoothly once I got through the ID.me verification process. Just a heads up though, make sure you have a good internet connection and plenty of time when you do the identity verification - mine timed out twice before I got through successfully. For your 2022 return still in processing, I'd definitely recommend checking your online transcript first to see what codes are showing up. Sometimes there are specific hold codes that can give you clues about what's causing the delay. The address change could definitely be a factor - I had similar issues when I moved mid-tax season a few years back.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the online tool! I'm curious - how long did the ID.me verification process actually take once you got through? I'm planning to try this route but want to set aside enough time. Also, when you mention checking the transcript for hold codes, are there specific codes I should be looking for that indicate address-related delays? I'm new to reading these transcripts and they look pretty cryptic to me!
Does anyone know if eBay provides any kind of itemized statement with the 1099-K to help with tracking all this? I sold maybe 30 different items last year and I'm dreading having to go back through all the transactions manually.
eBay doesn't provide an itemized cost basis statement since they have no way of knowing what you paid for items. But they do have a Sales Report you can download that shows all your transactions. Go to My eBay > Seller Hub > Performance > Download Reports > Sales > Create a Report. This will give you all your sales data that you can use to match against your purchase records.
Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone! I'm in a similar boat with about $800 in eBay sales this year and was stressing about the 1099-K. One thing I learned from reading IRS Publication 544 is that if you're selling personal items, you only report the gains (where you sold for more than you paid), not the losses. So @Andre Laurent is exactly right - you can't deduct personal losses against other income. For anyone still confused about Schedule C vs Schedule D, the key test is your intent when you bought the items. If you bought them for personal use and are just decluttering, use Schedule D. If you bought items specifically to resell for profit, that's Schedule C business income. I've been keeping a simple spreadsheet with columns for: Item Description, Original Cost, Sale Price, Gain/Loss. Makes it much easier to track everything and identify which gains I actually need to report.
Dmitry Ivanov
Before you stress too much, just Google the codes along with your employer name. Thats what I did when I had weird codes. Turns out most big companies use similar codes and someone has probably asked this same question before. Also check if your company has an HR portal where they explain benefit deductions.
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Ava Garcia
ā¢I second this! I googled the weird codes from my W-2 and found a whole PDF from my company explaining them in detail. Apparently they send it out every year but I always delete those HR emails lol.
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Aileen Rodriguez
Just wanted to chime in as someone who's dealt with SF-specific W-2 codes before! Since you confirmed you're in San Francisco, those codes are definitely city-related benefits. A few additional tips: 1. Keep that W-2 handy when you file your CA state return - you'll likely need those DINSF amounts for the SDI deduction line 2. If you're using tax software, make sure it's updated for California/SF tax rules since the city has some unique provisions 3. Your employer should have sent out a benefits guide explaining these codes, but if you can't find it, most SF employers are required to provide this info upon request The good news is these are all legitimate deductions/benefits, so nothing to worry about tax-wise. Just make sure you're getting credit for any deductible amounts on your state return!
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Sophia Carter
ā¢This is super helpful! I'm new to California taxes and had no idea SF had its own specific codes. Quick question - when you mention the SDI deduction line on the CA return, do you know roughly what line number that is? I'm trying to get organized before I start filing and want to make sure I don't miss anything. Also, is there a particular tax software you'd recommend that handles these SF-specific situations well?
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