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Heads up - you might also want to check if your current car insurance covers delivery driving. Most standard policies don't, and if you get in an accident while delivering, they might deny your claim. I found out the hard way unfortunately.
Omg I didn't even think about the insurance part. Thanks for mentioning this! Did you end up getting special coverage or something? How much extra did it cost?
Yeah I had to add commercial/rideshare coverage to my policy. With State Farm it was about $25 extra per month, but it varies by company and state. Some insurers like Progressive have specific gig worker policies now. The key thing is to tell your insurance company you're doing delivery work - don't try to hide it because they'll find out if you file a claim. Most companies now offer coverage that bridges the gap between your personal policy and DoorDash's coverage (which only kicks in during active deliveries, not while you're waiting for orders). @f005f545477f Make sure to shop around because rates vary a lot between companies for this type of coverage!
Great question! I was in a similar situation last year - working part-time and picked up DoorDash to make ends meet. Here's what I learned: You're right to be thinking about taxes early! Since DoorDash classifies you as an independent contractor (not an employee), you won't get a W-4 from them. Instead, you'll receive a 1099-NEC if you earn $600+ in a year. For your primary job's W-4, I'd recommend updating it to account for the extra income. A good rule of thumb is to set aside about 25-30% of your DoorDash earnings for taxes (this covers both income tax and self-employment tax). You can have your main employer withhold extra from each paycheck by putting an additional amount in line 4(c) of your W-4. Also, start tracking your mileage from day one! It's your biggest potential deduction. I use a mileage tracking app and it saved me hundreds last tax season. One more tip - if you think you'll make more than $1,000 from DoorDash this year, you might need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. The IRS has worksheets to help calculate this. Good luck with the side gig! It definitely helped me get through some tight months.
This is really helpful advice! I'm actually in a similar boat - just started with DoorDash a few weeks ago because my hours got cut at my main job. Quick question about the quarterly payments - how do you actually make those? Do you just send a check to the IRS or is there an online system? And when are they due? I want to make sure I don't mess this up and get hit with penalties!
Anyone have experience with H&R Block's handling of Form 2210? TurboTax always seems to calculate a penalty for me even when I don't think I should have one, wondering if switching software would help.
I had this exact same issue! The key thing to understand is that Line 8 on Form 2210 should be the SMALLER of two amounts, not necessarily your full 2023 tax liability. Since you mentioned having 110% of your 2023 tax withheld, you should definitely qualify for safe harbor protection. The problem might be that TurboTax isn't correctly applying the "deemed paid evenly" rule for W-2 withholding. Here's what worked for me: I manually calculated Form 2210 using both the regular method and the annualized income installment method to see which gave me a lower penalty (or no penalty). Sometimes the software defaults to one method when the other would be more favorable. Also, double-check that TurboTax is correctly pulling your 2023 tax amount. I've seen cases where the software uses the wrong line from the prior year return, especially if you had refundable credits that affected your actual tax liability vs. what you owed. If you're still getting a penalty calculation after verifying these details, you might want to file Form 2210 manually with your return to override the software's calculation.
This is really helpful! I'm new to dealing with underpayment penalties and didn't realize there were two different calculation methods. When you say "annualized income installment method" - is that something you can select in TurboTax or do you have to calculate it separately? I'm in a similar situation where most of my income was heavily weighted toward the end of the year due to a job change and some large capital gains, so this might be exactly what I need to look into.
24 Has anyone compared whether it's better to claim ABA therapy under the medical expense deduction instead of the dependent care credit? I heard you can't double-dip and claim the same expenses for both.
8 You're right that you can't "double-dip" and use the same expenses for both. Which is better depends on your specific financial situation. The Child and Dependent Care Credit directly reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, while medical expenses are a deduction that only helps if you itemize AND your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your AGI. For many families, the credit is more valuable, but not always!
Great question about comparing the medical expense deduction vs dependent care credit! I actually ran into this exact dilemma last year with my daughter's speech therapy costs. Here's what I learned: The dependent care credit is usually better because it's a direct credit (reduces taxes owed dollar-for-dollar) vs a deduction (only reduces taxable income). Plus, medical expenses only help if you itemize AND they exceed 7.5% of your AGI. For example, if you're in the 22% tax bracket and claim $3,000 in medical deductions, you save about $660 in taxes. But if you use that same $3,000 for the dependent care credit at 20%, you save $600 directly off your tax bill - and potentially more if you qualify for a higher credit percentage based on income. However, if you already have massive medical bills that put you over the 7.5% threshold anyway, then adding the therapy to medical might make sense. I'd recommend calculating both scenarios to see which gives you better overall tax savings!
This is such a helpful breakdown, thank you! I never thought about actually calculating both scenarios. Do you happen to know if there are any online calculators that can help figure out which option saves more money? I'm not great with tax math and want to make sure I'm choosing the best approach for our situation.
Has anyone dealt with selling investments in your home country after becoming a US tax resident? I'll be moving on H1B soon and have some stocks I'm wondering if I should sell before or after I become a US tax resident.
This is actually a really important consideration! When you become a US tax resident, you'll be taxed on worldwide income, including capital gains from selling investments anywhere in the world. BUT there's no "step-up" in basis when you become a US resident. This means if you bought stocks for $10k in your home country, then become a US tax resident, and later sell them for $15k, you'll owe US tax on that $5k gain. If your home country has lower capital gains rates than the US, it might make sense to sell before becoming a US tax resident. But this depends on so many factors including your specific country, the type of investments, and potential exit taxes.
Great question! I went through this exact same process two years ago when I moved from India on H1B. Let me break down what I learned: You'll likely be a "nonresident alien" for your first partial year (2025 if you arrive next month), then become a "resident alien" in 2026 once you pass the Substantial Presence Test. The key thing to remember is that your H1B status doesn't automatically make you a tax resident - it's all about days physically present in the US. For your first year filing, you'll need Form 1040NR (nonresident alien return). This is actually simpler in some ways because you only report US-source income. You won't need to report your foreign accounts immediately unless they generate US-source income. One thing that caught me off guard: make sure your employer withholding is correct for your status. Many payroll systems default to resident withholding, which can cause issues. I had to work with HR to adjust my W-4 for nonresident status in my first year. Also, keep detailed records of your entry/exit dates from the US - you'll need these to calculate your days for the Substantial Presence Test. I use a simple spreadsheet to track this. The transition from nonresident to resident filing can be tricky, so definitely consider getting professional help for at least your first couple years. The forms and rules are quite different between the two statuses.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! One follow-up question about the withholding issue you mentioned - how exactly do you adjust the W-4 for nonresident status? I want to make sure I get this right from day one when I start my job. Also, did you have to make any estimated tax payments in your first year, or was payroll withholding sufficient? I'm definitely planning to get professional help, but I want to understand the basics so I can ask the right questions. The spreadsheet idea for tracking entry/exit dates is genius - I'll definitely start that from my first day!
@Ruby Blake For the W-4 adjustment, you'll want to check the "nonresident alien" box if your company's payroll system has that option, or work with HR to manually adjust your withholding tables. Many payroll systems default to resident withholding rates which can over-withhold for nonresidents in their first partial year. In my first year, payroll withholding was actually sufficient because I only worked about 4 months (started in September). But if you're starting early in the year, you might need to make estimated payments depending on your income level and how much gets withheld. One tip I wish someone had told me: keep copies of your I-94 arrival/departure records and any travel documentation. The CBP website lets you access your travel history, but it's easier if you track it yourself from the beginning. Also save your boarding passes and any hotel receipts from business trips - these help document your exact days in/out of the US for the substantial presence calculation.
Julian Paolo
Did you check box A, B, C, D, or E on the form? If you're claiming any of the special conditions for waiver (like I had to when I had an unexpected wealth event mid-year), you need to attach an explanation letter along with the form. The IRS was super picky about having that documentation when I filed my 2210.
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Ella Knight
ā¢This is so important! I had my 2210 rejected twice because I checked box A (casualty loss) but didn't include a detailed explanation. Apparently just checking the box isn't enough - they want a full written explanation of the circumstances. The instructions don't make this clear enough.
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Zara Malik
Based on everyone's responses, it sounds like the most likely issue is that you need to use 110% of your 2022 tax liability for line 5 since your AGI was over $150,000. But before you resubmit, I'd suggest double-checking a few things: 1. Make sure you're looking at the actual tax amount from line 16 of your 2022 Form 1040 (not line 24 which includes additional taxes) 2. Calculate both 90% of your 2023 tax ($13,423.50) AND 110% of your 2022 tax, then use whichever is smaller 3. If you haven't already, consider whether any of the waiver conditions apply to your situation (boxes A-E on the form) The good news is that once you get the calculation right, the IRS should process your refund relatively quickly. I went through something similar last year and it was frustrating, but getting that line 5 calculation correct based on your income level should resolve the issue.
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Daniel Price
ā¢This is really helpful - thank you for summarizing all the key points! I think the 110% calculation is definitely what I was missing. Just to clarify, when you mention line 16 of the 2022 Form 1040, are you referring to the current year's form structure? I want to make sure I'm looking at the right line since the form layout changes sometimes between tax years. Also, is there a specific way the IRS wants you to show your work when you're using the 110% calculation, or do you just put the final number on line 5?
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