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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Has anyone here had their software deductions questioned in an audit? I'm curious what documentation the IRS actually wants to see. I'm about to invest in some expensive quilting design software and want to make sure I'm keeping the right records from the start.
I went through an audit three years ago for my cake decorating business, and they did look at my software deductions. They wanted to see: 1. The receipt/invoice showing the purchase date and amount 2. Proof it was paid from my business account or, if paid personally, documented as a business expense 3. A description of how the software is used specifically for my business 4. Documentation showing I was actually using it for business purposes (I showed them designs I created for clients using the software) Keep all your receipts, maybe take screenshots of business projects you complete using the software, and maintain a clear connection between the software capabilities and your business services. They were actually pretty reasonable about the whole thing.
Don't forget that if you get the subscription software like the ERP system you mentioned, that's considered a regular business expense and gets deducted each year as you pay for it. Only the permanent software license needs the Section 179 vs. Schedule C decision. Also, if you're using a tax preparation software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they'll walk you through both options and usually recommend the simplest approach automatically. That's what I do for my pet portrait business and it's worked fine for years.
This is good advice. I use QuickBooks Self-Employed and it categorizes my subscription software automatically as regular business expenses. Makes tax time so much easier when everything is already sorted correctly throughout the year.
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For your 1099 contractor income, don't forget about estimated quarterly tax payments going forward! Since taxes aren't withheld like they are for W-2 employment, you'll need to make those payments yourself. I learned this the hard way and got hit with an underpayment penalty my first year of freelancing.
Is there a minimum amount of 1099 income before you need to do quarterly payments? Like if it's just a side gig making a few thousand?
You generally need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in taxes when you file your return. Even for side gigs, this can happen quicker than you'd think when you factor in both income tax and self-employment tax (which is about 15.3%). A good rule of thumb is to set aside around 25-30% of your 1099 income for taxes, depending on your tax bracket. The IRS has a form called 1040-ES that helps you calculate what you should pay quarterly.
Anyone use anything besides TurboTax for mixed W-2 and 1099 income? Their self-employment section gets expensive real quick...
I switched to FreeTaxUSA and it handles both W-2 and 1099 income really well. Federal filing is free and state is like $15. Way cheaper than what TurboTax charged me for self-employment.
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Just to add some practical advice - make sure you keep excellent records of your self-employment income if you're claiming EITC. The IRS scrutinizes EITC claims more heavily than almost anything else. For your Uber deliveries, keep logs of all your mileage, maintenance costs, phone expenses, etc. These not only reduce your self-employment tax but can help verify your legitimate business activity if the IRS questions your EITC claim.
Thanks for this advice! Do you know if the IRS is more likely to audit returns with EITC claims from self-employed people versus regular employees? I'm keeping all my delivery app summaries and expense receipts, but wondering if I should be doing anything else to protect myself.
Yes, unfortunately self-employed EITC claims do face higher audit rates than W-2 employee claims. The IRS has historically focused more attention on self-employment income because it's self-reported rather than verified by an employer. For additional protection, I recommend keeping a simple business journal that notes your work days and hours alongside your app summaries. Also maintain separate bank accounts for business versus personal use if possible. Having a consistent pattern of deposits that match your reported income is very helpful during an audit. Finally, consider using accounting software specifically for self-employed workers that can categorize your expenses properly - this organization makes a huge difference if you're ever questioned.
I made a mistake on my taxes last year regarding EITC and self-employment. Does anyone know a good free tax software that handles self-employment and EITC correctly? I used FreeTaxUSA last time and it didn't really explain the EITC stuff well for my Doordash income.
I've had good luck with Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax). It's completely free even with self-employment and handles EITC well. The questions about Schedule C income for EITC purposes were pretty clear and it walked me through everything.
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Try looking for a tax professional who's building their client base. I found my accountant when she was just starting her independent practice after leaving a big firm. She charged me $525 for both my personal and small business returns (home bakery). She was building her portfolio and wanted the experience with different types of small businesses. Three years later she still only charges me $625 even though her rates for new clients are much higher now.
How do you find accountants who are just starting out? Is there a website or something? I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for someone like that.
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I actually think $1,100-1,500 isn't outrageous for combined business and personal returns depending on your situation. I paid $1,200 last year and felt it was worth every penny because my accountant found nearly $4,000 in deductions I would have missed on my own. She also helped me set up a better bookkeeping system that's saving me hours each month. Good accountants do more than just fill out forms - they provide tax planning, help with estimated payments, and can advise on business decisions throughout the year. If you're just looking for someone to input numbers once a year, then yeah, go cheaper. But if you want actual tax strategy and support, sometimes paying more is worth it.
100% agree. I cheaped out two years ago ($350 for a budget preparer) and ended up getting audited because they messed up my home office deduction. Ended up paying the original tax plus penalties AND $1,800 to a real accountant to handle the audit. Sometimes cheaper is WAY more expensive in the long run.
Carmen Flores
Make sure your loan has a reasonable interest rate too! If the IRS thinks the rate is too low, they might consider it a "below-market loan" and apply something called "imputed interest" rules. This could potentially create taxable interest even if no interest was actually paid.
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Zara Khan
•Can you explain more about these imputed interest rules? Our loan is at 3.5% - is that considered reasonable? I don't want to get caught in some complicated tax situation.
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Carmen Flores
•Sure thing! The IRS has what's called the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR), which is the minimum interest rate they consider legitimate for loans. If your rate is below the AFR, the IRS might "impute" interest, meaning they treat the loan as if it charged the minimum rate, even if it didn't. A 3.5% rate is likely fine for 2024-2025. The AFR changes monthly, but has generally been in the 2-4% range for mid-term loans recently. As long as your rate is at or above the AFR that was in effect when your loan was made, you should be safe from imputed interest complications.
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Andre Dubois
Has anyone used TurboTax to generate a 1099-INT for family loans? Does it handle these situations well? We've always used it for our regular taxes but never had to deal with issuing forms before.
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CyberSamurai
•TurboTax isn't great for generating 1099-INTs. For issuing forms, I've found it easier to just order the official forms from the IRS website or use their online system. Much simpler than trying to make TurboTax do something it wasn't really designed for.
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