Hey! I was in your exact same position a few months ago with a different brand ambassador program and totally understand the confusion. The advice here is really solid - definitely go with "Individual/sole proprietorship" and leave the business name blank since you're just working as yourself. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple folder (physical or digital) to keep all my tax documents together from the start. I put my W9, any payment confirmations from the company, and started a basic income tracker. It seems like overkill now, but come tax season you'll be so glad you have everything organized! Also, don't be afraid to reach out to SHEIN's ambassador support team if you have specific questions about their payment structure or timing. They deal with college students all the time and are usually pretty helpful with basic tax form questions. Most companies want to make this process as smooth as possible for their ambassadors. Good luck with the program - campus ambassador work can be really fun once you get past the initial paperwork hurdle!

I've been doing various brand ambassador programs for about two years now and wanted to share some practical advice for your W9 situation! The responses here are spot-on about selecting "Individual/sole proprietorship" and leaving the business name blank. But here are a few additional tips that might help: 1. **Save a copy of your completed W9** - I learned this the hard way when another company asked for the same info months later and I had to fill it out from scratch again. 2. **Set up a separate email folder** for all tax-related communications from SHEIN. This includes your W9 confirmation, payment notifications, and any year-end tax documents. It makes everything so much easier to find later. 3. **Consider opening a separate checking account** for all your ambassador income if you plan to do more programs. Even a basic student account works - it just makes tracking business income/expenses much cleaner for tax purposes. 4. **Don't overthink it** - I was terrified of messing up my first W9 too, but honestly the IRS has seen every possible mistake and most are easily correctable. The key things are getting your name and SSN right. SHEIN's ambassador program is actually pretty good about sending clear payment summaries, which will help a lot when tax season comes around. Just stay organized from the start and you'll be fine!

This is such a thoughtful way to handle your family's situation! I'm really impressed by how you've turned a challenging circumstance into a successful business opportunity. From what I've seen with similar cases, your situation actually has some strong advantages for tax purposes. The fact that you ONLY use the camper during rental season and it's directly tied to your ability to operate the business makes it much more defensible as a business expense than typical mixed-use scenarios. A few things to consider beyond what others have mentioned: 1. **Timing matters** - Since you're using the camper exclusively during your rental season, you might be able to argue for a higher business-use percentage than the typical 50/50 split for mixed-use property. 2. **Documentation is key** - Keep a detailed calendar showing when you're in the camper vs. the house, along with your rental bookings. This creates a clear paper trail linking the camper use to business necessity. 3. **Consider the "exclusive use" test** - While you live in the camper, you're doing so specifically to enable your rental business. This isn't like using a car for both personal and business trips - it's more like temporary lodging required for business operations. 4. **Don't forget startup costs** - If this is your first year operating the rental business, some of these expenses might qualify as startup costs rather than ongoing business expenses, which could affect how you deduct them. Have you considered consulting with a tax professional who specializes in rental properties? Your situation is unique enough that getting professional guidance could really pay off, especially given the income you're generating from the rental.

What an inspiring solution to a challenging situation! Your approach shows real entrepreneurial spirit while taking care of your family. From a tax perspective, your camper situation is actually quite favorable compared to typical mixed-use scenarios. The key factor working in your favor is the "but for" test - you literally would not need the camper "but for" your rental business operations. This creates a much stronger business justification than most mixed-use property cases. Here are some specific strategies to maximize your deductions: **Documentation Strategy:** - Create a business diary logging each day you're in the camper vs. the house, tied directly to rental bookings - Take photos of the camper setup and any business-related modifications - Keep all campground receipts organized by month/season - Document any camper maintenance or improvements that extend your rental season **Deduction Approach:** Since you're only using the camper during rental season (roughly 6 months), you could potentially argue for 75-85% business use rather than a conservative 50/50 split. The seasonal displacement due to rental operations creates a compelling business necessity argument. **Depreciation Timeline:** The camper would typically depreciate over 5 years using MACRS, but the high business-use percentage means you're getting substantial annual deductions. **Bonus Tip:** Consider whether any camper improvements (weatherproofing for shoulder season, internet setup for managing bookings, etc.) qualify as 100% business expenses if they're solely for extending your rental operations. Your situation is unique enough that I'd strongly recommend getting a consultation with a tax pro who handles rental properties - the potential tax savings could easily pay for itself given your rental income success!

Quick warning about home office deductions that I learned the hard way - if you take depreciation using the regular method, you'll have to pay some of that back (called "recapture") when you sell your house. I sold my house last year and got hit with an unexpected tax bill because I'd been claiming home office deductions for 7 years. Not saying don't take the deduction, just be aware and maybe set aside some of those tax savings for the future if you think you might sell. The simplified method doesn't have this issue since there's no depreciation component.

Thanks everyone for all this detailed info! This is exactly the kind of real-world breakdown I was looking for. So just to make sure I understand correctly - since I have both W-2 employment (marketing job) AND self-employment (jewelry business), I can only claim the home office deduction for the jewelry business portion, not the marketing work? That changes my calculation quite a bit. If I'm being honest, probably only about 30% of my time in that 180 sq ft space is actually spent on the jewelry business, with the other 70% being my regular marketing job. Would I need to calculate the deduction based on just that 30% usage for the jewelry business, or can I still use the full 180 sq ft since it's the same physical space? Also really appreciate the heads up about depreciation recapture - I hadn't even thought about that! Given that this is my first home and I might sell in the next 5-7 years, the simplified method might make more sense even if it's a smaller deduction.

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's been hesitant about forming an LLC, I now understand it's not just about tax benefits (which are the same either way) but about all these operational efficiencies for businesses - from procurement workflows to payment processing to workers' comp requirements. I'm curious about the timeline for LLC formation though. If a company is asking me to form an LLC before we can start working together, how quickly can this typically be done? I don't want to lose the opportunity while waiting for paperwork to process, but I also want to make sure I do it correctly. Also, for those who've gone through this process, did you handle the LLC formation yourself or work with an attorney/service? I'm trying to balance cost, speed, and making sure everything is set up properly from the start. The business advantages seem clear now, but I want to make sure I'm not creating unnecessary complications for myself during the setup process.

Reading through this thread as someone who works in corporate legal compliance, I want to add one more crucial perspective - indemnification clauses in contracts. When we draft agreements with individual contractors, our legal team often has to include more complex indemnification language to protect the company from potential liability if the contractor's actions cause harm or legal issues. With LLCs, the indemnification clauses can be more straightforward because we're dealing with a business entity that theoretically has assets and insurance to back up those indemnification promises. While a single-member LLC might not have significantly more assets than the individual behind it, the legal framework for enforcing business-to-business indemnification is generally more robust than trying to pursue individual contractors. This is particularly important in industries where contractors have access to client data, work on client sites, or could potentially cause financial or reputational damage. Our insurance carriers also look more favorably on contracts with proper business entities when evaluating our coverage and premiums. From a contract negotiation standpoint, having an LLC often allows contractors to negotiate better terms because companies feel more comfortable with the legal protections, which can translate into higher rates or more favorable payment terms. The business entity status signals that you're serious about your professional practice and have thought through the legal and financial implications of your work.

I've been following this thread closely as I'm dealing with a very similar situation myself. Just wanted to add one more perspective that might be helpful - if you're having trouble getting traction with HR, try reaching out to your company's finance or accounting department directly. In my case, HR kept insisting on the gross repayment amount, but when I emailed the finance team with my pay stub showing the tax withholdings and explained the same-year repayment rules, they immediately understood and overruled HR's position. Finance teams deal with payroll adjustments and tax implications regularly, so they're often much more knowledgeable about these situations than general HR personnel. Also, don't underestimate the power of simply asking "Can you explain why I should pay taxes on money I'm returning to the company?" Sometimes putting it in those simple terms helps people understand why the gross repayment doesn't make sense for same-year situations. Stay strong and don't let them pressure you into the wrong amount. You're already dealing with enough stress from the layoff - make sure you're only paying what you actually legally owe.

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this on top of being laid off - it's stressful enough without having to fight over repayment calculations. Based on everything you've described, you're absolutely right to push back on the gross amount. Since your bonus was paid in March 2025 and you're being laid off in August 2025 (same tax year), the correct repayment should only be the net amount you actually received - around $5,010 after the $1,689.71 in tax withholdings. Requiring you to pay back the full $6,700 would essentially force you to pay taxes on money you're returning, which doesn't align with standard payroll practices for same-year adjustments. I'd recommend requesting a meeting with both HR and someone from payroll/accounting. Bring your pay stub that shows the bonus payment and tax withholdings, and calmly explain that asking for gross repayment means you'd be paying $1,689.71 in taxes on money you never got to keep. The payroll team usually understands these tax implications better than general HR staff. Make sure to get any agreement in writing, including confirmation of the final repayment amount and how they'll process it (should be as a payroll adjustment). Don't let them pressure you into paying the wrong amount just to meet their deadline - you have every right to ensure the calculation is correct. Document everything and stay firm but professional. You're not asking for a favor - you're asking for the legally correct calculation.