Thanks for bringing up the EITC! I actually don't have any dependents, it's just me. Would I still qualify? And would that be instead of the dental deduction or in addition to it?

You can still qualify for EITC without dependents, though the amount is smaller. For 2025, if you're single with no children and income around $24k, you might qualify for a small EITC (around $600-700 depending on your exact income). The EITC is completely separate from the dental deduction issue. You can claim both if you qualify for both. The EITC is a credit while the dental expense would be a deduction if you itemize. Credits directly reduce your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, while deductions just reduce your taxable income, so credits are generally more valuable.

Good point about the FSA, but it sounds like OP might not have benefits if they're making around $24k. Might be part-time or gig work. The FSA is only helpful if you have access to employer benefits.

Thanks for the heads up about Form 8283! Would I need to attach any documentation about the original price when I file, or just keep that information in case of an audit? And do you know if I need the charity to fill out part of the form?

You don't need to attach the original price documentation when you file - just keep all that info in your records in case of an audit. The IRS recommends keeping tax documentation for at least 3 years after filing. Yes, the charity needs to complete Part IV of Section A on Form 8283 to acknowledge receipt of the donated property. Make sure to get this filled out when you drop off the item or shortly after. They'll need to include their name, EIN, signature of an authorized official, and date of the donation. Some charities are familiar with this requirement, but smaller ones might need you to explain what you need.

Good point about itemizing! I made this mistake last year - went through all the trouble of documenting donations and then realized it didn't matter because we took the standard deduction anyway. Such a waste of time!

Wouldn't a bookkeeper be expensive for just a small tutoring income? Seems like overkill unless she's making significant money from it.

Thanks for the suggestion! I just downloaded the PDF from TurboTax and you're right - the form shows "Single" checked even though the TurboTax interface was showing "Married Filing Separately" throughout the whole process. And the dependents section only lists one of my children, not both! No wonder the refund dropped so much. Should I file an amended return now or try to contact the IRS first?

I would recommend filing an amended return (Form 1040-X) as soon as possible. The IRS won't automatically fix this kind of error, and waiting for them to contact you could take months and potentially lead to issues with your refund. When you file the amendment, make sure to clearly indicate that you're changing from Single to Married Filing Separately and adding the missing dependent. Include all required supporting documentation for the dependent claim. If you do this quickly, it might not significantly delay your refund, though amended returns typically take longer to process than original returns.

Not always true! There are situations where MFS makes more sense, like if one spouse has income-based student loan payments, certain medical deductions, or if there are liability concerns. My husband and I file separately because it significantly lowers my income-based repayment for student loans.

We chose MFS mainly because of my wife's student loan situation. She's on an income-based repayment plan, and filing jointly would increase her required payments since they'd be based on our combined income. We've run the numbers both ways and even with the tax benefits of MFJ, we still come out ahead with MFS when factoring in the loan payment savings. What's frustrating is that I carefully selected MFS but somehow TurboTax changed it to Single without clearly showing me that change was happening. I need to get this fixed ASAP!

Thats a really good point - I didnt even think about using a retirement account! Arent there penalties though if I need to take the money out before retirement age?

Yes, there are penalties if you withdraw the earnings before age 59½ - typically a 10% penalty plus taxes. However, you can always withdraw your original contributions (not the earnings) from a Roth IRA at any time without penalties or taxes. So in your example, you could always take out the original $20k anytime you want with no penalty. Only the $10k in gains would be subject to penalties for early withdrawal. This makes Roth IRAs more flexible than other retirement accounts while still giving you the tax advantages.

But be careful with wash sale rules! If you buy the same or "substantially identical" stock within 30 days before or after selling at a loss, you can't claim that loss for tax purposes. I learned this the hard way.