I know credit card debt isn't ideal, but it happened after some medical expenses that weren't fully covered by insurance. I've actually been looking into balance transfer offers like you suggested. Do you have any recommendations for specific cards that have good 0% offers right now?

I don't want to recommend specific cards since offers change frequently, but look for cards offering at least 15 months at 0% APR on balance transfers. Pay attention to the balance transfer fee (usually 3-5% of the transferred amount) and factor that into your calculations. Credit unions often have personal loan rates significantly lower than credit card interest rates if the balance transfer doesn't cover everything. The key is to make a plan to pay off the debt during the 0% period, or you'll just end up back in the same situation when the promotional rate expires.

This is actually a really good point that I never thought about. The tax code is basically a list of things the government wants to encourage.

Exactly. Once you understand that the tax code is more about shaping behavior than being "fair," you can make more strategic financial decisions. If you're going to borrow money anyway, might as well do it in ways that come with tax advantages when possible.

4 Do you think coaching books or online courses would count as deductions? I've spent around $200 on coaching materials this year that help me plan practices.

9 Absolutely! Coaching books, online courses, and training materials that help you in your coaching role are typically deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses. They're considered professional development expenses that directly relate to your work. Just keep receipts and documentation that shows what the materials were and how they relate to your coaching business. Digital receipts work fine too, just make sure you have a system to keep track of them.

12 Where on the forms do you deduct the 50% of self-employment tax? I've been filing 1099 income for 3 years and never knew about this!

This is what worries me! Did you have any issues with them properly applying your payment when you made it before they processed your return? And how did you figure out the exact amount with penalties?

No issues with them applying the payment - I paid through the IRS Direct Pay system and selected the correct tax year and form type. The payment posted correctly once they processed my return. As for calculating the exact amount with penalties, that was the tricky part. I didn't know how to do that accurately, which is why I ended up with a small balance due notice later. If I could do it again, I would either pay a bit more than I thought I owed to be safe or use one of the services others have mentioned to get a more precise calculation.

Try early morning (like 6-7am) or late evening. Their site gets overloaded during peak hours. Also clear your cookies or try a different browser. Their site is notoriously bad with certain browser versions.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try early tomorrow morning. Been trying in the afternoon and it's been completely useless. Their tech is so outdated it's ridiculous.

Do you know if there's any disadvantage to using Direct Pay instead of payusatax? Is one better for record-keeping or anything?

Direct Pay gives you a confirmation number and email receipt just like payusatax does, so the record-keeping is pretty much the same. The main difference is that Direct Pay is completely free while payusatax charges a processing fee. The one downside to Direct Pay is that you can't use a credit card - it has to come directly from your bank account. So if you're trying to get credit card points, you'd need to use payusatax or one of the other third-party processors that accept cards (though they charge an even higher fee for credit card transactions).

The IRS counts the payment date as the day you submit it, not when they process it. So as long as you select "2021" and "1040-ES" when making the payment, you'll be fine. I made this mistake last year - selected the wrong tax year and had to spend hours sorting it out. Double check the tax year selection before submitting!

Thanks for clarifying! That's a relief to know it's based on submission date. I'll definitely double-check the year selection when I submit.

I've actually tried calling right when they open multiple times with no luck! Do you know if the Taxpayer Advocate requires proof of hardship? This refund delay is definitely causing me financial problems since I was counting on that money.

Yes, the Taxpayer Advocate Service typically requires some documentation of hardship - things like utility disconnection notices, eviction threats, or proof that you can't meet basic living expenses without the refund. If you have any documentation showing financial strain, gather that before contacting them. They've been overwhelmed lately too, but they're often more accessible than the main IRS lines. Their criteria for accepting cases have gotten stricter because of their high case volume, but identity theft cases with hardship are generally prioritized.

I second this! In-person appointments are WAY more effective. I had my identity theft issue resolved in about half the time after visiting my local office. They can verify your identity on the spot and put notes directly in the system. Just make sure to bring multiple forms of ID and copies of all your documentation.

That's a great suggestion! I didn't even think about going in person. How did you schedule the appointment? Is there a specific section on the IRS website for that?