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I'm a bookkeeper for small businesses and here's my practical advice: create a separate Amazon account for business purchases. I do this for all my clients and it makes tracking SO much easier. Most office supply deduction issues happen because people mix personal and business shopping. Having dedicated accounts creates a clear separation. Same goes for having a business credit card used ONLY for business expenses. For physical stores, take a photo of the receipt immediately and note what it was for. Apps like Receipt Bank or even just Google Drive can organize these for you. Remember that consistency matters more than perfection. The IRS is primarily looking for people who are deliberately abusing the system, not honest business owners who occasionally buy a pack of pens that might be used for both business and personal use.
What about stuff that's definitely dual-purpose? I bought a nice printer that I use maybe 70% for my business and 30% for kids' homework. Can I still deduct the whole thing or just part of it?
For dual-purpose equipment like your printer, you should only deduct the business percentage. So if it's genuinely 70% business use, you'd deduct 70% of the cost. For higher-value items like printers, computers, or tablets, it's especially important to be accurate with business-use percentages since these are more likely to be questioned in an audit. Keep a log for a few weeks showing how often you use it for business versus personal to support your percentage. Some of my clients even keep separate user profiles on their computers to help demonstrate the split use.
guys dont overthink this. the irs isnt checking if every single pen you bought was used for business. as long as the amount is reasonable for your business type, your fine. I've been deducting office supplies for 15 yrs and never had an issue. just dont go crazy and deduct $5000 in "office supplies" for a small etsy shop or something. use common sense. keep your receipts in case of audit but seriously i've never heard of anyone getting audited over pens and paper lol.
This is terrible advice. My friend got audited specifically over office supplies because they were deducting things without proper documentation. They ended up having to pay back taxes plus penalties. Just because YOU haven't been audited doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
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I think the real issue is that there's a huge difference between tax preparers vs tax planners. A lot of CPAs just focus on completing forms accurately based on what you give them (preparation) rather than actively looking for ways to optimize your tax situation (planning). When interviewing a new tax person, I'd specifically ask: "Do you provide proactive tax planning advice or just tax preparation?" A good tax planner should be having conversations with you throughout the year, not just at tax time.
That's a really helpful distinction. Do you think it's reasonable to expect both services from the same person? Or should I be looking for two separate professionals - one for planning and one for preparation?
Most comprehensive CPAs should be able to provide both services, but you may need to specifically request and possibly pay extra for the planning component. Many tax professionals offer tiered service packages - basic preparation at one price point and more comprehensive planning at a higher price. For someone in your situation with increasing income, business activities, and life changes like marriage, I'd definitely recommend finding one person who can handle both aspects. Just be clear about your expectations upfront and make sure they explicitly offer tax planning as part of their services.
Honestly, I ditched CPAs years ago and just use H&R Block premium online. It walks you through everything step by step and actually prompts you about stuff like HSA contribution limits, IRA opportunities, etc. It's way cheaper than a CPA and I've found it catches most of the same stuff.
Tax software is fine for simple situations but it misses a lot for complex cases. I tried this approach with my small business and rental properties and ended up getting audited because the software didn't properly handle some depreciation calculations. A good CPA is worth every penny for complicated tax situations.
You're right that it's not for everyone. I should have mentioned my situation is pretty straightforward - W2 income, mortgage, some investments. For folks with businesses, rental properties or more complex situations, a CPA probably makes more sense. I still think tax software has gotten much better at prompting for common deductions and credits though. Mine specifically asked about HDHP coverage and whether it was individual or family, then calculated the maximum HSA contribution automatically.
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Just some additional info - I'm a tax preparer and this comes up all the time. You're looking at two separate questions: 1) Head of Household - Need a qualifying person (child or relative who qualifies as your dependent) 2) Claiming girlfriend as dependent - Possible IF her income is under $4,700 for the year AND you provide more than half her support But important note: if you claim her as your dependent, she cannot claim herself on her own return, and she would be ineligible for stimulus payments. Most couples in your situation do better filing separately unless one person has very low/no income.
Thanks for breaking this down! One follow up question - does my girlfriend's income from last year affect whether I can claim her as a dependent? She made about $4,500 in 2024 but expects to make more this year.
For dependency purposes, what matters is her income in the actual tax year you're filing for. So if you're filing 2024 taxes, it's her 2024 income that counts. If she made $4,500 in 2024, that's under the threshold ($4,700), so that part of the dependency test would be met. What would affect your 2025 taxes would be her income during 2025. If she expects to make more than the threshold in 2025, then you likely wouldn't be able to claim her as a dependent when you file your 2025 taxes next year.
Has anyone considered the Married Filing Separately option? My partner and I did that last year and it worked better than trying to claim HOH or dependent status.
You can only file as Married Filing Separately if you're legally married. OP specifically said they're unmarried and living with a girlfriend, so that's not an option for them.
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Here's another option to consider - many communities have free tax help specifically for people who don't speak English well. Check if your local library or community center offers Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs. They usually have volunteers who speak multiple languages and can help interpret notices like this. I volunteered with them last year and we helped dozens of families with CP2000 notices and other tax issues. The service is completely free for qualifying individuals (generally making under $60k).
That's really helpful, thank you! Do you know if they can help with responding to the notice too? Or just explaining what it means? My parents are really nervous about writing back to the IRS in English.
They can definitely help with responding to the notice too! VITA volunteers are trained to assist with the entire process - from explaining what the notice means to helping draft an appropriate response. They can even help gather the necessary documentation to support your parents' case. Many sites also have volunteers who speak multiple languages or can arrange for interpreters. Just call ahead to make sure they have someone who speaks your parents' language and to schedule an appointment. Bring the CP2000 notice and any related tax documents (like the original tax return and the 1099 from the delivery company).
Just a quick warning - whatever you do, don't ignore the CP2000 notice! The IRS gives you a specific deadline to respond (usually 30 days), and if you miss it, they'll automatically process the changes and send a bill for the additional tax plus interest and maybe penalties. Even if you need more time to gather documents, at least send a response requesting an extension. Trust me, I learned this the hard way last year and ended up with a much bigger headache than necessary.
This is so important! I work at a tax office and we see people every week who ignored notices thinking they would "go away" and end up with liens, levies, or wage garnishments. Even a simple "I'm working on gathering documentation and need more time" letter can prevent automatic assessments.
Aisha Jackson
Just to add another wrinkle to consider - make sure your employer plan explicitly accepts rollovers of pre-tax IRA money. Some plans are weird about what they'll accept. I tried to do something similar in 2023 and my employer plan (through Fidelity) would only accept rollovers from previous employer plans, not from IRAs. Had to adjust my strategy completely. Call your plan administrator directly to verify before you start the process.
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Ella Cofer
•Thanks for mentioning this! I just checked with my HR department and they confirmed our plan (also Fidelity) does accept IRA rollovers, but only of the pretax portion. They said they'll need a statement from my IRA custodian that clearly shows the breakdown of pretax vs. after-tax amounts. That's really helpful to know before I start the process. One question though - do you know if there's a specific form that Fidelity requires for this? My HR person wasn't sure about the exact paperwork.
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Aisha Jackson
•For Fidelity specifically, they have a form called "Transfer/Rollover/Exchange Form" that you need to fill out. You can find it on their website or they can send it to you. Make sure you check the box that indicates it's a direct rollover from an IRA to your employer plan. Additionally, you'll need a statement or letter from your current IRA custodian that clearly breaks down the pretax and after-tax portions. Some custodians have a specific form for this, others will just generate a letter if you explain what you need.
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Ryder Everingham
Don't forget about the pro-rata rule! If you do the backdoor Roth in the same year as the rollover to your work plan, you still have to include the pre-tax IRA money in the pro-rata calculation because the IRS looks at your IRA balances on December 31st of the year of conversion. The safer approach is: 1) Roll the pre-tax money to your work plan first, 2) Verify it's completed, 3) THEN do the Roth conversion of the remaining after-tax money.
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Lilly Curtis
•This is super important! A buddy of mine got hit with an unexpected tax bill because he did these steps in the wrong order. The timing really matters.
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