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Don't forget to check if you need a business license for each state where you have nexus! Sales tax is just one piece of the puzzle. I got hit with penalties in three states last year because I didn't realize I needed business licenses even though the marketplaces were handling the sales tax. Check your threshold requirements carefully.
Felicity Bud
β’What thresholds should we watch for? Is it the same for all states or does it vary? I'm selling on Etsy and about to expand to Amazon.
The thresholds vary significantly by state. Most common is $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in a calendar year, but some states have lower thresholds, especially for marketplace sellers. When you expand to Amazon, your nexus footprint will likely increase because of their fulfillment centers. If Amazon stores your inventory in a state, many states consider that physical nexus regardless of sales volume. The good news is Amazon handles sales tax collection in all states, but you may still need business registrations.
Max Reyes
What tax software are you guys using to track all this? I'm using a spreadsheet right now but it's getting unwieldy fast.
I switched from spreadsheets to QuickBooks Online last year and it's been a game changer. Has specific settings for marketplace sales and can track which platform collected tax vs. which sales you need to handle yourself. Bit expensive but worth it for the time saved at tax time.
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My wife accidentally put our daughter's maiden name on our taxes last year instead of her married name. The return was accepted and processed without any issues. The tax pro at H&R Block told us that as long as the SSN is correct, minor name issues rarely cause problems. The IRS system primarily matches the SSN with their database. The name matching is secondary and mostly to prevent obvious fraud - they understand that typos happen. If they do find a discrepancy that concerns them, they'll usually send a letter asking for clarification rather than just rejecting the return outright. Your return being accepted is a good sign! I wouldn't worry about filing an amendment unless the IRS specifically requests it.
Justin Chang
β’Should I update my daughter's name with the Social Security Administration to match her legal name? She got married last year but hasn't changed her SS card yet, but we filed with her married name.
Yes, your daughter should definitely update her name with the Social Security Administration to match her legal married name. Filing taxes with a name that doesn't match SSA records can potentially cause issues long-term, even if it works out this year. The process is pretty straightforward - she'll need to complete Form SS-5, provide proof of identity, and documentation of the legal name change (marriage certificate). It's best to do this before next tax season to avoid any potential matching problems in the future.
Grace Thomas
I'm a little confused. My tax software wouldn't even let me submit when I had a name that didn't match perfectly with what's on the social card. How did your return get accepted with the wrong spelling?
Different tax software has different validation rules. Some are super strict while others just check the basics before submitting. I use TurboTax and it only warns you but still lets you submit with potential name mismatches.
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Just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been in a similar situation. I had a fellowship stipend a couple years ago and actually got audited after claiming EITC on it. The key factor the IRS looked at was whether the primary purpose of the payment was to enable me to pursue my studies (not earned income) or to compensate me for services (earned income). In my case, even though I did research, the stipend agreement specifically stated it was to "support my academic studies" with no specific work requirements, so they determined it wasn't earned income. My advice: look carefully at the language in your award letter or agreement. That will be your strongest evidence one way or the other. If it mentions "payment for services" or has specific work requirements, you have a better case for earned income. If it talks about "supporting your studies" without specific work requirements, it's probably not earned income.
Taylor To
β’Thanks for sharing your experience! I dug up my award letter, and it says the stipend is "in recognition of your contribution to the university's summer research program" and mentions my "participation in research activities." No specific hourly requirements, but it does mention the expectation that I would present my research at the end of summer symposium. Would that lean more toward earned income or other income based on your experience?
That language falls somewhere in the middle, honestly. "In recognition of your contribution" suggests compensation for services, which points toward earned income. However, without specific work requirements beyond presenting at a symposium, it's not as clear-cut as having defined responsibilities or hours. If you decide to treat it as earned income, I'd definitely keep that award letter and documentation about the research you performed. From my experience with the audit, they really focused on the specific wording of my award documents. Another consideration - if the stipend amount is relatively small, treating it as other income and forgoing the EITC might be the safest approach. The potential audit hassle might not be worth the benefit, especially since you'd likely still owe self-employment tax if you claim it as earned income.
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - did your 1099-MISC come with any supplemental statements or notes from the university? Some schools provide guidance about how they expect students to report these stipends. I had a similar issue with an $8k research stipend. My university actually provided a letter stating that while they report stipends in Box 3, they consider them payment for services when the student is not degree-seeking in the program providing the stipend. In my case, I was an undergrad doing summer research in a lab, not pursuing a graduate degree in that department, so based on the university's own guidance, I was able to justify treating it as earned income for EITC while still reporting it as they had on the 1099-MISC.
This is solid advice! Universities sometimes have tax information pages on their websites specifically addressing how to handle various types of stipends, fellowships, etc. Worth checking your school's financial aid or student employment website.
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Be super careful with ERTC claims for farms! My neighbor got bamboozled by one of those ERTC "specialist" companies that promised huge refunds. They filed claims for quarters when his farm actually had INCREASED revenue compared to 2019. Now he's facing an audit and potential penalties. The legitimate quarters for ERTC can be valuable, but filing for quarters you don't qualify for is basically asking for trouble. The IRS has specifically said they're targeting fraudulent ERTC claims. Make sure you have solid documentation showing either the revenue decline OR specific government orders that affected your farm operations.
How much do the penalties end up being if the IRS determines you filed incorrectly? I've been told by several ERTC companies that "there's no downside" to applying even if I'm not sure I qualify.
There can absolutely be a downside! The penalties can include repayment of the full credit amount plus a 20% accuracy-related penalty, interest on the repaid amounts, and potentially a 75% penalty for fraudulent claims in worst-case scenarios. These ERTC companies claiming "no downside" are being dishonest. They get their commission upfront, while you're left dealing with the IRS for years if there's an audit. The IRS has explicitly made ERTC abuse an enforcement priority, so the risks are very real. Only file for quarters where you truly meet the eligibility requirements and can document it.
Oliver Cheng
Just a heads up for anyone filing ERTC for their farm - the actual process is a bit complex. You need to: 1) Determine eligibility for each quarter (either revenue decline OR government shutdown impact) 2) Calculate qualified wages for eligible employees 3) File Form 941-X for each quarter you're amending 4) Include a detailed statement explaining your eligibility reason 5) Keep ALL supporting documentation for at least 4 years For our berry farm, the most tedious part was documenting how the social distancing requirements impacted our U-pick operation. We had to gather all the local health orders and explain how they reduced our capacity.
Taylor To
β’What tax software are you guys using to handle the amended returns? I've been using TurboTax Business but it doesn't seem to have good support for 941-X forms.
Amara Eze
This seems like a widespread issue. I worked as a tax preparer for 2 years and this refund transfer fee catches SO many people by surprise. Pro tip: ALWAYS choose to pay your preparation fees upfront with a credit card rather than from your refund. The convenience fee is never worth it. Also, keep in mind the IRS doesn't charge fees to process your refund - these are solely from the tax preparation companies and their banking partners. If you're comfortable doing it, consider using the IRS Free File options next year to avoid all these extra charges.
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Giovanni Greco
β’Does the Free File option work if you have more complicated taxes? I'm a contractor with multiple 1099s and some investments.
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Amara Eze
β’The IRS Free File program has different options depending on your income level. If your adjusted gross income is below $73,000, you can use their guided tax preparation services which can handle most common tax situations including 1099 income and basic investments. If you make more than that threshold or have very complex situations (multiple rental properties, complicated business deductions, etc.), you can still use Free File Fillable Forms, which are basically the electronic versions of paper forms. This option requires more tax knowledge since it doesn't guide you through the process, but it's still free and handles direct deposit refunds without the extra fees.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
Has anyone else noticed that the TPG PRODUCTS SBTPG LLC fee has increased this year? Last year it was $39.95 but this year they charged me $44.95! That's a crazy increase for literally the same service.
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Dylan Wright
β’I noticed that too! I think they're taking advantage of people not paying attention. My brother used FreeTaxUSA instead and paid way less in fees overall.
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