Do you know if most schools' financial aid departments can help with FAFSA issues related to taxes? My situation is kinda complicated with late filing too.

Yes, most schools' financial aid offices can definitely help with FAFSA issues related to taxes. They deal with these situations constantly and often have specific procedures for students with unusual tax circumstances. They can sometimes also offer guidance about whether you might qualify for special circumstances consideration if your financial situation has changed since the tax year used for the FAFSA. Don't hesitate to reach out to them directly - they're usually very helpful and can sometimes offer solutions you wouldn't know about otherwise.

Thanks for the tip! I didn't realize states might offer their own free filing options. I'll definitely check out my state's website. Would save me that $25 which is significant when you're a broke student!

Did his written justification actually make a difference? I'm not sure what I would even write beyond "it makes the office look professional"... any specific suggestions for what to include?

The written justification absolutely made a difference. The auditor specifically mentioned it as a key factor. Don't just write "makes the office look professional" - be specific about how each item contributes to your business goals. For example, my brother-in-law's justification included how certain art pieces demonstrated architectural principles relevant to client projects, created talking points that helped establish rapport with clients, and showcased the aesthetic sensibilities that clients were hiring him for. For your law practice, you might explain how local sports memorabilia helps connect with local business clients and creates a comfortable atmosphere for discussing sensitive estate planning matters.

I've done this! Created an LLC that owns all office decor and leases it back to my main business. Makes depreciation super clean and creates a clear business purpose. Just make sure the lease agreement is properly documented and the rental amount is reasonable market value. My tax guy says this arrangement is much easier to defend in an audit.

Does FreeTaxUSA handle state taxes too? And can you import last year's TurboTax return or do you have to reenter everything manually? Thinking about switching too after this nightmare.

Yes, they handle state taxes too! Federal filing is free and state is only about $15 which is way cheaper than TurboTax's state filing fees. You can't directly import a TurboTax file, but you can import your prior year tax return PDF (from any tax software) and it pulls the basic info like your personal details, W-2 employer info, etc. You'll still need to enter some specifics manually, but it's not starting totally from scratch. For me the money saved was worth the extra 20 minutes of data entry.

This worked for me!!! Thank you so much! I switched to forms mode, found the 3554, and could see it was being triggered by a question in the business section that I must have accidentally clicked yes on. I was able to go directly to that question, change the answer, and the form disappeared immediately. Saved me hours of frustration!

Thanks for mentioning this! I was assuming I could just deduct the losses separately. So if my total itemized deductions (including these gambling losses) don't exceed the standard deduction amount, there's no tax benefit to claiming the losses at all?

That's correct. If your total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, state/local taxes, charitable donations, and gambling losses, etc.) don't exceed the standard deduction ($13,850 for single filers in 2023), then there's no tax benefit to claiming the gambling losses. This is why some regular gamblers make sure to track both their winnings AND losses carefully. The winnings get added to your income regardless, but the losses can only offset that if you itemize.

I did some sports betting on offshore sites last year. From what my accountant told me, the IRS doesn't distinguish between types of gambling (sports vs poker vs slots) for tax purposes. It's all considered gambling income/losses. The important thing is documentation.

Thanks for the insider perspective! Quick question - since I already paid and they filed my return, is there any way to still get an advance elsewhere or am I stuck waiting for the normal refund now? My emergency isn't going to wait 3 weeks unfortunately.

Unfortunately, once your return is filed, you can't get an advance from another company. The advance loans are tied to the preparation process, and you can only file once. Your best option now is to track your refund closely using the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool and consider other short-term options for your emergency. If you filed electronically with direct deposit, many refunds are coming through faster than the 21-day estimate this year - I've seen some clients get theirs in 10-14 days. Much better than payday loans or credit card advances, which have even worse terms than refund advances.

The IRS is running about on schedule this year for most simple returns, but there are definitely delays for returns with certain credits like EITC or Additional Child Tax Credit. Those are automatically held until mid-February by law. Returns with inconsistencies, verification flags, or identity theft markers also get delayed for manual review. If you're hitting the 21-day mark with no updates, it might be worth contacting the IRS directly to see if there's an issue they're not showing on the tracker.