Has anyone successfully received payments through PayPal after submitting the W-8BEN-E? I submitted mine 3 weeks ago and my account is still limited. Customer service just keeps telling me "it's being reviewed" but I'm getting worried because I have clients trying to pay me.

I went through this exact same nightmare a few months ago! PayPal's system seems to have a bug where it automatically requests W-8BEN-E forms from anyone who has ever selected "business" during account setup, even if you're just a freelancer. Here's what worked for me: First, check if your PayPal account is set to "business" type. If it is, you'll need the W-8BEN-E regardless of whether you think you should use W-8BEN. Don't try to fight the system on this - just fill out what they're asking for. For the W-8BEN-E form as a sole proprietor with no US connections: - Part I: Use your legal name and address - Line 4 (Entity type): Select "Disregarded entity" if you file business taxes, or "Individual" if you don't - Part II: Skip most of this unless you have specific US tax situations - Part III: Only fill out if your country has a tax treaty with the US (most do) - Certification: Sign as yourself The key is being consistent with how you're registered locally for tax purposes. Don't overthink it - most sections won't apply to your situation as a simple freelancer. PayPal's review process typically takes 2-3 weeks, but your account should work normally once approved.

Has anyone used TurboTax to do this amendment? Their interface keeps confusing me when I try to switch methods.

Yes, you can definitely amend your 2023 return to switch from actual expenses to standard mileage! This is actually a smart strategic move that many business owners don't realize they can make. The key rule is that you must use standard mileage in the FIRST year you place the vehicle in service for business to maintain flexibility between methods in future years. Since 2023 was your first year using this car for business, amending that return to use standard mileage will "reset" your election and give you the flexibility to choose either method going forward. You'll need to file Form 1040-X along with a revised Schedule C. Remove any depreciation, actual expenses, and Section 179 deductions you claimed for the vehicle, and replace them with the standard mileage deduction (65.5 cents per mile for 2023). Make sure you have solid documentation of your business miles for 2023 - mileage logs, calendar appointments, receipts showing business locations, etc. One important note: if you claimed any depreciation or Section 179 deductions on the vehicle, you may need to deal with depreciation recapture when switching to standard mileage. The calculation can get complex, so consider using tax software that handles amendments or consulting with a tax professional to make sure you get it right. You have until April 2027 to amend your 2023 return (three years from the original filing date), so you have plenty of time. But I'd recommend doing it sooner rather than later so you can plan your 2024 and future tax strategies accordingly.

This discrepancy between SBTPG's phone system and website is unfortunately very common and nothing to worry about! I went through this exact same thing a few weeks ago and it drove me absolutely crazy. The phone system updates in real-time when the IRS releases your refund to SBTPG, while their website seems to run on some ancient batch processing system that can lag 24-72 hours behind. When you hear "paid" on the phone, that's the reliable indicator - it means your refund is in SBTPG's hands and will typically hit your bank account within 1-3 business days. I'd recommend setting up mobile banking alerts so you know the moment it arrives, because the SBTPG website will probably still be showing "unfunded" even after your money is already deposited! Just try to be patient (easier said than done, I know) and check your bank account rather than obsessing over their website updates.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The SBTPG phone system told me "paid" for THREE DAYS while their website kept showing "unfunded" - I was starting to think I was losing my mind. Turns out their website is just ridiculously slow to update. What helped me stay sane was calling my bank directly to ask if they had any pending deposits coming in. My bank could actually see the ACH transfer was in progress before SBTPG's website ever updated. The money showed up on a Wednesday morning, and their website STILL said "unfunded" until Thursday afternoon. It's honestly embarrassing how outdated their web systems are compared to their phone system. My advice? Trust the phone status and maybe give your bank a call to see if they can spot any incoming transfers. At least then you'll have a third source of information to help triangulate what's actually happening!

Just to add to what others have said - I work as a tax preparer and see this situation a lot with gig economy workers. The key thing to understand is that in Canada, ALL income is taxable regardless of source or amount. There's no "minimum threshold" before you have to report it. For FeetFinder specifically, this would definitely be considered self-employment income since you're providing a service/product for payment. You'll report it on Form T2125 as part of your personal tax return. One thing people often miss is that you can deduct legitimate business expenses against this income - things like photography equipment, props, a portion of your internet/phone bills, and yes, even personal grooming expenses if they're directly related to your business. Just make sure to keep all receipts and that the expenses are reasonable. Also, don't forget about CPP contributions - you'll need to pay both the employee and employer portions on your self-employment income, which can be a surprise for first-time self-employed folks. Plan to set aside about 25-30% of your earnings for taxes and CPP.

Just wanted to add a practical tip that's helped me a lot - open a separate bank account specifically for your side hustle income and expenses. This makes tracking everything SO much easier at tax time. I deposit all my platform earnings into this dedicated account and use it to pay for any business-related expenses. At the end of the year, I just need to look at one account statement instead of trying to sort through all my personal transactions to find the business ones. Also, consider using a simple spreadsheet or app to track your monthly earnings and expenses as you go. I learned this the hard way after my first year when I had to dig through hundreds of screenshots and receipts trying to piece everything together. Now I just spend 10 minutes each month updating my records and tax time is a breeze! The key is setting up good systems from the start rather than trying to organize everything retroactively.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with my PayPal 1099-K showing around $85K in transactions from sports betting activities. The key thing that helped me was creating a detailed spreadsheet that separated: 1) Actual deposits TO sportsbooks (not taxable income) 2) Withdrawals FROM sportsbooks (potential winnings) 3) Money transfers with friends (definitely not taxable) 4) Net gambling wins/losses by session The 1099-K is just PayPal reporting gross payment volume - it's NOT all taxable income. You'll only pay tax on your net gambling winnings (if any). Since you mentioned having net losses, you might not owe additional tax from gambling at all. For the friend situation, keep clear records showing when money was just passing through your account versus actual gambling activity. Text messages, Venmo descriptions, etc. can all serve as documentation. I'd recommend going with a CPA who has gambling tax experience rather than H&R Block. The cost difference was worth it for the peace of mind and proper documentation.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Got my PayPal 1099-K showing about $67K in transactions, mostly from DraftKings and some peer-to-peer transfers for betting pools with friends. One thing I learned from my preliminary research is that you absolutely need to keep the friend transactions separate from your actual gambling activity. The IRS doesn't care about money that just flows through your account - they only want to tax actual gambling winnings. I'd definitely lean toward finding a CPA with gambling tax experience. I called around to a few tax preparers and was shocked at how many weren't familiar with the new 1099-K reporting requirements or how to properly handle online gambling situations. Also, start gathering your documentation now if you haven't already. Most sportsbooks let you download your complete betting history, which makes creating that detailed record much easier. Don't wait until tax season when you're stressed and rushing to get everything together. The good news is that if you truly had net losses for the year, you shouldn't owe tax on gambling income - but you still need to report everything correctly to avoid any red flags with the IRS.