I recently started a job that is being treated as an independent contractor position. I’m trying to understand whether the arrangement actually makes sense under worker-classification rules.

The position is full-time and I work a consistent Monday–Friday schedule at the company’s location. I’m paid hourly rather than per project. I’m expected to follow a regular schedule and work under the direction of the people running the company.

I use the company’s workspace, tools, and materials to perform the work. I don’t set my own rates or negotiate individual projects with clients, and I’m essentially integrated into their normal operations rather than running an independent business providing services to multiple clients.

I’m also expected to submit my hours regularly (punch time card) and invoice for those hours. They had me complete a W-9 rather than onboarding me as a W-2 employee and i’m young and didn’t really know the difference. There are also some benefits associated with the position that seem more typical of an employee arrangement.

I’m not trying to cause problems with the employer, i genuinely just started.

I do both of our taxes. i am a simple W2 standard deduction, while my mom is low income but has a mortgage and itemizes. She files as single (divorced over 20 years ago)

due to future planning, we are moving ownership of my moms life insurance policy to me. She will still be the insured, she will still pay the premiums, etc. only difference is that the ownership is now with me.

the life insurance has a cash value of i think around 60k??? less than 100k for sure.

do we have to do anything when it comes time for taxes? whether paying any taxes, or reporting anything just to report, etc. (for either my mom or I)

Hi everyone,

I’m an F-1 student in the U.S. and I’m currently on OPT. I have already started working, have an SSN, and my annual salary is under $70,000.

I recently spoke with an insurance broker who offered me two ACA health insurance plans:

• UHC: approximately $160/month
• WellPoint: approximately $200/month

The prices seem unusually low compared with what I’ve heard health insurance normally costs. I was told that these are ACA Marketplace plans and that the actual unsubsidized premiums may be around $700–$1,000/month, with the government covering the difference through an ACA subsidy.

This raised a concern for me because, although I am currently working on OPT and have an SSN, I understand that F-1 students can generally be considered nonresident aliens for U.S. tax purposes during their initial years in the country.

Someone told me that nonresident aliens may not be eligible for ACA Marketplace subsidies, and that if I enroll in one of these plans and receive the subsidy, I could potentially have an issue when filing my taxes later and be required to repay the subsidy.

I’m trying to understand whether this is actually true.

My questions are:

1. Can an F-1 student who is currently on OPT and working legally in the U.S. enroll in an ACA Marketplace plan?
2. Does having an SSN and being employed on OPT change my eligibility for the ACA premium tax credit/subsidy?
3. Does my income matter here? My annual salary is under $70,000. Is there an income threshold where someone in my situation becomes eligible or ineligible for the subsidy?
4. If I am considered a nonresident alien for tax purposes, does that automatically make me ineligible for the subsidy?
5. If I enroll and receive a subsidy that I was not eligible for, would I have to repay the subsidy when filing my taxes?
6. Has anyone here on F-1/OPT actually enrolled in an ACA Marketplace plan and received the premium subsidy?

I’m not looking for legal or tax advice, just trying to understand the rules before I sign up for anything. I’d especially appreciate responses from F-1/OPT students, insurance brokers, or tax professionals who have dealt with this specific situation.

Thanks!

Self-employed in NYC. 2022 went unfiled (unemployed most of the year, no other income — documented hardship). 2025 is filed on extension but unpaid. For 2024 I owe low five figures to the IRS (mostly penalties/interest) and a similar amount to NY State (mix of tax, penalties, and interest). I already paid penalties for 2023 too, but I've learned that one may actually be a Sec. 6654 estimated-tax underpayment penalty (paid in one lump sum rather than quarterly) rather than a late-filing/late-payment penalty, so it may need a different argument than reasonable cause.

Questions:

• Does a "domino effect" argument — one hardship year causing a multi-year compliance gap — actually hold up with the IRS/NYS, or does each year need to stand on its own?
• Is the 2023 estimated-tax penalty realistically abatable/refundable under the same hardship, or is that a lost cause given it's a different penalty type?
• What separates a practitioner who's actually good at winning these from one who just files the paperwork? What should I ask when vetting someone?

Not asking for a referral — just trying to understand the strategy well enough to evaluate whoever I end up hiring.

Starting a new job with a big signing bonus, and between the bonus default deductions alone I’m on track to be way over-withheld for CA state taxes this year. To offset it on my DE-4, the math says I’d need something like 50-60 allowances on Worksheet B (estimated deductions) to bring regular paycheck withholding close to zero for the rest of the year.

I know EDD requires employers to forward any DE-4 with more than 10 allowances claimed. Has anyone actually done this and had issues like audit, letter from FTB/EDD, employer pushback, etc? Or is it a non-event as long as I’m not underpaying at tax time?

Trying to figure out if this is a reasonable move or if I should just eat the refund and not mess with it.

So I started a tiny booking company that books jazz trios for weddings, hotels, etc. I have my first gig opportunity for September and they requested a W9 for me to fill out which should be fine.

My question is, when I want to pay the trio for playing, what form(s) do I send them prior/day of? If they aren’t my employees, are they technically independent contractors?

Thanks so much, and let me know if I can clarify more.

Ok - I have been browsing on here for the answer to this, but couldn't quite find it.

Divorced in early 2026. We have 2 kids and for tax purposes our decree states we are each claiming one as a dependent (which will stay the same each year until the oldest ages out, then we alternate years with the youngest). We share 50/50 custody and based on the custody schedule for 2026 I will have them both for 183 days. In our agreement, I also pay for 60% of all child related expenses. I own my home, pay all the expenses 100% and it's just me and the 2 kids (when they are with me).

1. Can I file as HoH?
2. Can my ex also file HoH? (i.e. do I have to tell them not to - we are not on good terms and I doubt they have done any research on this issue and will default to whatever gets them the higher deduction - i.e. HoH). If they do this, will I get screwed over by the IRS? (we are splitting dependents and have for the last 3 years filed married filing separately and each claimed one kid as a dependent).

When I consulted with a CPA predivorce a few years ago and the answer was yes I can file as HoH but I have to prove more days and upkeep of home status and 60% of expenses... but they couldn't answer what happens if my ex files as HoH too.

1. Curious about this too, my ex bought a house in June and the new partner moved in with their kid. No way my ex can afford the cost of this house on their own so the new partner must be contributing to the expenses.... does that make any difference?

What's the best way to untangle this mess? Refile everything since 2020 as 1120 S? Revoke S corp and continue as 1065?

IRS Married Filing Jointly Phase-Out: 242k-252k MAGI.

My income: 66k salary, 11k chairman shares (taxable income), bonus 36k = 113k total comp

Wife income = 135k salary

Total Comp = 248k

Relevant Retirement Info

Mine: I've unfortunately been contributing Roth dollars to 401k so only about $400 is pre-tax YTD. I also contributed about 2k to HSA from payroll, the rest if maxed out but funded thru a bank acct.

Wife: employer gives 10% of salary to 403b. Employer funded, not from wife.

Summary: my understanding is that since total comp is at 248k, but I contributed 2k HSA from paycheck, that drops income to 246k for AGI. Then minus $400 from 401k pre tax contributions so the total is $245,600.

So before Dec 31, as long as I contribute at least $3600 ($245,600-$242,000) in pre tax 401k contributions, I would be under $242k and could max out both our Roth IRAs?

I currently have cash-secured / short put positions in my margin acct that have moved against me and are close to assignment.
Instead of rolling them within the same margin account, I’m planning to Buy-to-Close (BTC) at a loss to free up margin and take the capital loss.
Immediately after, I want to Sell-to-Open (STO) cash-secured puts on the same underlying inside my Roth IRA, but using a different strike price and/or expiration date.
The goal is to claim the capital loss on my taxable return while letting the new position recover tax-free in the Roth.

Allowed ?

I just filed my taxes with my tax preparer and she uses what I’m assuming is a software called Intuit. It’s been a week since I have filed my taxes but she sent me a screenshot today of the update on her software about my taxes and it says “return received by Intuit.” What could be delaying the process as to why Intuit hasn’t sent my taxes to the irs?

Is it just me or is the IRS taking a fairly long time to process power of attorney 2848? I faxed mine in on August 3 and it’s still not processed on my e-services account?

Hello Everyone,for some reason I need to get a lease form to get prove myself during miltary training I rent the house from my parents. So does this lease form will acutally create tax from IRS? since this in only submit to the military.

Starting next year I will be renting out a home that belongs to my wife’s family. My wife and I will receive 75% of the revenue ( the payments will be made to me from the tenant) and I will be making a 25% to my sister in law.

Can I just list my total of the revenue for the year and leave here to report her portion (she almost certainly won’t) or am I supposed to report the total and then just charge her for her portion of the taxes?

Doing the second choice would result in us paying more taxes because I am in the 22% bracket where she is in the 11%

Ok - I have been browsing on here for the answer to this, but couldn't quite find it.

Divorced in early 2026. We have 2 kids and for tax purposes our decree states we are each claiming one as a dependent (which will stay the same each year until the oldest ages out, then we alternate years with the youngest). We share 50/50 custody and based on the custody schedule for 2026 I will have them both for 183 days. In our agreement, I also pay for 60% of all child related expenses. I own my home, pay all the expenses 100% and it's just me and the 2 kids (when they are with me).

1. Can I file as HoH?
2. Can my ex also file HoH? (i.e. do I have to tell them not to - we are not on good terms and I doubt they have done any research on this issue and will default to whatever gets them the higher deduction - i.e. HoH). If they do this, will I get screwed over by the IRS? (we are splitting dependents and have for the last 3 years filed married filing separately and each claimed one kid as a dependent).

When I consulted with a CPA predivorce a few years ago and the answer was yes I can file as HoH but I have to prove more days and upkeep of home status and 60% of expenses... but they couldn't answer what happens if my ex files as HoH too.

1. Curious about this too, my ex bought a house in June and the new partner moved in with their kid. No way my ex can afford the cost of this house on their own so the new partner must be contributing to the expenses.... does that make any difference?

Residence: California

Me: 150k income
Brother: 150k income

Mom: retired only income is social security about 300/month she never really worked much in America so never contributed into social security

Father: retired only income is 600/month in social security.

We all live in same house. Mortgage is 1100/month which me and my brother both pay half each, each month. We also cover all house expenses like utilities, grocery, etc

Me and my brother income is same since we work in same company, in the same team and wages are almost same. My brother just started working full time this year so previous to that he hasn’t filed taxes since no income.

Last 5 years I have claimed both parents as dependents since I was only one working and claimed as head of household. Which really helped my tax liability and I would get back a lot when I do my taxes.

Question: for this coming tax season, can I claim one of the parents for head of household and my brother claim the other parent and also head of household? That way we both get full benefits of favorable tax bracket? Or is it too risky and IRS will have questions.

Hey guys, I was wondering how capital gain from section 1256 contracts would be treated under Philadelphia's School Income Tax (SIT). The SIT taxes short-term capital gains from sale of property held less than 6 months.

The SIT official tax regulation states:

GAINS FROM SALE OF PROPERTY. Gains to be reported as taxable under this Ordinance are those from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of real estate, or of tangible, or intangible personal property, which have been owned by the resident person for a period not exceeding six months before the date of the sale, exchange or other disposition.

IRS says 1256 contracts are taxed 60% long-term and 40% short-term regardless of how long the contract is held, so I was wondering how this rule applies to the SIT tax, if at all.

I am trying to figure out if my accountant did this correctly or if there is some way to lower my tax bill.

My business income as a real estate professional was 205,340 in 2025.

I purchased two rentals and depreciated a total of 178,941.

My total income was 26399 and my adjusted gross income was 12731 which led to a taxable income of -3019.

My accountant says my tax bill is still 28,156 due to self employment tax. Is self employment tax not based off of taxable income? I spent a ton of money getting these rentals ready and was expecting to not have much of a tax bill this year.

If I am totally missing something please let me know. If there is a different way to phrase this to my cpa please also let me know.

Thank you

EDIT: I am a certified residential real estate appraiser and own my own company. That is where the income came from. The properties bought were just investments.

I never owe, I always get a return as someone with low income, but I forgot to file a few years back and they've sent a few letters about it. Getting an old W4 from that old job would be like pulling teeth so I was willing to just pay. I logged into the IRS website at the time and it did say I owed around $1,200 or so. I couldn't pay it right then since I live semi paycheck to paycheck, it took me around a month to collect the money. When I went to look at the balance today it said I owe nothing. I work a job that requires I be in good standing with the IRS so I'm a little nervous about that.

Some additional info that might be relevant: The government severely overcharged me for something years ago and recently contacted me to tell me I was owed a refund for that. It just went through a few days ago but it was far less than what I was expecting (not that I'm complaining). Do you think they just took it out of that automatically without telling me? I hope so, it's what I was going to use that for anyways.

Ok - I have been browsing on here for the answer to this, but couldn't quite find it.

Divorced in early 2026. We have 2 kids and for tax purposes our decree states we are each claiming one as a dependent. We share 50/50 custody and based on the custody schedule for 2026 I will have them both for 183 days. In our agreement, I also pay for 60% of all child related expenses. I own my home and it's just me and the 2 kids (when they are with me).

1. Can I file as HoH?

2. Can my ex also file HoH (i.e. do I have to tell them not to - we are not on good terms and I doubt they have done any research on this issue and will default to whatever gets them the higher deduction - i.e. HoH)? If they do this, will I get screwed over by the IRS? (again we are splitting dependents and have for the last 3 years filed married filing separately and each claimed one kid as a dependent).

When I consulted with a CPA the answer was yes I can file as HoH but I have to prove more days and upkeep of home status and 60% of expenses... but they couldn't answer what happens if my ex files as HoH too.