Don't Wait Until January: Start Your Year-End Tax Prep This October
Start year-end tax prep in October: collect W-9s under the IRS $2,000 1099 rule, clean up vendors, reconcile Q3, and calendar every deadline.
#tax-preparation
Tax Preparation
Organize financial records and prepare tax filings accurately and on time
Nominee 1099s: What to Do When Income Reported Under Your EIN Belongs to Someone Else
Got a 1099 for income that isn't yours? File a nominee 1099 and Form 1096, then subtract the pass-through on Schedule B or C to avoid a CP2000.
2026 IRS Mileage Rate Midyear Change: How to Split Your Deduction
The IRS raised the 2026 business mileage rate from 72.5 to 76 cents for miles driven from July 1 — date every log entry or you cannot prove the higher rate.
Worked Two Jobs and Overpaid Social Security Tax? How to Get the Excess Back
Two employers over-withheld? Claim excess Social Security tax on Schedule 3, Line 11; a single employer's error needs a W-2c and Form 843 instead.
Run IRS TIN Matching Before 1099 Season: Catch Name/TIN Mismatches While They're Still Free to Fix
IRS TIN Matching is free and catches name/TIN mismatches before you file 1099s — each bad return can cost up to $340 plus 24% backup withholding.
IRS Free File Survived While Direct File Didn't: Your 2026 Guide to Filing Free
IRS Free File is open to AGI of $89,000 or less for 2026, and Direct File is gone. Start at IRS.gov or your free return quietly becomes a paid one.
Form 1098 for Rental Property Owners: Getting Every Box Onto the Right Schedule E Line
Form 1098 Box 1 goes to Schedule E line 12 and Box 5 to line 9, but rental points must be amortized over the loan term — never expensed in year one.
Free Tax Return Preparation for Side-Hustlers and Seniors: How VITA and TCE File Your Return for $0
IRS-certified VITA and TCE volunteers file federal returns for $0 — VITA at roughly $69,000 income or less, TCE at age 60+ with no income cap.
Your K-1 Item L Capital Account: Negative Balances and Why It Never Matches Your Basis
Item L reports tax-basis capital, not your outside basis — the IRS excludes partnership debt, so a negative ending balance is usually arithmetic, not alarm.
Your Refund Never Arrived? How to Trace a Lost, Stolen, or Misdirected IRS Refund With Form 3911
IRS Form 3911 traces a missing refund after 5 days for direct deposit or 4–9 weeks for paper checks; BFS then cancels the original or investigates the forgery.
The IRS Says You Didn't File: What Notice CP59 Means and How to Respond
Notice CP59 means the IRS has no record of your prior-year return. File the missing return, show you already filed, or explain on Form 15103 why none is due — and file your own return before the IRS prepares a substitute one without your deductions.
Starting a Tax Preparation Business: The PTIN, the EFIN Suitability Check, the E-File Mandate, and the Due-Diligence Rules You Need Before Taking Your First Paying Client
A PTIN, an EFIN after a 45-day IRS suitability check, and Form 8867 diligence on every credit return — the federal startup checklist for paid preparers.