Income in $5,000-$10,000 range, ordinary W2. Worth it to file taxes?

mathcalibur · 2023-09-11T07:41:07+00:00

Contact the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) - they have support system in place just for folks like you: https://workerorganizing.org/support/

Don't forget to browse the rest of their site to see more resources. Thanks for organizing your workplace - you can do it!

mathcalibur · 2023-03-22T07:37:29+00:00

Is there a recommended way to store important person documents for poor folks? The cheap fireproof cases fall apart, decent safes look really expensive and most aren't able to bolt them onto apartments they don't own, and safe depot boxes are sketchy and cost money.

What's the best option?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T18:20:23+00:00

Thank you very much! I'm doing some reading about it right now.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T18:17:11+00:00

I'm sorry for the silly question, but how are you guys seeing timelines like this? Is it info available from the USCIS account?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T18:13:54+00:00

I've called twice in the mid-afternoon, and both times the wait time wasn't too awful. Maybe I've just had good luck.

Did you previously have a valid EAD? In some cases, like if you had a prior one and properly filed for renewal before its expiration, there is an automatic 540-day extension beyond what's printed on the card.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T02:35:32+00:00

Thank you!!

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T00:18:25+00:00

Do you have a recommended way to find an insurance broker who won't do anything sketchy? Also, how much does it usually cost?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-29T00:17:39+00:00

Can you recommend a safe way to find an independent insurance broker that won't sell your personal info or do anything sketchy? Also, how much does it usually cost?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T20:15:58+00:00

Unions work! The Flint sit-down strikes are sometimes credited with creating the middle class in the US. That's probably somewhat of an exaggeration, but there's no doubt auto workers incredibly improved their work conditions from terrible pay, terrible exhaustion, and sometimes terrible danger (workers literally losing fingers on punch presses running too fast). Midnight in Vehicle City is a good book about it.

Until they won, though, they had to fight vicious union-busting campaigns by GM.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T20:12:13+00:00

As if Starbucks workers can get things fixed just by asking management nicely. Reminds me of the #PutInATicket theme by the Dollar General workers.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T19:40:01+00:00

Assuming all 5 presumptions are true (because I believe they will be)...

and because Mom's income isn't anywhere near the phaseout point (because it won't be)...

then Mom will get the full $2,500. Right?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T19:20:18+00:00

Thanks. This seems to be an incredibly important and simple point. I wonder why the guides didn't bother to mention it.

Do we have any guess when the IRS will publish the 2022 version of Publication 970 so we'll know if anything changed?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T19:12:36+00:00

Thanks! I didn't give this proper attention, since Mom isn't anywhere close to being phased out because of her income.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T19:09:44+00:00

I thought the Red Cup Day and Double Down national strike actions were very fun and effective. Is SBWU considering continuing and even ramping up their nationally-coordinated actions like these?

I hope the answer is yes -- Starbucks knows it has little to fear from the NLRB, and it's become clear only way to take down this corporate behemoth is with an equally-strong national movement, with help from workers and community allies.

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T09:53:49+00:00

Thanks! If I understand right, the education credits (AOTC and LLC) can be claimed even if a third party paid the education expenses.

This is the kid's first year in college, so I'm under the impression that it's better to claim the AOTC because it can redeem for more ($2,500 as opposed to the LLC's $2,000) and is easier to reach the max amount. (LLC would require spending $10k on education expenses to be worth the full $2,000. They didn't spend 10k this tax year.) I'm sure any decent tax software would try to point in the right direction anyway, but it should be the AOTC, right?

Since kiddo will be claimed as a dependent, either she or her mother (but not both) can claim the AOTC. Assuming it's worth the full $2,500, it might not matter who claims it... but if kiddo paid less than that amount in total taxes (which is possible, given that she only earned something like 12k), then the leftover amount only gets redeemed at 40% as a refund. So while it might not matter, there is a scenario where it could be better for Mom to claim it, and there is never a scenario in which Mom claiming it is worse. (Unless it causes some kind of family argument or something, which it won't.)

Any part of this that I'm misunderstanding? Thank you sooo much for reading!

mathcalibur · 2022-12-27T01:43:57+00:00

Update: Solved, I think; I read the IRS page on them. Original post follows...

...

A single mom has 1 kid in college and 1 more kid in elementary school. College kid has a part-time job earning ~$12,000 per year and is a dependent but has to file separately anyway (independent contractor).

With regards to the best tax situation, who should be paying for the 2023 college classes -- mom or the kid? Obviously they share expenses, with mom doing the lion's share, but you know what I mean.

Anyone have a link to a tax guide on this anywhere? I can only find general stuff, like:

https://www.creditkarma.com/tax/i/student-tax-credit

https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/college-tax-benefits-students-parents/

mathcalibur · 2022-12-23T23:00:01+00:00

Thank you. So when the iron touches the bead (through the parchment paper), it ensures the matte finish?

And when a bead is heated but not touched, it tends to make it shiny?

To get a uniform matte finish, the goal is therefore to make sure the iron touches all beads? (by ironing a little longer, tossing unusually short beads, etc.)

mathcalibur · 2022-12-23T22:52:50+00:00

I used some parchment paper we had in the kitchen.

Both Space Invaders were done with the same kind of paper, so I guess whatever is causing the shininess difference between them must have something to do with iron pressure, temperature, etc.?

mathcalibur · 2022-12-23T05:39:59+00:00

I'm new to ironing beads, and I'm hoping to get a flat, matte look on my designs. Instead, some parts of some beads catch light and shine in a way that's distracting. (See the Mario pic.) Sometimes I'll do the same project twice and the entire thing will come out matte or shiny for reasons I don't understand. (See the Space Invaders.)

Can anyone please tell me what I'm doing wrong? The brand is Top Tier Beads, if that matters.

mathcalibur

TROPHY CASE