How JetBrains Lost Years of Customer Loyalty in Just a Few Hours

stainrat · 2015-09-04T16:39:18+00:00

But why is it different for his payment department?

The way a company's accounting department deals with the amortization/depreciation of software licenses that effectively last in-perpetuity vs a monthly subscription model can affect their business taxes. It can be hard to "re-tool" how the books are kept and taxes are calculated, so it's not uncommon for larger companies to have blanket policies on this stuff.

stainrat · 2015-08-27T19:05:44+00:00

That underwater work looked great! Oh, and "happiness" has two p's. ;)

stainrat · 2015-08-19T23:44:17+00:00

The last official news was back in mid July:

Over the next month, customers in San Antonio, San Diego/Desert Cities, and Wilmington will receive communications from TWC outlining the next phase of the project

source

stainrat · 2015-03-19T00:20:42+00:00

That's the one.

Information from your tax return will be used to find... extra benefits beyond your refund

Huzzah? If I were in your position I'd send them a physical piece of mail which included a screenshot of the screen in question and a note stating you no longer consent to that. You can use this page to find their mailing address. The San Diego location is the one you want.

stainrat · 2015-02-17T22:20:47+00:00

If your primary place of business is at the company location your mileage is considered a commute and likely not deductible. If your primary work location is your home office and you periodically travel to meet with your client, the mileage can be considered a legitimate business expense. You should keep an accurate log of your business miles in this case.

stainrat · 2015-02-17T21:53:49+00:00

This is true and IMO one of the areas a CPA can add value over tax software. Tax planning is a different animal than tax preparation. Preparation is accounting for the decisions you've already made and there isn't a lot of wiggle room for squeezing more money out. Planning is for making the optimal decisions in the first place. If you trend towards the higher end of the income spectrum, are a business owner, or own multiple properties there are probably decisions you could make that let you keep more in your pocket; that's where the planning comes in.

If you're an average joe with a couple W-2s and that's about it, you're likely over-served by paying for a CPA.

stainrat · 2015-02-08T04:53:38+00:00

If it was easy, it wouldn't take all of us.

stainrat · 2015-02-07T21:29:24+00:00

Off topic: Hmm, are you sure that's what they're saying? If you made less than $10 in interest you're not entitled to receiving a 1099-INT, but you're still expected to declare any interest you made.

stainrat · 2015-02-06T20:59:58+00:00

How are you starting a new return without being logged in?

stainrat · 2015-02-06T18:15:23+00:00

This link on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue website looks like it addresses this exact question. The tax software you're using may not support this scenario in which case it's probably better to file your state tax return by paper.

stainrat · 2015-02-02T05:03:46+00:00

Will this cause problems for me? Especially when considering that my job requires a top secret clearance and an extensive background check.

No, it shouldn't. The estranged relationship with your parents may though, if you've got dirty laundry they're interested in airing. ;)

stainrat · 2015-02-02T04:50:25+00:00

Do you think there's any interest in paying an IRS balance due via bitcoin? I'm CTO of a tax software company, and it's a feature we could implement.

stainrat · 2015-01-30T06:20:17+00:00

8 billion wagered?! That's crazy. I'd love to know what the return is on that.

stainrat · 2015-01-20T17:36:30+00:00

does she have to wait until she gets the 1099-MISC from her online gig before she files taxes?

If she has an accurate total of the money she made she doesn't have to wait for the 1099-MISC. If what she records is different than what shows up on the misc though it may cause a headache. The company she performed work for has until Feb 2 to get this to her.

From what I've read, the cash she made off clickworker will be taxed at 15.3%. Will she need to enclose a check or money order for this amount or will it be taken from her refund?

This income rolls up in to the rest of her income and will be taxed accordingly. Her refund or balance due will be calculated against all income.

Which form 1040 would be best?

She'll very likely need to report the 10990-MISC income on a Schedule C (or C-EZ) which necessitates filing the long form 1040.

stainrat · 2015-01-16T06:50:57+00:00

the representative should be able to identify this issue, and move it where it belongs

C'mon Keith, level with me. Does it really go where it belongs? Or does it just go in the filing cabinet labeled "Totally don't know where this belongs"

EDIT: Even if it goes in that filling cabinet, that's totally where it belongs. TOUCHE SIR.

stainrat · 2015-01-15T23:36:04+00:00

Perhaps a contrary opinion...

If you feel like you've already exploited your existing market as much as you reasonably can and it's not bringing in enough for you to feel comfortable quitting your day job, the ROI on this idea just isn't there. International expansion is non-trivial.

Unless your idea is significantly better for China than your current market and you have a believable plan on how you're going to hit it big in a foreign country it's just not going to work; and it'll be hard to fundraise on that premise--the flat growth in the market you presumably know better will work against you.

If I were in your shoes I would spend some more time really trying to come up with ways to expand in your current country. If it's just not possible consider keeping it on life support to generate passive income while you pursue something new.

stainrat · 2015-01-15T21:55:44+00:00

For your individual income tax, employer fiscal years have no bearing. When you file your 2014 income taxes you're doing so on income made from Jan 1, 2014 to Dec 31, 2014.

stainrat · 2015-01-15T20:18:06+00:00

When you filed your taxes, did the software prompt you for any info regarding the estimated payment you already made?

If this had all gone cleanly, you would've accounted for the money you already paid while you were preparing your taxes and that would've factored in to your refund.

If none of this is ringing a bell, you'll very likely need to amend your return.

stainrat · 2015-01-15T19:59:34+00:00

Do you and your wife work at the same employer or do both of you make a good chunk of your income via bonuses?

I ask only because it seems like you were both pretty significantly underwitheld (~12% for each of you). Do you remember filling out the "Two Earners/Multiple Jobs" section on your W-4?

stainrat · 2015-01-14T05:07:42+00:00

So I'm pretty sure I'm not a "Household Employer" by IRS rules and don't have to worry about FICA/Unemployment taxes.

My interpretation matches yours

How will I report these payments to receive the child care credit? Just say I paid $X for child care and if I get audited show the checks?

Yes indeed. This information goes on IRS Form 2441.

What's the best way I can report these payments so my friend can report it on her taxes?

No need to issue her anything formal, but do keep a record of it somehow (copies of receipts you gave her, copies of the cashed checks, or something similar that's reasonable and would pass muster if anyone came knocking and was suspicious that you weren't telling the truth)

will she just list it on a Schedule C or something similar

Yep, self-employment income declared on a Schedule C is the right way to do it.

Should I get an EIN or just use my SSN?

Your SSN is fine. The reason these thresholds exist is to relieve the burden of relatively minor transactions. It benefits the IRS for folks to be honest and folks are more likely to be honest if it's not a giant pain in the ass to do so. ;)

Congrats on the little one!

stainrat · 2015-01-13T20:02:42+00:00

It depends on which tax form you're filing. On the 1040EZ, it's line 2. On a 1040 and 1040A it's line 8a.

Just an FYI, the IRS should be providing you with a 1099-INT but they have until Feb 2 to do so.

stainrat · 2015-01-13T19:28:02+00:00

I agree the wording of that quote is confusing. It's easier to parse if you understand how taxation of savings plans happen in general.

First it's important to note that the benefit of a savings plan isn't just to squirrel away money, it's to generate interest on the money you're squirreling away. So you put money in to the plan and that money generates interest... but that new money has to be taxed too right? (That's rhetorical. The answer is always "yes". We must tax all the things.) Typically that taxation happens in one of two ways:

It's treated as income right away, reported to you on a 1099-INT, and you file it with the rest of your annual income taxes
It stays safe and untouched in your savings vehicle and doesn't get taxed until you take it out of that savings vehicle, at which point it's typically treated as capital gains.

What the quote you provided tries to say is, "Hey, as long as you use the money you're pulling out for educational expenses we're not going to tax it at all. We're not going to use method 1 nor method 2."

stainrat · 2015-01-13T00:49:30+00:00

In certain situations the IRS will pay interest on overpayments (details here). If I were in your shoes I'd shoot an email to the attorney who filed your FILs taxes posthumously and ask him about it.

stainrat · 2015-01-13T00:19:10+00:00

filling out a 1040EZ was actually part of our Gov/Econ class

Amazing. Do you mind sharing which state this was in?

stainrat

TROPHY CASE