We just found out that our evil ex-landlady is being audited by the IRS

[mawilson 2,133]

I think all we claimed this time is depreciation on the computer.

Get this book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1413305288

It'll help you save a lot of money.

[no name 1]

I think all we claimed this time is depreciation on the computer.

Maybe you should get an accountant? Mine itemizes many things, like Maw said.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

We probably will next year - we used a CPA last year and ended up overpaying CA state taxes by something like $600.

We overpaid Federal a lot cause I put down 0 deductions. Needless to say the Federal refund was rather large.

I think all we claimed this time is depreciation on the computer.

Get this book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1413305288

It'll help you save a lot of money.

Thanks - I'll take a look!

[kaydee457 13]

Is this an apartment or home you live in? If it's a partitioned space that's part of her home then it may not be a legal accessory apartment.....depends on where you are.

Is that why she didn't report her rental income, or is she just cheating?

Does she know that you're the source of her audit? Could be a bit of a stressed situation in the future..

[mawilson 2,133]

#6, are you a full-time employee (W-2), freelancer (1099) or both?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Is this an apartment or home you live in? If it's a partitioned space that's part of her home then it may not be a legal accessory apartment.....depends on where you are.

Is that why she didn't report her rental income, or is she just cheating?

Does she know that you're the source of her audit? Could be a bit of a stressed situation in the future..

No we now live somewhere else (much nicer). She doesn't have the forwarding address - and there's no way in hell I'm giving it to her.

It was an apartment building that we moved into when we first moved to the east coast. We basically had to find an apartment over a weekend and went with (what seemed to be) the best of the bunch.

Our mistake is that we only met with the landlady's daughter and not the woman herself.

She basically insisted that we pay her the rent by money order and then complained (vociferously) about it being sent by Fed-Ex or registered mail (you know - any method that would actually prove that we sent it to her).

When we moved in, the place was not clean - the floor was filthy and there was no hot water in the kitchen.

This woman then sent us angry letters about the lack of hot water not being her responsibility, about the rent not arriving in time (bizarre considering she explicitly told us not to use any guaranteed delivery mail service); and in the worst instance - demanded that we get rid of our two cats on the basis of a spurious complaint that had no merit whatsoever, and which she didn't bother to find out about.

And if that weren't bad enough - the apartment building turned out to be infested with cockroaches.

I have no sympathy.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Number 6

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

#6, are you a full-time employee (W-2), freelancer (1099) or both?

Currently full-time only.

[mawilson 2,133]

#6, are you a full-time employee (W-2), freelancer (1099) or both?

Currently full-time only.

Take on some small contracts (1099) with other companies, then report your 1099 income

as business income and claim lots of business-related deductions:

• business percentage of rent + utility bills + household expenses
• 50% of business-related entertainment expenses (e.g. restaurant meals with a business colleague or client)
• insurance premiums (e.g. renters insurance)
• vehicle costs (depreciation, loan interest, garage, gas, oil, maintenance, etc)
• equipment costs (e.g. computer depreciation, etc)
• communication costs (landlines and cell phones, internet connection used for business)
• office supplies and furniture for your home office
• business-related travel costs
• and many other things