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Plain-language guides for individuals, families, business owners, and investors. Start with a question, a topic, or your situation. No tax vocabulary required.
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44 guides
Individuals & Families
Filing basics, residency, W-2 and 1099 forms, ITINs, nonresident spouses, and worldwide income.
- Do I need to file a tax return this year?
- Am I a U.S. tax resident or a nonresident?
Small Business & Self-Employment
Estimated taxes, self-employment tax, deductions including the home office, and what working for yourself means at tax time.
- Do I need to pay quarterly estimated taxes?
- What can I deduct as a small business owner?
Business Formation
Choosing and setting up a structure: LLCs, S-Corps, and EINs.
- Do I need an LLC?
- Should my business be an LLC or an S-Corp?
Real Estate & Airbnb
Airbnb and rental income — including property abroad: what to report, what to deduct, and what is tax-free.
- How do I report Airbnb income?
- When is rental income tax-free?
Investments & Foreign Accounts
Foreign bank accounts, gifts from abroad, property overseas, and crypto: what is taxable and what must be reported.
- Do I need to report my bank accounts in Taiwan or China?
- Do I need to file an FBAR?
IRS & Tax Issues
IRS letters and notices, tax bills you can't pay, amended returns, and missed filing deadlines.
- I received a letter from the IRS. What should I do?
- What does a CP2000 notice mean?
Start with the essentials
Six guides worth reading first
Useful starting points across the most common tax situations, from whether you need to file to what an IRS letter means.
Individuals & Families
Do I need to file a U.S. tax return?
Filing thresholds by filing status, the situations that always require a return, and when it pays to file anyway.
Beginner · 5 min readIRS & Tax Issues
I received an IRS letter. What do I do?
Most IRS notices are routine. Learn how to read the letter, identify the notice type, and decide your next step.
Beginner · 4 min readBusiness Formation
What is an LLC, and do I need one?
What an LLC is, what protection it really gives you, how it is taxed, and how to decide whether you need one.
Beginner · 6 min readSmall Business & Self-Employment
Quarterly estimated taxes: who pays and how to calculate
Who must pay estimated taxes, the quarterly due dates, how to calculate each payment, and how to avoid underpayment penalties.
Intermediate · 6 min readReal Estate & Airbnb
Airbnb host tax guide: what to report and what to deduct
What Airbnb income to report, which expenses you can deduct, Schedule E vs Schedule C, and how the 14-day rule fits in.
Intermediate · 7 min readInvestments & Foreign Accounts
FBAR: do I need to report my foreign bank accounts?
Who must file an FBAR, how the $10,000 threshold works, how to file FinCEN Form 114, and how it differs from FATCA.
Intermediate · 6 min readPopular situations
Not sure which topic fits? Start from your situation.
- Filing taxes for the first timeWhat you need, which forms matter, and how to file.
- Received an IRS noticeWhat the letter means and how to respond calmly.
- Airbnb or rental incomeWhat to report, what to deduct, and what is tax-free.
- Starting an LLC or small businessChoosing a structure and paying tax as you go.
- Crypto & investmentsWhen crypto is taxable and how to report accounts abroad.
- New to the U.S.Residency, your first return, and cross-border rules.
All guides
Every published guide
All 115 guides, grouped by topic.
Individuals & Families44
- New to the U.S.? A complete tax guide for new immigrants
- Am I a U.S. tax resident?
- Do I need to file a U.S. tax return?
- First-time filer in the U.S.: a complete step-by-step guide
- Tax credit vs. tax deduction: what's the difference?
- What is a W-2 and how do I read it?
- W-2 vs 1099: what's the difference and why it matters
- Child Tax Credit: who qualifies and how to claim it
- What is an ITIN and how do I apply?
- Nonresident spouse: can we file jointly?
- Dual-status tax returns: your year of arrival or departure
- Substantial Presence Test explained: how to count your days
- Foreign income: do U.S. tax residents report worldwide income?
- I got a 1099-K from PayPal, Venmo, or eBay — is it taxable?
- Can I claim my parents as dependents if they live abroad?
- Education tax credits: AOTC vs. Lifetime Learning Credit
- Why do I owe taxes this year? Understanding your W-4 and withholding
- The 2025 Tax Law: What Changed for Your 2025 and 2026 Returns
- No Tax on Tips: Who Qualifies for the Deduction?
- No Tax on Overtime: How the Deduction Really Works
- The New $6,000 Senior Deduction: Eligibility and Income Limits
- SALT Deduction: Limits, Income Rules, and Examples
- Car Loan Interest Deduction: Which Vehicles and Loans Qualify
- Charitable Donations in 2026: The New Deduction If You Don't Itemize
- Trump Accounts: Who Can Open One, the $1,000 Contribution, and the Rules
- Child and Dependent Care Credit: 2025 and 2026 Rules and Examples
- 529 Plans: Expanded K-12 and Credential Expenses Explained
- Foreign Tax Credit (Form 1116): Avoiding Double Tax on Taiwan and Other Foreign Income
- Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555): 2025 and 2026 Rules
- Living in Taiwan or Abroad: Your U.S. Tax Filing Checklist
- Traditional and Roth IRA Contributions: 2025 and 2026 Limits and Income Rules
- Gift Tax and Form 709: When U.S. Givers Must File in 2025 and 2026
- Retirement Account Withdrawals and RMDs: Taxes, the 10% Penalty, and Deadlines
- Kiddie Tax: When a Child's Investment Income Is Taxed at the Parent's Rate
- Is My Social Security Taxable? The 50% and 85% Rules Explained
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): 2025 and 2026 Income Limits and Rules
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA): 2025 and 2026 Limits and the New 2026 Rules
- Paying a Nanny or Caregiver: Household Employment Taxes and Schedule H
- Premium Tax Credit and Form 8962: Marketplace Health Insurance in 2025 and 2026
- Filing Status and Head of Household: 2025 and 2026 Rules
- Estate Tax and Inheritance Basics: 2025 and 2026 Exclusions, Form 706, and Nonresidents
- Adoption Tax Credit: 2025 and 2026 Limits and the New Refundable Portion
- Divorce and Taxes: Alimony, Child Support, Property, and Retirement Accounts
- Canceled Debt and Form 1099-C: When Forgiven Debt Is Taxable
Small Business & Self-Employment8
- Quarterly estimated taxes: who pays and how to calculate
- What can I deduct as a small business owner?
- What is self-employment tax and how does it work?
- Home office deduction — do I qualify?
- The QBI Deduction: 2025 and 2026 Rules
- Schedule C Explained: Self-Employment Income and Expenses
- Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation: 2025 and 2026 Rules
- Hobby or Business? How Side Income Is Taxed in 2025 and 2026
Real Estate & Airbnb6
- Airbnb host tax guide: what to report and what to deduct
- The 14-day rule: when Airbnb income is completely tax-free
- Foreign rental property and U.S. taxes
- I sold my house — do I have to pay tax on the profit?
- Renting out a house or apartment — how is rental income taxed?
- Selling a Rental Property: Depreciation Recapture and the 25% Rate
Investments & Foreign Accounts41
- Crypto taxes explained: when is crypto taxable?
- FBAR: do I need to report my foreign bank accounts?
- Foreign gifts: is money from parents overseas taxable?
- Form 3520: reporting large foreign gifts
- FBAR vs. Form 8938: what's the difference?
- Do I need to report a Taiwan or foreign bank account?
- Foreign property: what U.S. taxpayers need to know
- Parents overseas sent me more than $100,000 — do I need Form 3520?
- Multiple foreign gifts: how does the $100,000 Form 3520 threshold work?
- Parents overseas helped with my U.S. home down payment — is it a foreign gift?
- My parents paid my tuition directly — do I report a foreign gift?
- I transferred my own money from overseas to the U.S. — is it taxable?
- I sold property overseas and moved the money to the U.S. — what must I report?
- I filed Form 3520 late — what should I do now?
- My spouse and I received money from overseas parents — how does Form 3520 work?
- Foreign gift vs. foreign inheritance: what U.S. taxpayers need to report
- Foreign gift from your parents vs. foreign trust distribution — why the difference matters
- Do I need to file an FBAR? How the $10,000 rule really works
- What is the maximum value of a foreign account for FBAR?
- I just moved to the U.S. — do I need to report my foreign bank accounts?
- My foreign bank account earned no interest — do I still need to report it?
- Foreign CDs and time deposits: do they go on FBAR or Form 8938?
- Foreign brokerage accounts and stocks: what goes on FBAR and Form 8938?
- Foreign life insurance with cash value: is it reportable?
- I forgot to file an FBAR — what should I do?
- Joint foreign accounts: how do married couples file FBAR?
- I had this money before moving to America — does that change FBAR or Form 8938?
- I sold stock — how are capital gains taxed?
- I lost money on stocks — can I deduct it?
- Do I have to report bank interest and dividends?
- RSU Taxes: Vesting, W-2 Income and Cost Basis When You Sell
- ESPP Taxes: Qualifying vs. Disqualifying Dispositions and Form 3922
- Stock Options: ISOs vs. NSOs, Form 3921 and the AMT
- Form 1099-DA: What Crypto Brokers Report for 2025 and 2026
- Cost Basis and Form 1099-B: Covered Shares, Adjustments and Form 8949
- Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT): Who Pays the 3.8% Tax in 2025 and 2026
- Margin and Investment Loan Interest: The Form 4952 Deduction
- Selling Gold, Silver, Coins, or Art: The 28% Collectibles Rate
- Form 1099-DIV and 1099-INT Explained Box by Box
- Foreign Mutual Funds and ETFs: PFIC Rules and Form 8621
- Foreign Pensions and Retirement Accounts: What U.S. Taxpayers Must Report
IRS & Tax Issues11
- I received an IRS letter. What do I do?
- CP2000 notice: what it means and how to respond
- I can't pay my tax bill — what are my options?
- I made a mistake on my tax return — how do I amend it?
- I missed the tax deadline — what happens now?
- I'm being audited by the IRS — what happens next?
- IRS Penalty Relief: Automatic Exemption, First Time Abate, and Reasonable Cause
- IRS Identity Theft and the IP PIN: How to Protect Your Tax Return
- IRS Tax Transcripts: Types, How to Get One, and Transcript vs. Tax Return Copy
- IRS Power of Attorney: Form 2848 vs. Form 8821
- Injured Spouse vs. Innocent Spouse Relief: Forms 8379 and 8857
Official sources. Carefully verified. Clearly explained.Reviewed for the 2025 tax year
AskLinTax guides are written for general education. Every guide is Official Sources Verified and lists the official government sources it was checked against; no government agency reviews or endorses AskLinTax. They are not tax, legal, or financial advice for your specific situation.