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Can i get a tax return if im self employed?

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Vccaro90

Junior Member
If some one can help me out on this issue you'll be highly appreciated. I'm from California and I'm 20. I'm self-employed and never reported income or worked my Soc Sec. Can i get a tax refund for fees paid on my car registration and sales tax charged on the settlement for when my car was totaled? And what other refunds could i be eligible for?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


FlyingRon

Senior Member
First off, filing taxes on income (of more than a couple of thousand) isn't optional. You don't get to decide you don't want to play Social Security and opt out of filing and paying taxes. With scant exception, you don't get refunds for taxes you haven't been paying.

Car registration fees on personal vehicles aren't ever deductible. Sales tax can be a deduction, i.e., it reduces the amount of income you pay income tax on, but you don't just get a refund of it. It doesn't matter if your car was totalled or not.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
First off, filing taxes on income (of more than a couple of thousand) isn't optional. You don't get to decide you don't want to play Social Security and opt out of filing and paying taxes. With scant exception, you don't get refunds for taxes you haven't been paying.

Car registration fees on personal vehicles aren't ever deductible. Sales tax can be a deduction, i.e., it reduces the amount of income you pay income tax on, but you don't just get a refund of it. It doesn't matter if your car was totalled or not.
Just for the record, the bolded may be true in CA. I don't know for certain because I am unfamiliar with CA car registration fees.

However, in many states car registration fees include specific taxes and those taxes are deductible (personal taxes) on Schedule A.

I didn't want anyone else reading this thread to get confused on that issue.
 

pattytx

Senior Member
I lived in California until I was almost 40. Car registration fees there have two components, one based on value and one based on gross weight. One of them, I think the one based on value, but I'm not positive, is deductible as a tax on Schedule CA.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I lived in California until I was almost 40. Car registration fees there have two components, one based on value and one based on gross weight. One of them, I think the one based on value, but I'm not positive, is deductible as a tax on Schedule CA.
Correct - it's the "Vehicle License Fee"
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
One other "minor" correction.

You don't get a tax return. You file a tax return and get a refund if one is due. In your case it looks like it may be the other way around.

My suggestion is that you consult a tax advisor and get yourself on the right track before you find yourself owing several thousand dollars to Uncle Sam.
 

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