You should receive a W-2 form if you are employed and your employer withholds taxes from your paycheck.  You may also receive a 1099 form. These information notices are sent for a variety of reasons, such as if you were paid for services provided as an independent contractor, you received interest or dividends, you received government payments (such as unemployment compensation), or you received withdrawals from a retirement account. You should receive your financial forms by early February at the latest. If you haven’t received them, follow up with your employer or those who hired you as a freelancer. You can take the standard deduction or itemize for deductible expenses. For the 2019 tax year, the standard deduction will be $12,200 for those filing as single or married filing separately or $24,400 for married filing jointly. The standard deduction is required unless you have more than the allowed standard deduction amount in itemized deductions.  Allowable deductions may include home mortgage interest, state and local income taxes or sales tax (but not both), charitable contributions, unreimbursed medical expenses, and real estate and personal property taxes. Since many free sites require that you have an income below a certain amount, you should roughly calculate your AGI before logging online. Simply subtract your standard or itemized deductions from your total income. This will give you a rough estimate of your AGI. If you can tell from simply estimating your AGI that preparing your taxes overwhelms you, an alternative is to hire an accountant in your area. They will calculate your taxes for you, lifting a weight off your shoulders.  Accountants can also file your taxes online, thus getting you a refund faster. The Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax preparation for those with incomes below $55,000. The program is also available to those over 60, people with disabilities, and those with limited English.  You can find a VITA program near you by calling 1-800-906-9887 or by using the online VITA Locator tool (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-you-by-volunteers).

Summary: Gather your financial documents. List your deductions. Calculate your adjusted gross income (AGI). Hire an accountant if you need help.


Most slab leaks can only be fixed by breaking concrete, so look for general contractors that specialize in remedial plumbing. If possible, go with a plumber that lists slab leak detection or repair directly on their website, indicating that they have experience. Expect to pay around $65 per hour or a set price based on the specific job.  Hourly contractors may be cheaper for small fixes, but they can cost significantly more if the plumber encounters unexpected problems. If you can’t find good plumbers online, ask friends, family members, and neighbors for personal recommendations. Using specialty equipment, plumbers can confirm that you are actually dealing with a slab leak and will isolate the problem to a specific area. Though some plumbers may offer detection services for free, expect others to charge up to $400. Once you confirm that the problem is a slab leak, ask your plumber for a repair estimate. The estimate will depend largely on your specific problem, but expect a standard repair to cost around $2000. To ensure that the price doesn’t change, make sure you get the estimate in writing. Before committing to a plumber, call other plumbing companies and ask for repair estimates. Since you’ve already had the leak examined, simply relay the problem as it was described to you. Once you have multiple estimates, choose a plumber that seems reputable and offers their services at a reasonable price. Though the lowest offer may seem enticing, make sure it’s from a plumber that has a legal operating license and good user reviews online. Though pricey, pay for the slab leak repairs as soon as possible. Slab leaks can cause far more expensive problems down the road, and a little money now can save a lot going forward. Some homeowner’s insurance policies cover the cost of essential pipe repairs.

Summary: Search online for local plumbers. Hire a plumber to detect slab leaks. Ask for a repair estimate. Compare the estimate with other offers. Pay to have your pipes repaired.


Are you romantically interested in your best friend?  Ask yourself whether you would be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with this person if they did like you. How you feel about them as a romantic partner will influence your reactions towards their behavior.  If you are interested in them romantically, try to be honest with them about how you are feeling. If the signs are there, they might be interested in you as well. You could try to hint that you have a crush on someone to see how they react, or ask them if they are interested in anyone. For example, you could say "Jen, I've been thinking about our friendship a lot, and I think we could be really great together as more than friends." You may be giving them signals that you are interested in them without you realizing it. For example, you could be flirting with them, being more physically affectionate, or opening up more to them emotionally. If you are not interested in your friend as a romantic partner, you should try to stop these overly affectionate behaviors, since they could be giving them mixed signals. If you are interested in them, you can continue giving them signs that you are interested. You may still be confused about whether your best friend really does like you in a romantic way. You can talk to a close friend to ask their opinion and to see whether they know if your friend has a crush on anyone.  Do this carefully, you don't want word to get back to your best friend that you're talking about them behind their back. Only talk to friends that you really trust and who have a good perspective on the situation. You could also casually talk to one of their friends to see if they know whether your best friend is interested in someone. You could say something like, "Hey, I noticed that Zach hasn't been talking about Caroline anymore. Do you know if he's interested in someone new?" If you're still not sure, just ask. This is the only reliable way to figure out if they are interested in you romantically, but it can come with some risks. For one, the person might not want to jeopardize the friendship, and so will feel uncomfortable telling you.  Be sure you want the relationship to move onto a romance before asking. If you don't, it's better to just avoid the question and let the feelings slowly pass. If the best friend suddenly makes a move or comes out and tells you, then you can address it. If you want to ask, say something like, "I don't want to weird you out, but I've noticed things changing a little between us lately, and wondered if it's because our relationship has shifted a little bit." This will give them an opportunity to share their feelings. If your friend doesn't open up, or says something dismissive like,  "No way, what, are you crazy?  We're friends, that's all", you should let it go.  You can diffuse the situation by saying something like, "Hey, no problem, I was just curious.  It's cool, either way." If your friend is scared to tell you, or is wrestling with their feelings, it may take some time for them to come clean about it to you.  Be patient and compassionate, and don't pressure your friend. Let them know that your friendship is important to you and that you care about them as a person. Whether you and your best friend end up together or not, your friendship is special and you don't want to lose them.  If they are interested in you romantically, and you don't share the same feelings for them, they may need to take a break from your friendship. This will hurt, but they need time to process their own feelings and move on. Tell them that you do care about your relationship by saying, "Ben, your friendship means a lot to me. You're a great friend and I'm glad that I have you in my life. I don't have romantic feelings for you, but I hope that we can still be best friends."
Summary: Determine how you feel. Look at how you're acting. Talk to your friends. Talk to them. Approach the topic carefully. Tell them how much you value their friendship.