u/TealBulbasaur

Hello! I'm currently on unemployment after a layoff. Recently, I got a short freelance gig of $800 that I need to report. I'm trying to determine the total amount I earned after taxes and deductions for my weekly certification.

I know about the [Net Profit * 92.35% * 15.3%] formula, which brought me to $113.04 in taxes. However, I've also seen other posts mention needing to calculate the AGI, as well as factoring in QBI deduction. This is where my head is spinning. I'm not sure if I need to include these steps or if I'm using the right numbers. Could really use the help!

This is what I'm using as guidance:

1. Profit = Revenue - expenses
2. SE Tax = Profit x 0.9235 x 15.3% (see Schedule SE for that 0.9235 multiplier)
3. AGI = Total income - 1/2 SE tax (and any other adjustments)
4. Taxable income = AGI - (standard or itemized deductions) - I stopped here at $743.48.
5. QBI deduction: 20% of the lesser of:
   • Taxable income above
   • Profit - (1/2 SE tax, self-employed health insurance, self-employed retirement)
6. New taxable = Taxable income above - QBI deduction
7. Income tax = marginal tax rate(s) applied to "New taxable"

Additional info:
- Net: $800
- Sole proprietor (no LLC).
- Based in California.
- Married, file taxes jointly.

Thanks in advance!

I have a 1 year old Icelandic Sheepdog (vocal herding breed) that is mostly leash reactive. It started at about 6 or 7 months months. We socialized him previously both by taking him around to observe different environments/people/dogs and with puppy play school. He loves dogs and is great with them off leash or on a long lead. He is very smart, playful, and sweet. We have tried different approaches to reactivity training and have landed on positive reenforcement with high value treats and u-turns. We will be continuing with this as it's worked best.

My problem is that I personally cannot walk him, even though I want to. This has been the case for a few months now. Around March, as the reactivity started to heighten, I'd come back home from a walk very frustrated or crying. So since then, my husband has taken over all walks with the intention of this being a short-term solution. We did not want to stack too many reactive walking sessions and reenforce the bad behavior. Now, our dog has improved a LOT with my husband. He can see triggers and ignore them. Yes! However, when I hold the leash and take even one step forward... he loses his mind and starts barking up a storm, lunging each-and-every way. There doesn't even have to be a trigger. He'll make one up. And when I u-turn, he'll start barking and lunging in that new, trigger-less direction. Literally just because I'm now the one walking him - it can even be the same walk where he was a perfect angel with my husband moments earlier. I'm really trying, but it feels very hopeless. It's hard not to get in your head about it. I really miss walking him back when we could. We even used to do hikes together at the top of this year. What happened?

We still do training sessions for the reactivity with me, but they don't seem to be helping a whole ton. I'm able to walk him ONLY in the atrium of our complex (where he's never been that reactive), and he's amazing! He'll ignore dogs barking in different apartments, most crows, etc. He even does better heels with me than my husband - I have his full focus. But the moment I step out onto the sidewalk, he loses it and becomes a barking, lunging maniac.

We've also tested pretending that I'm the one holding the lead when it's actually my husband. When our dog thought I was holding it, he started barking at a ghost. But when we revealed my husband was holding it, we were able to get him to settle down pretty fast and then he was back to "good boy" mode. All this said, I do trick training, sniff training, and impulse training at home with him extremely successfully. We are bonded. He's literally at my side right now. He's just a lunatic outside with me.

I don't know why this is happening. I have some theories, but am still at a loss. Here's what we've considered...

• Theory 1: on one of our walks late last year or maybe early this year, two off leash dogs charged at him on one of my solo walks. He was fine (I picked him up), but they were NOT friendly and nipped at my heels. Could that moment have changed everything?
• Theory 2: he's "protective" of me -- maybe because of Theory 1 or not. Lots of people say this, but I know being protective isn't true for many reactive dogs. Also, he doesn't seem to be getting between me and 'triggers' the way a protective dog might. Just lunges forward and every which way.
• Theory 3: he feels like he can be his true self with me... so he amps it up. lol, I think this one just exists to make me feel better (but also worse somehow). I don't know if I buy it.
• Theory 4: I was not as hard on him when he was younger. When he first starting showing signs of reactivity, our trainer suggested a prong collar and popping the lead to deter the behavior. (Yes I know, I very much regret this, and actually think it made things worse back then.) From the get go, I was not comfortable with this methodology and would 'pull back my punches'. After a lot of discussion, we do not use these tools anymore (& he's much better without them... at least with my husband). But my husband thinks that because I was less 'strict' back then, our dog knows he can get away with worse behavior around me on walks.

I'd love some insight/guesses about my situation and hear your opinions on what might be happening. I'll take advice too! Or it might be nice to just hear similar stories so I don't feel so alone. Thanks for reading this long post.

Will it get better? I really want to walk together again.

tl;dr -- Our dog is significantly more reactive with me than my husband. I can't walk him - holding the leash and taking one step forward sets him off. Not sure why. Seeking insight and advice.