CSS Profile - self employed??? HELPP!!

So my dad is a taxi driver and he is considered self employed but he doesn’t own any business because he doesn’t own the taxi. He rents it from someone but they don’t cut tax and his income is his own thing. So he is self employed with no business but when I put that on CSS Profile, they gave me an error.

They also asked for the 2015 tax return and at that time he was not self employed so in the registration I just put that he is not self employed so that I can continue but then they ask about his current situation and employer again and I don’t know what to do. Am I lying by saying he is not self employed bc according to 2015 tax return he is not self employed but he also doesn’t own a business so I had to put he is not self employed. WHAT DO I DO?!?! My first CSS Profile is due Dec 1!

PLZZZ HELPPP!!!

Did your parents earn an income in 2015? It doesn’t matter how…that income must be reported. I’m confused by your post.

He doesn’t have to own physical objects (a taxi, a computer, a pencil, a stapler) to be considered owning a business in 2016.

Isn’t the Profile for 2017-2018 asking about 2015 status?

The employment questions in the PD (parent data) section of the Profile are asking about status as of the date the form is completed.

Thanks @BelknapPoint. Perhaps that is the rub. The Profile is then making an assumption that the parent was self employed in 2015 as well.

Is there a question on the Profile that addresses this for the 2015 tax year?

And back to the OP…did your dad file a tax return in 2015…regardless of employment status?

@thumper1 yea he filed a tax return in 2015 but at that time he wasn’t self employed. Now he is self employed but doesn’t own a business. He just drives a taxi and he said it’s not considered business?

Yes, he does own a business – the business is himself (as you say, he is self-employed). Presumably, he drives the taxi as an Independent Contractor, which means he is in business for himself. The payments he receives will likely be reported on a 1099-MISC and he will likely have to file a Schedule C (business income) with his tax return.

@BelknapPoint

Unless I’m reading this wrong…the issue the OP is having is that her dad was not self employed in 2015…but is now.

@kimchi99 am I correct?

What did your father do for work in 2015?

Your dad owns a business as far as the IRS is concerned - a taxi business.

However if he was someone’s employee in 2015, that’s that.

I’d ask for help on this from Profile support, they have live chat, phone and email support: https://cbprofile.desk.com/