Thank you, Kimberly! To clarify, you mentioned that the decision to take the standard deduction or itemize is not related to my business expenses. Does this mean I can still claim the standard deduction even though I'm filing a Schedule C for my mystery shopping income and expenses?
Also, I'm in California. Do the same rules apply to my California state tax return? Can I claim the standard deduction on my state return while also reporting my mystery shopping income and expenses on a Schedule CA (540)?
I want to make sure I understand this correctly for both my federal and California state returns.
