I am single 26yo living in the state of VA, non head of household with no children or dependents. In 2021 I earned $115k W2 wages + $68k short term capital gain + $21k rental income - rental deductions. This year no W2 wages + $4.2k long term capital gains + $8k self employment income + $1k in dividends/interest + $21k rental income - rental deductions + car tax (?).
1) I still have to pay the 14% self employment tax on the $8000 which is not deducted by standard deduction. EITC is only half of the 14% self employment tax, up to $560 in my case, leaving me only $560 self employment tax owed. Why doesn't self employment income count towards the standard deduction like capital gains tax does? It seems contributing $6000 out of the $8000 to a traditional IRA also does not deduct self employment tax. Since I have no income this year, is there anything else to decrease my self employment tax to 0 in any way?
2) I bought a car in Jul 2022, but I didn't have to pay any property tax on the car this year, only sales tax amounting to around 4.5% of the sale price. My county also has not sent me a tax bill for the car this year, only the tax bill on my rental property.
3) VA tax department mentioned I might have incorrectly paid $550 in taxes to the state when I didn't need to. I worked entirely in WA in 2017 but for less than 120 days internship, for over 90 days I lived in VA but I was not working and 150 days I was out of the country. But 2017 VA still requires that I file a tax return and I ended up having to pay $550 taxes. But I never worked while living in VA even though my work period in 2017 was only 120 days and those 120 days I was in WA and VA I was only there for 90 days and the rest I was outside the country
