Yes! You can use AI to fill out Form 204B, Statement of Self-Employment Income

Applicants with multiple distinct self-employment activities, such as rideshare driving and freelance graphic design, often consolidate them onto one form to save time. This leads to an inaccurate financial picture for each business, causing the form to be rejected and delaying the processing of benefits. To avoid this, a separate Form 204B must be completed and submitted for each individual type of self-employment.

Many people are accustomed to thinking about their 'take-home' or net profit, so they mistakenly subtract expenses from their income before entering it in the 'Gross Business Income' column. This makes the form incorrect, as the agency needs to see gross figures to apply the correct deductions according to program rules, leading to rejection and delays. Always enter the total income received before any deductions in the income column and list all costs separately in the expense column.

Applicants frequently list personal expenses or costs that are explicitly disallowed by the program, such as depreciation, mileage from home to a primary work site, or the personal portion of a phone bill. This happens due to a misunderstanding of program rules versus general tax rules and results in an incorrect net income calculation and processing delays. Carefully review the list of non-allowable expenses on the form's second page and exclude them from your calculations.

An applicant might write '12 months' in the 'Number of full months' field but then enter a date range like 'January 2023 - January 2024,' which covers 13 months. This simple miscalculation creates confusion for the case worker and requires follow-up for clarification, delaying the application. To prevent this, carefully count the number of full months between your 'From' and 'To' dates to ensure the numbers align perfectly.

The form requires income to be reported in the month it was 'received,' but people often list it in the month the work was completed or invoiced. This can create discrepancies with bank statements and lead to an inaccurate monthly income assessment, potentially delaying benefits. You must record all income in the specific month the payment was actually received, whether by cash, check, or direct deposit.

Forgetting to sign and date the form is one of the most common and easily avoidable mistakes, often happening when an applicant is rushing. An unsigned form is legally invalid and cannot be processed, causing a complete halt to the application until a signed version is submitted. Always perform a final review of the document, paying special attention to the signature and date fields at the bottom.

The instructions state not to enter data for months before the business started, but applicants sometimes fill these rows with '$0' to be thorough. This misrepresents the business's operational history and can confuse the reviewer about the actual start date, requiring clarification. Leave all rows for months prior to your business start date completely blank and only begin entries in the month the business became operational.

In Part 2, if an applicant indicates they have filed federal taxes for the business, they are required to submit a copy of the return and all schedules. People often forget to include these attachments with their submission. This renders the application incomplete, and all processing stops until the necessary documents are provided. If you check 'Yes' for filing taxes, ensure you have a complete copy ready to submit along with the form.

Applicants may answer a 'Yes/No' question in Part 2 but fail to complete the required follow-up field, such as explaining why taxes are not reflective of current income or stating how many months seasonal income is intended to cover. This oversight leaves the form incomplete and requires the agency to contact the applicant for more information, delaying a decision. Read each question carefully and ensure any conditional follow-up fields are fully completed based on your answer.

Data entry errors, such as writing dates in an inconsistent format (e.g., 'Jan 24' vs '01/2024') or omitting dollar signs and cents for monetary values, are very common. These inconsistencies can slow down data processing and lead to calculation errors. To avoid this, use a consistent date format (MM/YYYY) and write all monetary values with dollars and cents (e.g., $525.00). Since this form is a non-fillable PDF, using a tool like Instafill.ai can convert it into a smart, fillable version that helps validate data formats as you type.