This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm actually in a slightly different situation - I'm a US citizen living abroad (Japan) who got accepted into TikTok's creator program, and I was confused about whether I needed to do anything special for the TIN requirement since I already have a Social Security Number. After reading through all these experiences with ITINs, I realize I probably just need to provide my SSN and fill out a W-9 form since I'm still a US person for tax purposes. But now I'm wondering about the tax implications of earning TikTok income while living overseas - do I need to worry about Japanese taxes on this income too? Has anyone dealt with being a US citizen abroad in creator programs? I'm worried about getting hit with taxes in both countries, especially since Japan has pretty high tax rates. The foreign earned income exclusion probably doesn't apply to social media income, right? Would love any insights from other expat creators or anyone who understands the cross-border tax situation!

Great thread everyone! I'm actually a tax professional who specializes in international tax compliance, and I wanted to add a few important points that might help people avoid common mistakes: **For ITIN applications**: Make sure your supporting documents are properly authenticated. If you're using a CAA, they should handle this, but if you're mailing directly to the IRS, documents need to be either originals or certified copies from the issuing authority - NOT just notarized copies. **Important timing consideration**: The IRS has been experiencing significant delays lately. While the official processing time is 7-11 weeks, I've seen ITIN applications take 12-16 weeks recently. Factor this into your planning with TikTok. **Tax treaty benefits**: Don't assume you qualify for reduced withholding rates just because your country has a tax treaty with the US. Many treaties have specific requirements about the type of income and your tax residence status. Read the treaty provisions carefully or consult a professional. **Record keeping**: Start tracking your expenses related to content creation NOW - equipment, software, internet costs, etc. These are legitimate business deductions that can significantly reduce your US tax liability. The tools mentioned like taxr.ai can be helpful for getting organized, but make sure you understand the underlying tax principles rather than just following automated guidance blindly. Every situation is unique!

I went through this exact same headache about two months ago and can share what actually happened in my case. Like you, I had filed with a new address but the IRS website was still showing my old one, which had me really stressed about where they'd send my verification letter. The good news is they sent it to the address on my most recent tax return (the new one), not what was showing on their website. It took about 9 days to arrive after I requested it online. The letter comes in a white envelope from "Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service" so it's pretty easy to identify. One thing that really helped ease my anxiety was calling the IRS directly to confirm which address they had as "active" in their system for mailing purposes. Yes, the hold times are brutal (I waited almost 2 hours), but the agent was able to tell me definitively that they use the address from your most recently processed return for all correspondence, regardless of what their website displays. Since you filed on February 3rd, that return should definitely be fully processed by now. If you need immediate access and don't want to wait for the mail, I'd strongly recommend trying the ID.me verification route through their website. It's much faster and completely bypasses the address issue altogether. Just have your driver's license ready for the online verification process.

I actually just resolved this exact situation last week! Filed my 2023 return on January 28th with a new address after moving, but my IRS account online was still showing my old address from 2022. I was panicking about where they'd send my identity verification letter. Here's what happened: The verification letter went to the address on my 2023 tax return (the new address), NOT what was displayed on their website. It took exactly 8 business days to arrive after I requested it through their online portal. The key thing to understand is that the IRS has multiple systems that don't sync in real-time. Their mailing/correspondence system pulls from your most recently PROCESSED return, while their website might lag by weeks or even months in updating your profile information. Since you filed on February 3rd, your return is definitely processed by now, so they'll use that address. The letter comes in a standard white envelope with "Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service" clearly printed as the return address - it's pretty unmistakable. If you're still anxious about it, I'd recommend either calling the IRS to confirm (prepare for a long wait) or trying the ID.me verification route which bypasses mail entirely and gives you instant access. I ended up doing ID.me for a different tax issue and it was surprisingly smooth - just needed my driver's license and took about 15 minutes total. Hope this helps ease your stress about it!

Make sure you're also aware of FBAR filing requirements if you open foreign bank accounts while abroad! Those forms have nothing to do with taxes you owe but have huge penalties if you fail to file.

Form 673 can be really helpful in your situation, but I'd recommend being cautious about timing. Since you just moved abroad a month ago, you're still early in the process of establishing foreign residence. One approach that worked for me was to submit the 673 but also set up quarterly estimated tax payments as a safety net. That way, if something changes and you don't end up qualifying for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, you're not hit with a massive tax bill plus penalties. Also, make sure your employer's payroll system can actually handle the 673 properly - some foreign companies that process US withholding aren't familiar with this form and might need guidance on how to implement it correctly. You might want to follow up with their HR/payroll team to confirm they know what to do with it once you submit it.

I've been dealing with this exact same "Audit Status Unavailable" error for about 5 weeks now and it's absolutely maddening! Got my audit letter right before the holidays and thought it would be a quick check online to see what's going on, but nope - that error message every single time. I've probably called the main IRS line 12 times with zero success. This thread has been incredibly helpful though! I had no clue about Form 911 or that there were actual physical TAS offices. @Sofia Perez and @Jamal Washington - your advice about TAS is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm definitely going to try the examination department number from my audit letter instead of wasting more time on the main line. The "system modernization delays" explanation from @Axel Far actually makes me feel a bit better knowing there's a reason for this chaos, even if the IRS communication about it is terrible. Planning to file Form 911 this week and see if I can get an appointment at my local TAS office. Will definitely report back with results - this community support is honestly way better than any official help I've gotten so far!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! Got my audit letter about 6 weeks ago and that "Audit Status Unavailable" error has been haunting me ever since. I've called the main IRS line so many times I've lost count - always either disconnected or hours on hold with no results. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening though! I had absolutely no idea about Form 911 or TAS offices - @Sofia Perez and @Jamal Washington, thank you so much for sharing those solutions! The "system modernization delays" explanation from @Axel Far actually makes me feel less crazy about this whole situation. I'm definitely going to try calling the examination department number directly from my audit letter instead of wasting more time with their useless main line. Also planning to file Form 911 and look for my local TAS office ASAP. It's honestly ridiculous that their online systems are this broken and they're not communicating about it publicly. This thread has been more helpful than anything official I've found - will definitely report back with results!

Great advice from everyone here! I wanted to add one thing that helped me tremendously when I started my vintage vinyl side business - keeping a dedicated business bank account and credit card. It makes tracking so much easier come tax time. Even though you're just starting out, separating your personal and business finances will save you hours of sorting through transactions later. Use the business account/card for ALL business expenses - inventory purchases, booth fees, supplies, gas for sourcing trips, everything. Then your bank statements become a perfect record of your business activity. Also, consider getting a simple bookkeeping app like QuickBooks Self-Employed or even just a spreadsheet template. I track every purchase with photos of receipts and notes about what I bought and where. When tax time comes, everything is already categorized and ready to go. The few extra minutes each week saves massive headaches in April! One more tip - start building relationships with other vendors at your markets. They're often happy to share tax strategies and might even refer customers to you. The vintage community is surprisingly supportive once you become a regular face at the markets.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping records for at least 3-7 years after filing. The IRS can audit returns up to 3 years after filing (6 years if you underreport income by 25% or more), so keep all your receipts, mileage logs, inventory records, and bank statements organized and accessible. I'd also recommend setting up a simple filing system now - either physical folders or digital scans organized by year and category (inventory purchases, business expenses, market fees, etc.). It seems like extra work when you're busy sourcing and selling, but trust me, having everything organized will save you massive stress if you ever get audited or just need to reference old records for tax planning. Since you're tracking sales through Square, make sure you're downloading and backing up those reports regularly. Payment processors can have data retention limits, and you don't want to lose months of sales records because you didn't download them in time. Also consider joining your local small business association or vintage reseller groups - they often have tax workshops specifically for small business owners that can be incredibly helpful for staying current on tax law changes that affect resellers.