Has anyone actually gone through an IRS audit with a QJV? I heard they scrutinize these arrangements more closely to make sure both spouses are genuinely participating in the business. My tax guy said we should keep really good records of the hours we each work and our specific duties.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also considering switching from sole prop to QJV with my spouse. One question I haven't seen addressed - if we make the switch to QJV, do we need to get a new EIN or can we keep using the existing one from the sole proprietorship? Also, how does this affect any business licenses or permits we currently have under the sole prop structure? I'm worried about having to re-apply for everything or notify various agencies about the change.

My return was accepted within minutes too, but then sat in processing for 3 weeks. The WMR tool never updated past the first bar, but my refund suddenly appeared in my account one morning. The system is weird like that sometimes.

Welcome to the waiting game! 😅 That quick "accepted" notification is always exciting but yeah, like others mentioned, it's just the first step. Since you claimed the Child Tax Credit, you're definitely in the PATH Act hold category which means extra processing time. Pro tip: Set up IRS account access now so you can check your transcript in a week or two - it'll show way more detail than the Where's My Refund tool. And don't panic if WMR doesn't update for weeks, that's totally normal. The system is notoriously bad at giving real-time updates, but your refund will come!

I literally just dealt with this same issue. The IRS has a "4-year limitation" for the AOTC. For whatever it's worth, the IRS doesn't actually check which years or where you claimed education credits before - they mostly rely on what you report. But lying would be tax fraud, so I'm not suggesting that!

Great question! I went through something similar a few years ago. Since you completed your undergrad in Canada, you've already used up your 4 years of post-secondary education eligibility for AOTC, which means your master's degree won't qualify regardless of where you do it. The AOTC is specifically for undergraduate education AND limited to your first 4 years of post-secondary education total. For your hypothetical 2021 scenario - if someone finished their bachelor's abroad in 2021, they wouldn't be eligible for AOTC on their 2021 US return unless they were also enrolled in a qualifying US institution during that tax year for undergraduate coursework. The good news is that as a grad student, you should definitely look into the Lifetime Learning Credit instead. It covers graduate education, has no "first 4 years" limitation, and can give you up to $2,000 per year (20% of up to $10,000 in qualified expenses). Just make sure your income doesn't exceed the phase-out limits, which are lower than AOTC limits.

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.