I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! Federal agency internships can be really confusing tax-wise. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given - make sure you're tracking your mileage for any work-related travel during the internship period. The IRS standard mileage rate for 2023 was 65.5 cents per mile, so even short trips to pick up supplies or attend meetings can add up to meaningful deductions. Also, since you mentioned working unpaid overtime, if you had to purchase any meals during those extended work hours (like grabbing dinner because you were working late), those might qualify as deductible business meals at 50% of the cost. Keep any receipts you still have! For future reference, it's worth documenting everything in real-time when you're in these gray-area employment situations. I learned this lesson the hard way too. Good luck getting through this - the self-employment learning curve is steep but you'll figure it out!

This whole situation sounds incredibly frustrating, and unfortunately it's more common than it should be with federal internships. The lack of proper documentation from your agency is really problematic, but you're on the right track with Schedule C. A few additional deductions you might want to consider that haven't been mentioned yet: - Professional clothing or uniforms required specifically for this internship - Any books, journals, or research materials you purchased for your work - Parking fees at the federal facility (if applicable) - Any software licenses beyond Adobe that you needed - Professional association memberships if required for your field - Bank fees related to setting up accounts for your stipend payments Since you mentioned working in a different state, don't forget that you might need to file state returns in both your home state and the state where you worked. Some states have reciprocity agreements, but others don't. One more thing - document everything thoroughly and keep copies of all your records. Federal agencies sometimes get audited more frequently, and having solid documentation will protect you if questions arise later. The IRS is generally understanding about situations like yours where the employer doesn't provide proper documentation, as long as you're reporting the income accurately and can substantiate your deductions. Hang in there - this experience will make you much more tax-savvy for any future self-employment situations!

Word of warning about IRS Free File Fillable Forms that some people suggested: they're pretty buggy. I tried using them last year and ran into several glitches where calculations didn't transfer correctly between forms. I ended up having to redo everything in TurboTax anyway. If your return is simple, they might work fine, but for anything moderately complex (itemized deductions, multiple income sources, etc.) you might save yourself a headache by using proper tax software from the start.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! This thread has been incredibly informative. I had no idea that the IRS doesn't accept PDF uploads directly - that would have saved me a lot of confusion from the start. Based on what I've read here, I think I'm going to try the taxr.ai service that @Jamal Wilson mentioned first, since it seems designed exactly for my situation of having already completed the forms. If that doesn't work out well, I'll fall back to either finding a local tax pro for review and e-filing (great suggestion @Fatima Al-Suwaidi) or just biting the bullet and re-entering everything into proper tax software. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain the technical limitations and share their experiences. This community is awesome!

Connor, you're definitely on the right track with Scenario 2! I went through a very similar situation last year with multiple betting platforms and can confirm that you aggregate all your gambling activities together when filing taxes. Your math is correct - you'd report $24,500 in total gambling winnings as income, then deduct $21,300 in total losses if you itemize deductions. This results in $3,200 of net taxable gambling income, which is much better than paying taxes on the full $7,800 from FanDuel alone. The key decision you'll need to make is whether itemizing deductions is worth it for your overall tax situation. You'll need your total itemized deductions (gambling losses plus mortgage interest, state taxes, charitable donations, etc.) to exceed the standard deduction for your filing status. If they don't, you'd unfortunately have to pay taxes on the full $24,500 in winnings even though your actual profit was only $3,200. I'd recommend running the numbers both ways before deciding how to file. Also, make sure to download comprehensive records from both FanDuel and DraftKings - including any detailed transaction histories they provide - since good documentation is crucial for gambling deductions. The annual statements are usually sufficient, but having backup records gives you extra peace of mind if you ever face an audit. Good luck with your filing, and definitely consider setting up a simple tracking system going forward to make next year's taxes easier!

Connor, everyone here has given you excellent advice about aggregating your gambling winnings and losses across platforms. I just wanted to add one practical tip that saved me a lot of headaches when I was in a similar situation. Since you're right on the edge where the itemization decision could make or break your tax strategy, I'd recommend using tax software or consulting with a tax professional to run both scenarios (itemizing vs. standard deduction) before you file. The difference in your tax liability could be substantial - potentially thousands of dollars depending on your other deductions. Also, for future reference, consider keeping a simple running tally of your gambling losses throughout the year. This helps you make more informed decisions about your betting activity and whether you're likely to benefit from itemizing when tax time comes around. If you know early in the year that you're going to be itemizing anyway, you can plan other deductible expenses accordingly. One last thing - make sure to keep digital copies of all your records in multiple places (cloud storage, email, etc.). I learned this the hard way when one of my betting platforms changed their record retention policy and I almost lost access to some transaction history. Better safe than sorry when it comes to IRS documentation!

I'm also navigating this as someone relatively new to the US tax system, and I wanted to add something that helped me understand the bigger picture. The W9 is part of what's called "backup withholding" prevention. Essentially, if the bank doesn't have your correct taxpayer identification number (SSN) on file, they're required by law to withhold 24% of any interest or other payments they make to you and send it directly to the IRS. By filling out the W9 correctly, you're preventing this automatic withholding. Even though you don't have income right now, this protects you if the account ever earns interest in the future. Without the W9, that 24% would be automatically withheld from any interest payments, and you'd have to claim it back when filing taxes - which is just unnecessary paperwork and hassle. So think of the W9 as protecting your future self from automatic tax withholding, rather than creating any new tax obligations. It's actually working in your favor by ensuring you keep control over your money rather than having the bank automatically send portions to the IRS. This perspective helped me feel better about all the banking paperwork when I was getting established here. Hope it helps you too!

I want to add another perspective that might help ease your concerns about the W9 - this is actually one of the simpler tax-related forms you'll encounter in the US system! The W9 is basically just asking for information the bank already has about you anyway: your name, address, and SSN. There are no complex calculations, no income reporting, and no decisions to make about deductions or filing status. You're literally just confirming information that's already in your file. As someone who has been through the US immigration process, I can tell you that compared to the paperwork you've probably already dealt with for your SSN application and immigration documentation, the W9 is refreshingly straightforward. It's a single page that takes about 2 minutes to complete. The fact that you're asking these thoughtful questions shows you're being appropriately careful, but don't let the unfamiliarity of the US system make this seem more complicated than it is. Once you fill it out and submit it, you'll probably wonder why you were worried about such a simple form! Keep that same careful approach as you learn the US tax system, but know that this particular step is one of the easier ones you'll encounter.

Just went through this exact situation myself! The key thing to remember is that state tax residency is based on where you physically lived and worked, not where your employer withheld taxes from your paycheck. You'll definitely need to file part-year returns in both states. For documentation, I'd recommend gathering your lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements showing address changes, and even things like voter registration or driver's license updates that show your actual move date. One thing that helped me was creating a simple timeline document showing exactly when I moved, when I notified my employer, and the pay periods affected. This made it much clearer when filling out the state forms. Most states have pretty clear instructions for part-year residents - you just need to be precise about the dates. Don't stress too much about the withholding mismatch. The states are used to this situation and have processes to handle it. You'll likely get a refund from your old state for the excess withholding after you moved.

This is a really common situation that trips up a lot of people! The good news is that state tax systems are designed to handle exactly this scenario. You're absolutely right to be concerned about the mismatch, but don't try to manually adjust anything on your own. Here's what you should do: 1. File part-year resident returns in both states for 2024 2. Enter your W-2 information exactly as it appears - don't modify the state withholding amounts 3. On each state's return, indicate your actual residency dates (when you moved) 4. The states will calculate what you actually owe based on your residency period, not the withholding amounts Your old state will likely issue you a refund for the taxes withheld after you moved, since you weren't a resident during that time. Your new state will calculate what you owe from your move date forward. Make sure to keep documentation of your move date (lease agreements, utility transfers, etc.) and consider using tax software that specifically handles multi-state situations - it will walk you through the process and ensure everything is allocated correctly. The key is letting the states sort out the withholding discrepancies rather than trying to fix it yourself, which could actually create more problems.