Just to add a data point - I've been in this exact situation (work in Nevada, live in Arizona) for 3 years. I use FreeTaxUSA and it handles it perfectly. You're right that Nevada has no state income tax so you only need to file an Arizona return, but you do need to report all your income to Arizona since you're a resident. One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you spend a lot on gas for that commute, keep track of those expenses! While you can't deduct commuting expenses generally, if your employer reimburses you for any business travel (separate from commuting), that could be tax-relevant.

Great thread! I'm actually a tax preparer and wanted to clarify a few things I'm seeing in the responses. You're absolutely correct that Nevada has no state income tax, so ignore any "withholding" you think you're seeing for Nevada state taxes - that's likely something else on your paystub. Since you're an Arizona resident, you'll file a full Arizona resident return reporting ALL your income, including what you earned in Nevada. Arizona taxes you on worldwide income as a resident. A few practical tips: 1) Consider asking your employer to withhold additional federal taxes that you can apply toward your Arizona state tax liability, 2) You might want to make estimated quarterly payments to Arizona to avoid underpayment penalties, and 3) Keep excellent records of your work location if you ever work from home in Arizona - those days create Arizona-sourced income. The standard tax software like TurboTax, H&R Block, or FreeTaxUSA can absolutely handle this situation. You don't need a professional unless you have other complicating factors. This is actually one of the simpler multi-state scenarios since Nevada has no income tax!

Since you're dealing with an international situation and this is your first time filing US taxes, I'd recommend also checking if you qualify for any tax treaty benefits between the US and your home country. Many countries have agreements that can reduce or eliminate tax on certain types of income like bank bonuses. Also, keep in mind that as a J-1 visa holder, you might be considered a "nonresident alien" for tax purposes even if you were physically present in the US for several months. This could affect which forms you need to file (possibly Form 1040NR instead of regular 1040) and how your income is taxed. Before you spend too much time chasing down the 1099-INT, it might be worth consulting with someone who specializes in international tax situations to make sure you're filing the right forms altogether. The tax treatment for temporary visa holders can be quite different from regular residents.

As someone who went through a similar situation with missing tax documents after my exchange program, I'd suggest trying a multi-pronged approach. First, definitely call Chase directly - but be persistent. Sometimes the first representative can't help, so don't hesitate to ask to be transferred to their tax documents department specifically. When you call, have your account number, SSN, and the dates you were in the US ready. Second, check your Chase online account again but look under "Statements" rather than just "Tax Documents" - sometimes the 1099-INT information appears in your year-end account statements even if the dedicated tax section isn't working. If you absolutely can't get the form, you can file without it using the $475 amount you know. The IRS already has Chase's copy, so as long as your reported amount matches theirs, you'll be fine. Just document your attempts to obtain the form (save emails, note phone call dates/times). One more thing - since you mentioned this is your first US tax filing and you're on a J-1 visa, double-check whether you should be filing Form 1040NR (for nonresident aliens) instead of the regular 1040. The filing requirements can be different for temporary visa holders, and it might affect how this bonus income is treated.

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same situation! I'm 64 and just filed for Social Security last month, with a 457b from my county job that I need to start tapping into soon. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea about the timing strategy for the year you reach full retirement age, or that Roth vs traditional 457b doesn't matter for the earnings test. The systematic withdrawal plan idea sounds perfect for my situation too. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen addressed - if you're married and your spouse is also receiving Social Security, do their 457b distributions affect YOUR benefits at all? Or is the earnings test calculated completely individually? My husband is 66 and already at full retirement age, but he's considering starting withdrawals from his 457b plan too. I want to make sure his decisions don't accidentally impact my benefit calculations while I'm still under the earnings limit. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences here. It's so much more helpful than the generic information you find on government websites!

I'm 65 and went through this same situation last year - yes, 457b distributions definitely count as income for the Social Security earnings test when you're taking benefits before full retirement age. What really helped me was calling my 457b administrator to ask about setting up quarterly distributions instead of annual lump sums. This way I could better control my timing and stay under the $21,840 limit (for 2025). One thing that surprised me was learning that the month you receive the distribution matters, not when you request it. So if you submit a withdrawal request in December but the check doesn't arrive until January, it counts toward the next year's earnings limit. This timing detail saved me from accidentally going over the limit in my first year of collecting Social Security. Also, keep really good records of exactly when each distribution hits your bank account. The Social Security Administration will eventually cross-check this with your tax returns, so having documentation helps avoid any confusion about which year the income should be counted in. I use a simple calendar to mark distribution dates and running totals throughout the year.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! The consolidated 1099 forms from investment accounts can be really misleading when they show partial information like this. What you're seeing with only box 6 (acquisition premium) having a value is actually completely normal and doesn't require any reporting on your tax return. The acquisition premium is essentially an adjustment that would reduce OID income if you had any - but since boxes 1-3 are empty (no actual OID income), there's nothing to adjust or report. I made the mistake of overthinking this situation and spent way too much time researching before realizing it's much simpler than it appears. Your tax software should handle this correctly when you input the information exactly as shown on your consolidated form. The reason brokerages include these "partial" forms is because they're required to provide all potentially relevant tax information, even if it doesn't actually impact your taxes. It's their way of covering all the bases rather than trying to filter what's important for each individual taxpayer. Save that 1099-OID page with your tax records for documentation purposes, but don't stress about the reporting - you're all set!

I'm new to investment tax forms and just went through this same confusion with my brokerage account! Got a consolidated 1099 with a 1099-OID section that only had box 6 filled in, and I was completely lost about whether I needed to report it. After reading through all these responses, I feel so much better understanding that acquisition premium by itself (just box 6) doesn't create any tax reporting obligation. The analogies about unused coupons or discount codes really helped it click for me - you can't use an adjustment if there's no income to adjust! It's frustrating that these forms are so confusing for regular taxpayers, but I appreciate how everyone here took the time to explain the situation clearly. Definitely saving this thread for future reference when I inevitably get confused by next year's investment forms. Thanks to this community for making tax season a little less stressful!

Thanks for starting this discussion - this is such an important topic that many people don't think about until it's too late! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I converted my primary residence to a rental for a few years and now I'm back living in it. One thing I want to emphasize is that the IRS computer systems have become incredibly sophisticated at matching data. When you eventually sell, they'll receive a 1099-S showing the sale price, and their systems can cross-reference that against your historical Schedule E filings to look for potential depreciation recapture situations. The key thing to remember is that depreciation recapture is calculated on the LESSER of: (1) the total depreciation you claimed (or should have claimed) during the rental period, or (2) the gain on the sale. So even if your property appreciates significantly by 2035, you're only paying recapture tax on that 2.5 years worth of depreciation, not the entire gain. My advice would be to create a simple spreadsheet now documenting your rental period dates, the property's basis when converted to rental, and the annual depreciation amounts. Even if you lose your tax returns, having this basic information will help you (or your tax preparer) reconstruct the numbers accurately when the time comes. The peace of mind is worth the small effort now!

This is such a valuable discussion! As someone who works in tax compliance, I want to add a few practical points that might help with your long-term planning. First, regarding IRS record keeping - while they officially keep records for about 7 years, their property transaction matching systems have become much more sophisticated. They maintain databases that can cross-reference 1099-S forms (property sales) with historical Schedule E filings going back much further than 7 years. So yes, they absolutely can and do catch depreciation recapture issues even from many years ago. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the Section 121 exclusion interaction. Since this was your primary residence before and after the rental period, you may be able to exclude up to $250K (single) or $500K (married) of gain when you sell - but this doesn't apply to the depreciation recapture portion. That will always be taxable at the 25% rate (under current law). My recommendation would be to treat this as a compliance issue, not a "will they catch me" gamble. Create that documentation spreadsheet others have mentioned, but also consider filing Form 3115 (Application for Change in Accounting Method) if you realize you calculated depreciation incorrectly in those years. This lets you fix errors proactively and often reduces penalties. The peace of mind of having everything properly documented and calculated is worth far more than any potential tax savings from hoping it gets overlooked.