Your situation is actually pretty common, and the answer is clear - if you're married and filing a joint return with your spouse, you cannot be claimed as a dependent on your mom's tax return. The IRS Joint Return Test specifically prevents this, regardless of who paid for your education expenses. However, there's an important point about your spouse's documentation that others have mentioned. If your spouse doesn't have an SSN yet, you'll need to get an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to file jointly. This requires submitting Form W-7 with your tax return, and the process can take 7-11 weeks. Given the timing, you might want to file an extension to avoid missing the deadline. As for your mom, she may still be able to claim education credits for the tuition she paid directly to your school, even without claiming you as a dependent. The Lifetime Learning Credit or American Opportunity Tax Credit might be available to her if she meets the income requirements. This could be a good compromise - she gets some tax benefit for helping with your education, but you still file correctly with your spouse. I'd suggest having a calm conversation with your mom explaining that this isn't about choosing sides, but about following tax law correctly. Her accountant should understand these rules, and if they don't, that's concerning.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago when I got married! My dad was insisting his accountant could claim me as a dependent even though I was married filing jointly, and it caused a huge family argument. The bottom line is that the IRS rules are very clear on this - if you're married and filing a joint return, you cannot be claimed as a dependent by anyone else. Period. The Joint Return Test is one of the qualifying tests for dependency, and filing jointly automatically disqualifies you. What helped resolve things with my family was explaining that this wasn't about me choosing not to help them with taxes - it's literally against federal tax law. Your mom's accountant should absolutely know this rule, and if they don't, that's a red flag about their competence. The good news is that your mom can still benefit from paying your tuition! She can likely claim education credits directly (like the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit) for expenses she paid to your school, even without claiming you as a dependent. This might actually be better for her tax-wise anyway. I'd suggest sitting down with your mom and maybe even offering to help her find a more knowledgeable tax preparer if her current accountant is giving incorrect advice about such a basic dependency rule.

Has anyone actually tried telling the IRS they just don't have the money? Like what happens if you literally can't pay?

I went through something similar last year - owed about $11k in self-employment taxes and was frantically looking for ways to reduce it. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, charitable donations won't help with your current tax debt since they're deductions, not credits, and they only apply to future tax years anyway. What helped me was actually going through all my business expenses with a fine-tooth comb to make sure I hadn't missed any legitimate deductions when I originally filed. Things like home office expenses, business meals, professional development courses, even subscriptions to industry publications - it all adds up. I ended up finding about $2,800 in deductions I had overlooked and filed an amended return. For the remaining balance, I set up a payment plan with the IRS. The monthly payment was much more manageable than trying to come up with the lump sum, and the penalties/interest weren't as bad as I expected. The key is to contact them before they start collection actions - they're actually pretty reasonable to work with if you're proactive about it.

Great thread! I went through this same process last year when I incorporated my app business in Ontario. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of exactly what types of transactions I was processing through the App Store - Apple's revenue reports can be quite detailed if you dig into them. For the W-8BEN-E form, I found Part II (disregarded entity or branch receiving the payment) was often left blank for simple Canadian corporations, but make sure you understand whether this applies to your situation. Also, don't forget that once you file the W-8BEN-E, it's generally valid for three years unless your circumstances change significantly. One gotcha I ran into: if you ever take on US investors or partners, you'll need to update your beneficial ownership information and potentially refile. The form is tied to your ownership structure, not just your corporate registration location. For anyone still struggling with the classification between business profits vs royalties, I'd recommend documenting your decision-making process. The CRA and IRS generally want to see that you've made a reasonable, consistent interpretation of the treaty provisions.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in the early stages of incorporating my app business in Alberta and this W-8BEN-E stuff has been keeping me up at night. One question I haven't seen addressed - does the timing of when you file the W-8BEN-E with Apple matter? I'm still operating as a sole proprietor right now but plan to incorporate next month. Should I wait until after incorporation to file the corporate form, or can I file it in advance? Also, for those who've been through this - how long does it typically take Apple to process the form and start applying the correct withholding rates? I want to make sure I time this right so I don't end up with messy tax situations spanning across my transition from individual to corporate status. The breakdown of business profits vs royalties that @Sophia Gabriel provided is super valuable - I had no idea there were different rates for different types of app revenue streams!

idk why they make this stuff so complicated. like why cant they just tell us what we owe instead of making us guess 🤔

Just to clarify what others have said - if you got a 1099-G for your state refund, you only report it as income if you itemized deductions the year you paid those state taxes AND got a tax benefit from deducting them. If you took the standard deduction that year, the refund isn't taxable income. HR Block should walk you through this, but it's good to understand the why behind it!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My California state refund has been showing "authorized" since Wednesday and it's now Friday with nothing in my Wells Fargo account yet. Reading through these comments is actually really helpful - sounds like 2-3 business days is pretty normal, so I'm trying to be patient. The suggestion about checking early morning makes sense. I've been obsessively checking throughout the day but maybe I should just check once in the morning instead of driving myself crazy. It's so nerve-wracking when you're counting on that money for bills though! Has anyone noticed if the timing is different during busy tax season versus later in the year? I'm wondering if April refunds take longer to process than usual.

I'm dealing with this same issue right now - my Nevada state refund has been "authorized" for 4 business days and still nothing in my Wells Fargo account. It's so frustrating when you need that money for bills! Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring though. It sounds like 2-4 business days is pretty normal, and I'm seeing that California and Texas folks are having similar timelines with Wells Fargo. One thing I noticed is that my federal refund came through much faster (like 24 hours after approval), but apparently state refunds just process differently. The early morning checking tip is gold - I've been refreshing my app all day like a crazy person! Going to try just checking once around 6am from now on to save my sanity. For anyone else waiting, it seems like the "authorized" status is actually a good sign that everything is moving along normally, just slower than we'd like. Hang in there!