Your dad's situation is definitely fixable, but time is critical here. I agree with the advice to apply for Social Security immediately - don't wait for the tax situation to be resolved first. The SSA can work with his earnings record that employers have been reporting all these years. For the tax side, start by requesting wage and income transcripts from the IRS for all the unfiled years. You can do this online at irs.gov or by calling them (though as others mentioned, getting through can be challenging). These transcripts will show what income was reported by his employers and any taxes withheld. Since he had taxes withheld from his paychecks, he likely doesn't owe anything and may even be due refunds for some years. The key is getting those last 6 years filed to bring him into compliance. Given the complexity and the urgency with his health situation, I'd strongly recommend working with a tax professional who has experience with unfiled returns - they can streamline the process and help avoid costly mistakes. The most important thing is to take action now rather than letting this drag on any longer. Both his Social Security benefits and potential tax refunds are time-sensitive.

I went through almost the exact same situation with my father-in-law two years ago. He hadn't filed in about 18 years and was panicking about Social Security eligibility. Here's what we learned that might help: First, definitely start the Social Security application ASAP as others have mentioned - the earnings record from employers is what matters most for benefits, not tax filings. We were amazed to discover his full work history was already in their system from employer reporting. For the IRS side, we found out that since taxes were withheld from his paychecks the whole time, he actually qualified for what's called "substitute for return" status for many years where the IRS basically filed simplified returns on his behalf. This meant he wasn't in as much trouble as we feared. The real breakthrough came when we got his wage and income transcripts for all the missing years. It showed that for 4 of the years, he was actually owed refunds totaling over $3,200 (though we could only claim the ones from the last 3 years). We ended up only needing to file the last 6 years to get him current, and the whole process took about 3 months working with a tax professional who specialized in unfiled returns. The key was getting started immediately - don't let fear of the IRS paralyze you into waiting longer. Your dad's health situation makes this urgent, but it's absolutely manageable. The government actually wants people to get caught up and claim their benefits!

Hey, Italian-American dual citizen here with personal experience on this exact issue! US taxes are definitely a pain, but it's manageable. For me, I use TurboTax to file each year. It costs about $100 for the version that handles foreign income. I take the Foreign Tax Credit instead of the FEIE because Italian taxes are higher than US taxes, so I never end up owing anything to the US.

As someone who went through this exact situation (dual US-Italian citizen who didn't know about filing requirements), I can tell you it's definitely stressful at first but totally manageable once you understand the system. The key thing is don't wait any longer - the longer you put it off, the more anxiety it causes. I was terrified for months before I finally dealt with it, and it turned out to be much less complicated than I imagined. Since you mentioned you're 24 and have never filed, you'll likely need to use the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures that others mentioned. This is specifically designed for people in your situation who didn't know about the requirements. A few practical tips from my experience: - Gather all your Italian tax documents (they'll help show you've been paying taxes somewhere) - Make a list of all your bank accounts and their highest balances during each year - Don't stress about giving up citizenship yet - most dual citizens find the annual filing is just paperwork, not actual tax owed The Italian tax system is generally more aggressive than the US system, so between the Foreign Tax Credit and FEIE, you'll probably end up owing nothing. But yes, you still need to file the paperwork annually going forward. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about the Italy-US situation!

I'd also recommend checking if your boyfriend qualifies for Head of Household filing status if he claims your daughter. Since he's been supporting both of you and your daughter lived there all year, he might be eligible which could lower his tax rate significantly. Just make sure he understands that claiming a dependent is a serious responsibility - the IRS can audit and request proof of support, so keep all those receipts for rent, food, medical expenses, etc. Also worth mentioning that if you're receiving any government benefits based on being a single parent, releasing your claim to him could potentially affect those benefits, so double check that too.

One more important thing to consider - if your boyfriend does claim your daughter and gets the Child Tax Credit, make sure he also looks into the Child and Dependent Care Credit if he's paying for any daycare or childcare expenses while you're in school. That could be additional tax savings on top of the dependency exemption and Child Tax Credit. Also, since you mentioned you're a full-time student, you might want to check if you qualify for education credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit on your own return - just because you're releasing the dependency claim doesn't mean you can't still claim your own education expenses. The tax code can work in your favor in multiple ways if you plan it right!

I went through something very similar with Venmo earlier this year! The SSN request is standard when you hit certain transaction thresholds - it's required for tax reporting purposes, not because they think you're earning income. A few key points from my experience: - Personal reimbursements are NOT taxable income, even if you get a 1099-K - Keep records of your original expenses (hotel, flights, meals, etc.) to show these were legitimate trip costs - If you do get a 1099-K, you'll need to address it on your tax return but can offset it completely by showing these were reimbursements The documentation doesn't have to be perfect - even credit card statements showing you paid for group expenses initially will help establish that friends were just paying you back. I kept screenshots of the payment app transactions with their notes/descriptions too. Don't stress about providing your SSN to Facebook Pay - it's just a compliance requirement. The real key is proper documentation in case you need to explain things to the IRS later.

I've been through this exact situation with multiple payment apps! The SSN request is totally normal - Facebook Pay (now Meta Pay) is legally required to collect this information when you reach certain transaction thresholds for potential tax reporting. Here's what you need to know: - Personal reimbursements are NOT taxable income, period - Even if you receive a 1099-K form, you won't owe taxes on money friends paid you back - The key is proper documentation showing these were legitimate expense reimbursements For your records, keep: - Receipts/statements showing you originally paid for trip expenses - Screenshots of the Facebook Pay transactions with any notes about what they were for - A simple list matching each payment to the original expense it covered If you do get a 1099-K, you'll report it on your tax return but then subtract the same amount as "nontaxable personal reimbursements" - so zero net tax impact. Don't stress about providing your SSN, it's just a compliance requirement. The important thing is having documentation that shows these payments were just friends settling up trip expenses, not income you earned.

Just want to add my 2 cents as someone who works at a credit union. The W-9 process for most banks is super simple now - usually just entering your SSN and checking a box during the online application. If it makes you feel better, the bank already has your SSN and tax info if you have other accounts with them. The W-9 requirement is just a formality to make sure they have proper documentation for IRS compliance. Don't overthink it! High yield savings accounts are great for building money, and the tax stuff is actually pretty straightforward. You'll get a 1099-INT in January showing your interest earned, and you just enter that amount on your tax return. It literally takes 2 minutes.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! This has cleared up so much confusion for me. I was definitely overthinking the whole W-9 situation. @Malik Johnson - your explanation about the difference between W-9 and 1099 forms was super clear. I get it now - W-9 is what I fill out when opening the account, and 1099-INT is what I'll receive later showing my interest income. That makes perfect sense! @Anastasia Sokolov - I had no idea about the backup withholding thing! That's definitely motivation to make sure I fill out the W-9 correctly. 24% is a lot to have withheld, even if I'd get it back eventually. @Sean O'Connor - it's reassuring to hear from someone who works at a financial institution that this is all routine. You're right that I'm probably overthinking it. I think I'm ready to move forward with opening the Capital One HYSA now. I'll make sure to use my full name exactly as it appears on my Social Security card when filling out the W-9. Thanks again for all the guidance - this community is awesome!