Has anyone considered the impact of the assisted living facility costs on tax planning? When I went through this with my mother-in-law, we were able to deduct some of her medical care costs which helped offset some of the capital gains tax from selling her house. Might be worth looking into as part of your overall strategy.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now with my father's property that I purchased through the Family Opportunity Mortgage program about 2 years ago. One thing I learned from my tax advisor that might help you is to start gathering all your documentation now, especially any improvement receipts and maintenance records. Since you mentioned your mom pays what she can each month, make sure you're properly documenting this as rental income on your taxes if you haven't already. The IRS expects consistency in how you treat the property - if you've been claiming it as a rental (which it technically is since she pays you rent), that actually supports the position that it's an investment property rather than a personal residence. Also, don't forget about depreciation recapture when you sell. If you've been taking depreciation deductions on the property as a rental, you'll need to pay that back at a 25% rate on top of any capital gains. Your timeline of selling next year gives you time to plan for this tax hit - maybe consider spreading the sale across tax years if possible or timing it with other losses to offset the gains. The medical care angle for your mom's move to assisted living is interesting, but as others mentioned, it typically needs to apply to the property owner (you) rather than the resident. Worth exploring with a tax professional though!

This is a really complex situation, and I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences! One thing I'd add is to check if your relocation agreement has any provisions for "constructive receipt" versus actual receipt of funds. Some companies structure relocation packages where you don't technically receive the money until certain conditions are met (like completing a minimum employment period). If your agreement is structured this way, you might not have taxable income until you actually earn the right to keep the money. However, if you've already received the $13,500 directly (like a lump sum payment), then it's likely already considered taxable income regardless of future repayment obligations. Also, consider consulting with a tax professional who specializes in employment tax issues rather than just a general tax preparer. These multi-state, multi-employer relocation situations can have state tax implications too, especially since you're dealing with Oregon and California which have different tax rules. The timing advice from Katherine is spot-on - same tax year repayment is definitely the cleanest approach if you can swing it. Good luck with your moves!

Great discussion here! I wanted to add something that might be relevant to your specific situation - since you're dealing with such a short employment period (3 months) in Oregon, you should also verify whether your employer will even process the W-2 adjustment if you repay in the same tax year. Some payroll systems have cutoff dates for adjustments, and with only 3 months of employment, there might be complications with how they handle the reversal. I've seen cases where short-term employees had to repay relocation funds but the employer's payroll vendor couldn't process the adjustment properly, leaving the employee to deal with it entirely through tax filings. Also, given that you're moving from Oregon to California, be aware that California is particularly aggressive about establishing tax residency. If you receive the California relocation money while still technically an Oregon resident, but then establish California residency quickly, both states might try to tax portions of your income. California has a "safe harbor" rule that if you're in the state for more than 9 months in a tax year, you're presumed to be a resident for the entire year. Document everything about your residency timeline - lease agreements, utility connections, voter registration changes, etc. This will be crucial if either state questions your residency status during the periods when you received relocation funds.

I went through a similar situation last year and ended up going with TurboTax for their $4000 advance. Since you mentioned you've been using TurboTax for years, that history definitely helps with approval. I had a credit score in the low 600s and still got approved for $3800 out of the maximum $4000. The key thing is making sure your expected refund is substantial enough - which sounds like it will be with three kids and the Child Tax Credit. They typically want to see your refund will be at least double the advance amount as a safety buffer. One tip: when you're going through their advance application, make sure all your income information is as accurate as possible. I noticed they cross-reference your W-2 data, and any discrepancies can slow down or complicate approval. The process was really quick for me - I completed my return, applied for the advance, and had approval within 2 hours. The money was in my account via direct deposit the next morning. The $120 prep fee was reasonable considering the convenience of getting money weeks before the IRS would have sent my refund. Given your situation with needing the money ASAP and your history with TurboTax, I'd say stick with them for the higher advance amount. Good luck with everything!

I've been in a similar tight spot and understand the urgency! Based on my experience, TurboTax would be your best bet for a few reasons: First, your long history with them absolutely helps. When I applied last year, the customer service rep mentioned that returning customers with consistent filing patterns get prioritized in their approval process. Since your tax info is already in their system, there's less risk of data entry errors that could delay approval. Second, with three kids and an $8500 refund last year, you should easily qualify for their full $4000 advance. They typically approve the maximum when your expected refund is more than double the advance amount, which yours clearly is. The approval process is usually very fast - I got mine in under 4 hours on a weekday. Just make sure when you're entering your W-2 information that everything matches exactly what's on the forms. Even small typos can trigger additional verification steps. One thing to keep in mind: if you're claiming the Child Tax Credit (which it sounds like you are), that can sometimes add an extra day or two to the approval process since they verify eligibility more carefully. But with your track record of claiming it successfully in previous years, this shouldn't be an issue. The peace of mind of getting $4000 instead of $3500 when you're in an emergency situation makes the choice pretty clear. Hope everything works out for your family!

just wanna add that your parents should probably claim you as a dependent if they provide more than half your support (housing, food, tuition help, etc). the american opportunity credit is worth up to $2500 and your parents can only claim it if they claim you as a dependent. since you only worked one month, you probably dont have enough income for the credit to be worth much to you personally. you'll probably still get a small refund from your summer job withholding regardless of whether youre a dependent or not. make sure to file regardless!

One thing nobody's mentioned that tripped me up last year - if u make under like $12,500 (the standard deduction amount) filing as single, you might not even need to file federally! But u should STILL file to get any withheld money back from those summer paychecks. For the 1098-Ts, whoever claims you as dependent gets to use those for the education credits. in my case, my parents let me file independent last year because they make too much to qualify for the education credits anyway (there's an income limit). but if ur parents can use the credits, usually best for them to claim you and you can still file to get ur withholding back on ur own return.

You might also want to check if you qualify for any hardship exemptions. For student loans, you can request a hearing within 65 days if you believe the offset is causing financial hardship. For unemployment overpayments, some states have hardship waivers if you can prove the overpayment wasn't your fault or that repayment would cause serious financial difficulty. Documentation is key - gather bank statements, bills, income proof, etc.

Also worth noting - if you're dealing with both student loans and unemployment debt, prioritize getting the student loans sorted first since those offsets tend to be larger. You can request a copy of your offset notice from Treasury to see the exact amounts each agency is claiming. Sometimes there are errors that can be disputed. And if you're expecting a state refund too, act fast because some states participate in offset programs as well. Document everything and keep copies of all communications!