One thing to consider - if you earned over $400 in self-employment income (which you did at $6,800), you're legally required to file it as self-employment on Schedule C. Not doing so could flag your return for audit. I've been freelancing for years and while the self-employment tax sucks, the deductions make a huge difference. Track EVERYTHING - mileage to client meetings, software subscriptions, equipment, portion of internet and phone, home office space, professional development courses, etc. I even deduct a percentage of my electricity since I use my computer and lighting for design work.

Don't forget to make quarterly estimated tax payments on your self-employment income going forward! I learned this the hard way and got hit with penalties my first year freelancing. The IRS expects you to pay taxes throughout the year, not just at filing time.

Has anyone tried just calling payroll to get a corrected W2? I'm surprised they'd make such a basic error on something as important as tax withholdings.

I had the exact same issue last year and it was incredibly stressful! Here's what ended up working for me: First, check your final paystub from 2024 - it should show your total federal withholding for the entire year, which would include both regular salary and RSU withholdings. If that total matches what you expect (regular withholding + $5.2k), then you know the money was actually withheld. In TurboTax, you can manually add the missing withholding. Look for "Federal Taxes" section, then "Other Tax Situations" or search for "additional withholding." There should be an option to enter withholding that's not shown on your W-2. Enter the $5.2k there and keep documentation of where this came from (screenshots from your stock plan account, final paystub, etc.). I also recommend calling your payroll department ASAP. Even if they can't issue a corrected W-2 before the filing deadline, they can provide written documentation confirming the withholding that you can attach to your return. This protects you if there are any questions later. Don't panic - this is more common than you'd think with RSU taxation, and as long as you have documentation that the taxes were actually withheld, you'll be fine!

I had a similar situation with my Canadian RRSP withdrawal last year. One thing that caught me off guard was that the IRS requires you to report the full gross amount of the distribution in USD, not just the net amount after Canadian withholding. So if Canada withheld 25% ($337.50 in your case), you still need to report the full $1,350 as income on Schedule 1, Line 8. For the foreign tax credit on Form 1116, make sure you're using the exchange rate from the actual date of distribution, not the year-end rate. The IRS has historical daily rates available on their website. Also, double-check that your Canadian tax slip (T4RSP) shows the withholding amount correctly - sometimes there can be discrepancies between what was actually withheld and what's reported on the slip. Since you're using the free fillable forms, pay close attention to the Schedule 1 instructions - they have specific guidance for foreign pension reporting that's easy to miss.

Great discussion here! I'm dealing with a Canadian RRSP withdrawal myself and wanted to add a few practical tips from my experience: First, make sure to request the T4RSP slip from your Canadian financial institution if you haven't received it yet - you'll need this for accurate reporting. Some institutions are slow to mail these to US addresses. Second, I found it helpful to create a simple spreadsheet tracking: (1) the CAD amount of the distribution, (2) the exact distribution date, (3) the USD exchange rate for that date, (4) the converted USD amount, and (5) the CAD tax withheld and its USD equivalent. This makes filling out both Schedule 1 and Form 1116 much more straightforward. One thing to watch out for - if this RRSP had any growth while you were a US resident, you may need to consider whether any portion should be treated differently for tax purposes. The timing of when you moved to the US relative to the RRSP contributions and growth can affect the tax treatment. Finally, keep all your documentation (T4RSP, conversion calculations, etc.) with your tax records. The IRS occasionally asks for backup documentation on foreign tax credits, especially for smaller amounts where they want to verify the calculations are correct.

I had a very similar situation with a relocation bonus that I had to repay after leaving my job early. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep excellent records of everything - the original bonus amount, taxes withheld, the repayment amount, and the date you made the repayment. Also, double-check that your employer calculated the W-2C correctly. In my case, they initially forgot to adjust the Social Security and Medicare wages, which would have caused issues with my return. I had to go back to HR twice to get it fixed properly. The Section 1341 credit that others mentioned can be a real lifesaver financially. In my situation, I got back about $1,800 more using the credit method versus just taking the deduction. It's definitely worth taking the time to understand how it works or getting help with the calculation if you're not sure.

I'm dealing with a similar W-2C situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I want to add based on my experience - timing really matters when you're dealing with the Section 1341 credit calculation. If you received the bonus in 2019 but are just now getting the W-2C (presumably for 2024 taxes), you'll need your 2019 tax return to calculate the credit properly. The IRS needs to know what your tax liability would have been in 2019 if you hadn't received that $7500 bonus in the first place. For anyone considering whether the credit or deduction is better - generally speaking, if you were in a higher tax bracket when you received the bonus than you are now when repaying it, the Section 1341 credit will almost always be more beneficial. This is especially true if the repayment amount is substantial (like $7500). Also, don't forget that if you itemized deductions in the year you're claiming the repayment, you might need to compare the credit method against adding the repayment to your Schedule A itemized deductions. Most tax software will help you with this comparison, but it's good to understand the options.

Im using turbotax too and was confused by the same thing! When i got to the retirement section it asked me about ira contributions but nothing specific about solo 401k roth contributions. I just left it blank since they're after tax money anyway and turbotax didnt seem to have a spot for it. Been filing this way for 2 years no problems so far.

Just wanted to add some clarity from my experience as a tax preparer - while it's true that Roth Solo 401k contributions don't appear on your 1040 for deduction purposes, you should still report them in your tax software if it has a section for retirement plan contributions. This creates a proper record and helps ensure your contribution limits are tracked correctly across all your retirement accounts. In TurboTax, look for the "Retirement Plans" section under deductions - there should be a place to enter Solo 401k contributions even if they don't affect your tax calculation. This way the software can help you monitor your annual limits and create documentation for your records. Even though the contributions are after-tax, having them properly documented in your tax file will be invaluable when you start taking distributions in retirement.