Has anyone tried just ignoring the error and continuing anyway? I had a similar "required field missing" error with TaxAct last year but when I clicked "File Anyway" it still went through fine. Sometimes these tax programs have non-critical errors that don't actually stop your filing.

I just went through this exact same nightmare with H&R Block! After reading through all these suggestions, I found my county field hiding in the most ridiculous place - under "State and Local" taxes, then "Locality Information." What's crazy is that H&R Block's system knew my county from my zip code for the federal return, but somehow couldn't carry that over to the state section. I had to manually select it from a dropdown that only appeared after I clicked "Edit" next to my address in that specific section. The error message is completely misleading because it says "add your County Name" but doesn't specify it's looking for it in the state tax locality section, not your personal information. Spent 3 hours going in circles before I found it buried in there. For anyone still stuck - check every single section that mentions "local" or "locality" in your state return. The field location seems to vary by state but it's almost never where you'd logically expect it to be!

Anyone know if reporting income from a 1042-S affects your eligibility for the Foreign Tax Credit? I have both 1042-S and 1099-INT forms this year and I'm trying to figure out if I can claim FTC for both income types since some tax was withheld on the 1042-S.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago when I transitioned from F-1 student status to permanent resident. The key thing to remember is that you're absolutely on the right track - you do need to report this income on your Form 1040 even though you received a 1042-S. One thing I learned the hard way is to make sure you check if your bank has your updated residency status on file. Since you're now a resident, you should submit a new W-9 to replace any W-8BEN they have on file. This will ensure you get proper 1099-INT forms next year instead of dealing with this 1042-S situation again. Also, don't forget that if you had any tax withheld earlier in the year when you were still a non-resident (from other sources), you can claim credit for those withholdings on your 1040. The timing of your status change matters for determining what credits you're eligible for throughout the tax year.

Does anyone know if this adjustment process is the same for both same-day sales and if you hold the stock for a while after exercising? I exercised NQSOs in January 2024 but didn't sell until June 2024 and now I'm totally confused about how to report it.

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I went through the exact same confusion with my NQSO sale last year. The key thing that helped me understand it was thinking of it as two separate transactions that happen to be reported on different forms: 1) The "exercise" transaction: You paid $20K to buy stock worth $92K. The $72K difference is compensation income (goes on W-2). 2) The "sale" transaction: You sold stock with a basis of $92K (your $20K cost + $72K already-taxed income) for $92K in proceeds. When you think of it this way, it makes sense that there's essentially no capital gain or loss on the sale - you're just converting already-taxed compensation income into cash. The tricky part is that most employers don't adjust the cost basis on the 1099-B to reflect the W-2 income, so you have to do it manually when filing. This is super common with NQSOs, so don't worry - you're not missing anything obvious, the reporting is just confusing by design!

Same issue here! I've been locked out since around noon and it's driving me crazy. I actually ended up trying both suggestions from this thread - first I used Claimyr to get through to FreeTaxUSA support (took about 45 minutes but way better than waiting on hold forever), and they confirmed it's a system-wide outage affecting login services specifically. The agent said they're working on it but couldn't give me a timeline. So I also signed up for taxr.ai as a backup plan and honestly, I'm kind of blown away by how much easier the document scanning is compared to manual entry. Even if FreeTaxUSA gets fixed, I might just finish with taxr.ai since I'm already halfway done and don't have to worry about more outages. Sometimes these technical disasters end up being blessings in disguise!

I'm experiencing the exact same login issues with FreeTaxUSA! Started having problems around 1pm today and nothing I've tried has worked. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions here - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread server issue and not something wrong with my account. I'm definitely going to try the taxr.ai recommendation since so many people have had success with it. The document scanning feature sounds like a game changer, especially since I have a pile of 1099s and other forms that I was dreading entering manually. Even if FreeTaxUSA gets their login fixed, switching to an automated system might save me from future headaches during busy filing periods. Has anyone had experience with taxr.ai handling rental property schedules or small business forms? Those are always the most complicated parts of my return and I want to make sure the scanning works well for more complex documents too.

Has anyone used the Section 475(f) election with short-term crypto trading? I'm in a similar boat as OP but with mostly crypto trades. Would trader status even apply to crypto since the IRS treats it as property not securities?

I've been through a similar situation with high-volume trading and can share some practical insights. With 5,000+ trades, you definitely meet the frequency requirement, but the IRS also looks at whether trading is your primary income source and if you're conducting it like a business (regular hours, dedicated workspace, etc.). A few key points from my experience: **Mark to Market Election**: This is the game-changer for your capital loss limitation problem. With MTM, all your gains and losses become ordinary income/losses, eliminating the $3,000 annual cap. However, you lose preferential capital gains rates on everything. **Employment Concerns**: Trader status is just a tax classification and wouldn't automatically be visible to employers. However, if you're concerned about conflicts of interest, document that you never trade your employer's stock and maintain clear separation between your employment and trading activities. **Documentation**: Start keeping detailed records now - trading journal, time spent, equipment used, educational materials purchased. The IRS wants to see this is a business activity, not just investing. **Professional Help**: Given the complexity and your volume, I'd recommend finding a CPA who specializes in trader taxes rather than H&R Block. Yes, it costs more upfront ($1,000-2,000), but the potential tax savings and audit protection are worth it. **State Considerations**: Since you're in Texas, you avoid most state complications, but keep this in mind if you ever relocate. The math generally works in your favor with your volume, but get professional guidance before making the election - it's largely irrevocable.