One more thing - check if either partner had any unreimbursed business expenses (UBE) they paid personally. These can be reported on Schedule E of their personal returns rather than being treated as capital contributions on the K-1. This is often better tax treatment since capital contributions don't directly reduce tax liability but UBEs can.

You're absolutely right about the TCJA changes! Unreimbursed employee business expenses were indeed suspended as miscellaneous itemized deductions through 2025. However, for partners in a partnership, the treatment is different - if they paid business expenses personally that weren't reimbursed by the partnership, these are typically treated as additional capital contributions to the partnership rather than deductible expenses on their personal returns. So in your husband's case, those personal funds he used for business expenses should be reflected as additional capital contributions on his K-1, increasing his capital account basis. This won't give him a direct deduction, but it will increase his basis in the partnership, which can be important for other tax calculations and will affect his final distribution amounts when the partnership dissolves. The key is making sure these contributions are properly documented and reflected in the partnership's books before preparing the final K-1s.

Has anyone used those mail forwarding services where they'll scan your mail and email it to you? I'm wondering if that might be a solution for getting the actual W-2s digitally without waiting for international mail. My job has me traveling constantly so physical mail is always a problem for tax season.

I'm a tax preparer and wanted to chime in with some official guidance on your situation. Unfortunately, printed photos of W-2s are NOT acceptable for paper filing - the IRS specifically requires the original documents with their security features intact. Your best options are: 1. Have your parents mail the original W-2s to you in Thailand via express/registered mail 2. Complete Form 4852 (Substitute W-2) for ALL your W-2 forms using the photo information 3. Have your parents mail your completed return with original W-2s attached directly from the US If you go the Form 4852 route, attach a statement explaining why you're using substitute forms and include any documentation you have (like the photos). The IRS will likely contact your employers to verify the information. For international mailing, NEVER use regular mail for tax returns. Use Thailand Post's EMS or registered mail with full tracking. Make copies of everything before sending and get a receipt with tracking number. One important note: if you're a US citizen working abroad, make sure you're also considering the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555) if applicable - it could significantly reduce your tax liability.

For miscellaneous income like this, you would typically report it on Schedule 1 (Additional Income and Adjustments to Income) which gets attached to your Form 1040. Look for Line 8i "Other income" - this is where payments for services that don't have a formal 1099 would go. You'll want to keep good records of the payment - a copy of the check, any written communication about the work you did, etc. If the amount is substantial enough or if you do more of this type of work during the year, you might also need to consider quarterly estimated tax payments, but for a one-time $1,300 payment you can likely just handle it when you file your annual return. The key is being consistent and transparent with the IRS about the nature of the income. Since you provided moving services in exchange for this payment, reporting it as miscellaneous income on Line 8i is the appropriate and honest approach.

I've been reading through all these responses and wanted to share my own experience from a few years back. I had a similar situation where I helped a family member with some home repairs and they insisted on paying me $800. At first, I thought about just treating it as a family gift, but after talking to a tax preparer, I realized that since I had provided specific services (plumbing and electrical work), it was really income regardless of our family relationship. What convinced me to report it properly was realizing that the IRS has gotten much better at cross-referencing information. Even though my relative didn't claim it as a business expense, I didn't want to risk any future complications if our stories didn't match up perfectly. I ended up reporting it as miscellaneous income on Schedule 1, and honestly, the peace of mind was worth way more than the extra taxes I paid. Now whenever I do any kind of work for friends or family, I'm upfront about the tax implications from the start. It actually makes things clearer for everyone involved when you're transparent about whether something is truly a gift or payment for services. For your situation, given that you provided moving services, I'd definitely lean toward reporting it as income. The $1,300 amount and the fact that you did actual work makes this pretty clearly compensation rather than a gift in the IRS's eyes.

This might sound crazy, but have you tried faxing them? I know it's 2024, but sometimes old school methods work best with government agencies.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Filed my 2024 return back in February and the "Where's My Refund" tool keeps saying it can't find my information. I've been refreshing that page like crazy 😤 It's so frustrating because I know I entered everything correctly - SSN, filing status, refund amount. I even tried using different browsers and devices. At this point I'm wondering if there's some kind of system glitch or if they're just overwhelmed. Really hoping this gets sorted out soon because I was counting on that refund!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and it was incredibly stressful! The difference between TP TAX FIGURES and IMF TOTAL TAX on my transcript was about $340, and like you, I was convinced the IRS had made an error. After weeks of trying to figure it out, I discovered the issue was with how I had calculated my Earned Income Tax Credit. I had used the correct income figures, but I missed a subtle rule about how investment income affects EITC eligibility. The IRS computer system caught this automatically when it cross-referenced my 1099-INT forms. My advice: Don't assume you made the error, but also don't assume the IRS did. Get your hands on every piece of documentation - your Account Transcript, all your tax documents, and any third-party reporting forms (W-2s, 1099s, etc.). Compare line by line what you reported versus what third parties reported to the IRS. The good news is that if you can prove your calculation was correct, the IRS will absolutely reverse their adjustment. I've seen it happen. But you need solid documentation to support your position. Keep pushing for answers - that $287 difference could very well be rightfully yours!

I've been dealing with tax issues for years and one thing that really helped me understand these TP TAX vs IMF TAX discrepancies was learning that the IRS has access to WAY more information than we realize when they're doing their automated checks. Beyond just the obvious W-2s and 1099s, they're also cross-referencing things like: - Bank interest reporting (even small amounts under $10) - State tax refunds from the previous year that should be reported as income - Retirement account distributions that might have different tax treatment than you calculated - Health Savings Account contributions and distributions - Even cryptocurrency transactions if you had any The $287 difference you're seeing is probably very specific to one of these areas. I'd suggest pulling not just your tax documents, but also any financial statements from 2024 to see if there's income or deductions you reported differently than what third parties sent to the IRS. One more tip: if you used tax software, go back and re-enter all your information in a different program (even the IRS Free File options) to see if you get the same result. Sometimes there are software bugs or user input errors that aren't obvious until you do it twice.