As someone who went through this exact situation with an EU scholarship in the Netherlands, I can confirm you absolutely need to report this. The €15,000 living stipend is taxable income since it's not for qualified educational expenses. However, there's good news! Since you're physically present in Spain for the full academic year, you should qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion under the Physical Presence Test. While there's some debate about whether scholarships count as "earned income," many tax professionals successfully apply FEIE to educational stipends, especially when they're tied to research or academic work. For your missed prior year, definitely file an amended return (1040X) soon. The IRS is much more forgiving when you voluntarily correct mistakes rather than waiting for them to find it. You'll likely just owe the tax plus minimal interest - no penalties for good faith errors. Also check the US-Spain tax treaty Article 22 - it has specific student provisions that might provide additional relief. Keep all your Spanish tax documents too, as the Foreign Tax Credit could be another option if FEIE doesn't work out. Don't stress too much - this is a common situation and very fixable!

I went through something very similar with a scholarship in Italy last year. The key thing that helped me was understanding that even though the scholarship money goes to your foreign bank account, as a US citizen you're still required to report it on your US tax return. What really saved me was keeping detailed records of any taxes I paid to Spain on that stipend. If Spain is taxing you on those living expenses (which they likely are), you can use the Foreign Tax Credit to offset your US tax liability on the same income. This prevents you from being double-taxed on the same money. For the previous year you missed, I'd strongly recommend filing that amended return sooner rather than later. I made the same mistake and waited too long - the IRS eventually caught it through automatic matching systems (they have agreements with many countries now for information sharing). When you file the amended return voluntarily, you typically just pay the tax owed plus minimal interest, but if they find it first, penalties can get expensive. One more tip - make sure you keep copies of your enrollment verification and any documentation showing the scholarship is specifically for living expenses vs tuition. This distinction matters a lot for tax purposes and you'll want that paperwork if the IRS ever has questions.

Here's what I've seen from tracking state returns over the last few years: • Fast states (1-2 business days): GA, IL, MA, NY • Medium states (2-4 business days): CA, OH, PA, TX, WA • Slower states (4-7 business days): FL, MI, NJ, OR Wow, I never realized how complicated state tax systems are until I started helping my parents with their returns! Each state seems to operate in its own universe with completely different timelines.

I'm in a similar boat waiting for my state refund! From what I've experienced, it really does vary by state like others have mentioned. Mine usually takes about 3-4 business days after approval. One thing that helped me last year was setting up account alerts with my bank so I'd get notified immediately when the deposit hit, rather than obsessively checking my balance every few hours. That way I could plan my bill payments without constantly worrying about the timing. Hope your federal return gets processed soon too - 3 weeks is rough!

I feel your pain on this one! I actually did something similar last year - paid my state taxes for the wrong year and was absolutely mortified. The good news is that tax agencies deal with these kinds of mix-ups all the time, so you're definitely not alone. Here's what I'd suggest based on my experience: Call the IRS first thing in the morning (like 7 AM sharp) to avoid the brutal hold times. Have your payment confirmation number, exact amount, date of payment, and SSN ready before you dial. The agents I've dealt with have always been surprisingly patient about these mistakes. Also, if you haven't filed your 2024 return yet, this might actually work out perfectly since they can apply the payment directly when you do file. Sometimes these "mistakes" end up being happy accidents! Don't beat yourself up about it - we've all been there with the tax stress. You'll get this sorted out! 💪

Hey there! I totally understand the panic you're feeling right now - I made this exact same mistake about 18 months ago and felt like I'd completely ruined everything. But honestly, it turned out to be way less of a big deal than I thought it would be. Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS customer service line (1-800-829-1040) on a Wednesday morning right at 7 AM when they opened. I only waited about 15 minutes, which was amazing compared to what I was expecting! The agent was super professional and said this happens "more than you'd think" - apparently it's especially common during tax season when everyone's rushing to get their payments in. Make sure you have these ready before you call: - Your payment confirmation number - Exact payment amount - Date you made the payment - Your Social Security Number - Maybe even pull up your bank statement showing the transaction The agent was able to transfer my payment to the correct tax year during that same phone call. She explained that while the transfer happens immediately on their end, it can take 3-5 business days to show up properly in your online account. I got a confirmation letter in the mail about a week later. Don't stress too much about this - you're going to get it sorted out! The IRS deals with payment mix-ups like this constantly, and they have a pretty streamlined process for fixing it. You've got this! 👍

This is really helpful information! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my YouTube AdSense earnings - made about $350 last year but no 1099 from Google either. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like the key is just being accurate with your self-reporting. I've been keeping detailed records of all my payments in a spreadsheet anyway, so I guess I'll just use those numbers on my tax return. One question though - for those of you who went the Schedule C route, what kind of expenses were you able to deduct? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the extra complexity and self-employment tax for my small amount of earnings. Things like my camera equipment, editing software subscriptions, and portion of internet costs seem like they could add up to meaningful deductions.

I'm going through a similar situation with missing 1099 forms from multiple platforms this year. What I've learned from my tax preparer is that the IRS actually expects you to report ALL income regardless of whether you receive forms - they're more concerned about accuracy than having the paperwork. For your Facebook earnings, definitely keep detailed records of your payments. You can screenshot your payout history from Creator Studio as others mentioned, but also consider downloading your bank statements showing the deposits from Meta. Having multiple sources of documentation gives you better backup if questions ever arise. One thing to consider - if you plan to continue growing your content creation income, it might be worth setting up proper bookkeeping now even for smaller amounts. This makes tax time much easier as your earnings increase, and you'll be prepared when you do start receiving 1099s regularly. Plus tracking expenses from the beginning can save you money even on modest earnings.

Just want to add something about the California thing you mentioned - some states have different e-filing schedules than the federal system. California does sometimes accept certain e-filings when the federal system is down for maintenance, but that's for state returns only, not federal. So while you might be able to e-file a CA state return during this period, it doesn't change anything about federal filing capabilities.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - that EA is definitely using pressure tactics. The IRS e-filing shutdown is routine maintenance that happens every year and has zero impact on regular 2024 tax filings. I made the mistake of rushing into hiring a tax preparer last year because of similar "urgent deadline" claims, and it cost me both money and quality service. Take your time to find someone reputable who doesn't resort to scare tactics. The fact that they're pushing you to sign "ASAP" over something that doesn't even affect your filing timeline is a huge red flag. A good tax professional would explain the actual deadlines clearly and let you make an informed decision without artificial pressure.