when i moved from qatar (also no income tax) to the US last year, the biggest shock wasn't even the income tax - it was realizing how many OTHER taxes there are!!! sales tax, property tax, medicare tax, social security tax... my advice - if your company offers any tax preparation assistance as part of relocation, TAKE IT. or at minimum, work with a cpa who specializes in expats moving to the US for your first year. there's so many forms and deadlines and rules that aren't obvious.

Coming from a zero-tax environment myself (moved from UAE two years ago), I can tell you the sticker shock is real but manageable once you understand the system. A few key points that helped me: 1. Don't just look at the tax rates - consider the total cost of living. Yes, you'll pay more in taxes in NY vs Texas, but factor in things like housing costs, transportation, and quality of life. 2. Max out your 401(k) contributions ($23,000 for 2024, or $30,500 if you're over 50). This reduces your taxable income significantly and is money you should be saving anyway. 3. If your company offers HSA (Health Savings Account), use it! Triple tax advantage - deductible going in, grows tax-free, and tax-free withdrawals for medical expenses. 4. Consider the timing of your move carefully. If you arrive in the US in July, you'll only be taxed on US income from July onward, which can make a big difference in your first year. The transition is definitely an adjustment, but the earning potential and career opportunities in the US often make up for the higher tax burden. Just make sure to get professional tax advice for your specific situation - it's worth the investment!

This issue stems from the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network protocols and how newer financial technology platforms integrate with legacy government systems. SoFi utilizes partner banks for certain transaction types, which can create routing complexities. The IRS Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) occasionally flags these transactions as anomalous due to intermediary processing. For tax year 2023 (filing in 2024), SoFi implemented RFC-8252 compliant verification which should resolve most of these issues. However, there's a technical distinction between their Money accounts and Checking/Savings accounts that affects how deposits are processed. I recommend verifying which specific SoFi account type you're using and confirming the correct routing number for that specific account type.

I've been banking with SoFi for about 8 months now and can share some perspective on this. The good news is that SoFi has definitely improved their systems since last year's issues. I received my state refund through SoFi in January without any problems, and I'm expecting my federal refund next week according to the IRS Where's My Refund tool. That said, I'd recommend a few precautions: First, make absolutely sure you're using the current routing number (273075681) - not any older numbers you might find online. Second, verify that the name on your tax return matches exactly how it appears on your SoFi account. Even small differences like middle initials or suffixes can cause rejections. If you're really worried, you can always call SoFi at 855-456-7634 and ask them to verify your direct deposit information matches what you entered on your tax return. They can also confirm if there are any holds or flags on your account that might affect incoming deposits. Better to spend 10 minutes on the phone now than wait weeks for a paper check if something goes wrong!

Just a heads up - joint tenancy with survivorship can create MAJOR headaches if one owner wants to sell and the other doesn't!!! Me and my mom had a rental together with JTWROS and when I needed to sell my half for emergency medical bills, it was a nightmare. Had to threaten partition action in court to force a full sale. Maybe consider tenants in common instead?? At least then you can sell your share without court drama if needed.

As someone who's been through similar joint ownership complications, I'd strongly recommend getting a written co-ownership agreement in place ASAP, even though you already have the deed. This should specify your 60/40 economic split, how decisions get made about the property, what happens if one person wants to sell, and how you'll handle major repairs or improvements. For the tax side, your current approach of reporting based on your actual investment percentages (60/40) is generally correct - just make sure you're consistent with both income AND expenses in that same ratio. The joint tenancy language on the deed is more about legal ownership rights than tax reporting. One thing to watch out for: if either of you dies, the surviving owner gets a "stepped-up basis" on the deceased owner's share, which can be really beneficial for capital gains purposes. But if you're young and healthy, the inability to easily sell just your portion (as others mentioned) might be more of a concern than the survivorship benefits. Consider whether converting to tenants in common or setting up an LLC might give you more flexibility while you're both alive.

Has anyone else noticed that the self-employed health insurance deduction calculation is messed up in tax apps? I tried three different ones and they all gave different answers for the exact same numbers. Ended up having to calculate it by hand using the worksheet in the 1040 instructions.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar boat as a freelance photographer and had no idea the health insurance deduction was separate from Schedule C expenses. One thing I'm wondering about - if I started my business partway through 2024 and was on COBRA for the first few months before switching to marketplace coverage, can I deduct both the COBRA premiums and the marketplace premiums? Or do I need to prorate based on when my business was actually operational? My business didn't really start generating income until March, but I was paying COBRA from January.

Same situation here - filed in January and still stuck on "processing" 😤 The lack of communication from NYS is what's really frustrating me. At least give us realistic timelines instead of leaving everyone in the dark! I've been checking the tracker obsessively every day hoping for an update. Really considering that taxr.ai thing @Giovanni mentioned if it can actually tell me what's going on with my return.

Ugh, I'm in the same boat as everyone else here 😩 Filed my NYS return back in February and it's been stuck on "processing" ever since. This is my first time dealing with such a massive delay - usually get my state refund within 3-4 weeks max. The worst part is not knowing if there's actually an issue with my return or if it's just sitting in some digital pile waiting to be looked at. Really wish NYS would send automated updates or at least be more transparent about what's causing these delays. Might have to bite the bullet and try calling that support line even though 2+ hour wait times sound absolutely brutal 😤