As someone who's been through the dual status nightmare myself, I'd strongly recommend getting your situation properly analyzed before picking any software. I made the mistake of jumping straight into TurboTax thinking it would handle everything, only to discover halfway through that it was missing critical forms for my foreign pension. What really helped me was understanding exactly which forms I needed BEFORE choosing software. For dual status with foreign assets, you're likely looking at Form 1040NR and 1040 (depending on your situation), Form 8938 for foreign assets, and possibly Form 3520 if you have foreign trusts or received large foreign gifts. The key is making sure whatever software you choose explicitly supports ALL the forms you need - not just "foreign income" in general. I ended up having to restart my entire return when I realized my chosen software couldn't handle one crucial form. FreeTaxUSA has been solid for me the past two years, but definitely verify it covers your specific situation before committing. Also remember that FBAR filing is completely separate from your tax return - you'll need to file that directly with FinCEN regardless of which tax software you use.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and found this thread super helpful! One thing I wanted to add - if you're still unsure about which forms you need, the IRS has a pretty decent interactive tool called the "Interactive Tax Assistant" on their website that can help you figure out your filing requirements based on your specific situation. For dual status returns, I've been using FreeTaxUSA for two years now and it's been solid. The key thing is that you'll need to prepare what's called a "dual-status statement" that gets attached to your return - basically a breakdown of which income belongs to which part of the year. FreeTaxUSA's help section has step-by-step instructions for this. One money-saving tip: if you're comfortable doing some of the legwork yourself, you can often use the free version for most of the return and only upgrade to premium if you absolutely need specific forms. I ended up paying just $15 last year because I only needed the state filing upgrade. Also seconding what others said about FBAR - that's filed completely separately through BSA E-Filing on the FinCEN website. It's actually pretty straightforward once you know where to go!

Quick tip from experience - make sure the Roth IRA is actually in your child's name with them as the owner (not beneficiary). I messed this up last year with my son's lawn mowing money. Also keep in mind they can only contribute what they actually earned - so if your child made $410, that's their max contribution for the year.

Just be aware there's also a Schedule H you might need if this is considered household employment. The rules are a bit different than for self-employment and the thresholds are different too. Might be worth double-checking which applies in your specific situation.

If you're experiencing the SBTPG lag issue, there's an alternative verification method worth trying. Log into your IRS transcript and look for Code 846 with the current cycle date. This Transaction Code indicates the IRS has released your refund to the designated recipient (SBTPG in this case). The date associated with this code typically precedes your actual bank deposit by 1-5 business days. This verification method bypasses SBTPG's system entirely and gives you confirmation directly from the source.

This timing discrepancy has been driving me crazy! I filed three weeks ago and have been refreshing the SBTPG portal obsessively. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like I should actually be checking my bank account more frequently than the SBTPG site. Has anyone found a reliable pattern for when deposits typically hit accounts versus when SBTPG updates? Like, is it usually overnight deposits that create the biggest lag, or does it happen at all times of day? I'm trying to figure out if there's an optimal time to check my bank account instead of wearing out the SBTPG portal refresh button!

To clarify a point that might be confusing: The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Treasury Department's Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS) operate separate collection systems. SSA handles the reduction of your monthly benefits, while BFS manages the Treasury Offset Program that can take your tax refund. This is why you might experience both actions simultaneously - they're administered by different agencies, even though they're collecting for the same debt.

I'm going through something similar right now and wanted to share what I've learned. Yes, they can absolutely take both your monthly benefits AND your tax refund - it's like getting hit from two directions at once. The key thing that helped me was calling SSA and asking specifically about "financial hardship consideration." I explained that taking my entire monthly check was leaving me unable to pay for basic necessities like medication and utilities. They were able to reduce the monthly withholding to $600 instead of the full $1800, which at least gives me something to live on. Also, make sure you're checking your mail every single day - the Treasury Offset notice can come separately from SSA notices and you might only get 30-60 days warning before they take your refund. Don't give up fighting this - there are options even when it feels hopeless!

Does anyone know how long SBTPG typically holds funds before releasing them? The IRS shows my refund was sent 3 days ago, but nothing in my bank account yet.

This is such a helpful breakdown! I just went through this whole process for the first time this year and was completely confused when I saw SBTPG on my bank statement instead of the IRS. One thing I'd add for anyone reading this - make sure you keep all your tax prep receipts and documentation. When I was trying to figure out why my refund was $47 less than expected, I had to dig through my emails to find the TurboTax receipt that showed the itemized fees. The refund transfer fee wasn't super obvious during the filing process, but it was definitely disclosed in the final summary before I submitted. Also, if you're planning ahead for next year, consider whether paying the tax prep fees upfront might be worth it to avoid the processing fees and get your refund faster. For me, the convenience was worth the extra cost this year, but now that I understand the process better, I might pay upfront next time.