Can the substantial presence test be affected by COVID exceptions? i was stuck in the US for 4 extra months in 2020 when borders closed. now im back for work and worried those extra days might affect my current status calculation.

The substantial presence test can definitely be tricky to navigate, especially with all the different scenarios people face! One thing I'd add to the great advice already given here is to keep detailed records of your travel dates - entry and exit stamps, flight receipts, hotel bookings, etc. I learned this the hard way when the IRS questioned my substantial presence calculation during an audit a few years back. Having proper documentation made all the difference in proving exactly how many days I was physically present in the US versus traveling for business. Also, @Javier Hernandez, since you mentioned you're on an E-3 visa and have been here about 8 months continuously, you'll almost certainly be filing as a resident alien this year. Make sure to understand the implications - you'll need to report your worldwide income, including any Australian bank account interest, rental income from properties back home, etc. It's not just about US-source income anymore once you pass that test.

has anyone used credit karma tax? i filed with them cuz it was free and my return was accepted like 3 days ago but idk if theres any way to check if its been approved yet? the irs website just says its still processing when i check.

I went through the exact same anxiety last year! "Accepted" basically means your return made it through the IRS's initial automated screening - they checked that your SSN is valid, math adds up, and all the required forms are there. But you're right to be cautious - they can still flag it for review during the processing phase. The good news is that getting audited two years in a row is pretty rare unless there's a consistent issue. Since you mentioned you triple-checked everything this time and made sure your documents match exactly, you're probably in much better shape than last year. Most returns go from "Accepted" to "Approved" within 7-21 days if there are no issues. The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool will update when your refund is actually approved and give you a deposit date. If you hit the 21-day mark with no update, that's when you might want to dig deeper. Try not to stress too much - the fact that you were more careful this year and learned from last year's experience puts you in a much better position!

This reminds me of the scheme some people try with buying their own mortgage through their LLC. It simply doesn't work because the IRS looks at the substance of transactions, not just their form. Here's a simpler solution for peace of mind: look into federal student loan protections. They already have income-driven repayment plans, deferment and forbearance options specifically designed for job loss scenarios. Private loans might have fewer protections, but even they typically offer hardship programs. Also worth noting - student loans have unique discharge limitations in bankruptcy compared to other debts. This special treatment might further complicate your plan.

This is a creative idea, but unfortunately it's not going to work for several reasons that others have touched on. As someone who's dealt with similar corporate structure questions, I can tell you the IRS is very good at spotting these kinds of arrangements. The biggest issue is that student loans - especially federal ones - have specific statutory restrictions on assignment and transfer. Your loan servicer literally cannot sell them to your LLC even if they wanted to. The loans are designed to stay with approved servicers who can handle the complex federal requirements. Even if you could somehow make this work legally, you'd be creating a nightmare for yourself tax-wise. Any forgiveness of debt by your LLC to yourself would be taxable income, and the IRS would scrutinize every aspect of this arrangement. Your instinct about wanting protection from job loss is totally understandable, but you'd be better served looking into existing protections like income-driven repayment plans, economic hardship deferment, or unemployment forbearance. These are legitimate options designed exactly for the scenario you're worried about, and they won't create tax complications. If you're really concerned about long-term job security, consider building up an emergency fund specifically for loan payments rather than trying to restructure the debt itself.

Be careful about the state residency issue. My cousin filed for my aunt using the wrong state and ended up with penalties from both states! State B will probably consider your uncle a resident if that's where he actually lived, especially if he had utility bills, a driver's license, or was registered to vote there. If possible, look for these documents to determine his legal domicile: - Driver's license - Voter registration - Utility bills - Property tax statements - Car registration The state where most of these documents point to is likely his legal residence for tax purposes.

I went through something very similar with my father's estate last year. A few additional points that might help: First, regarding the state residency - if your uncle owned the house in State B, that's usually the strongest indicator of legal domicile regardless of where his mail went. Property ownership typically trumps work location for residency purposes. Second, since you mentioned you're not the official executor, you really need to figure out who has legal authority here before proceeding. Filing tax returns for someone else without proper authorization can create legal issues for you personally. If there's no will or formal probate, someone in the family likely needs to petition the court to become the administrator, even for small estates. Third, don't stress too much about the missing investment documentation if we're talking about small amounts. The IRS computer systems will match any 1099s that were issued against what you file. If there are discrepancies, they'll send a notice, but it's usually just a matter of paying any additional tax owed plus minimal interest - not criminal penalties. One last tip: keep detailed records of all your efforts to locate documents and communicate with financial institutions. If the IRS ever questions anything, showing good faith effort goes a long way.

I can relate to this frustration! I went through the exact same thing last year and spent weeks worrying that something was wrong with my filing. What I learned is that the wage and income transcript is basically the last piece of the puzzle to update - it shows what third parties (employers, banks, etc.) reported about you to the IRS, not what you reported to them. The fact that your account and return transcripts are complete and you received your refund means the IRS was able to verify your income internally, even though it hasn't appeared in the public-facing transcript system yet. I'd recommend checking again in a few weeks, but honestly, mine didn't show up until almost July last year. It's annoying when you're trying to be thorough, but it's completely normal IRS timing!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my return in early February, got my refund within 3 weeks, and my account transcript shows everything processed normally. But when I try to pull my wage and income transcript, it's like it doesn't exist. I've been checking weekly thinking maybe there's a glitch in the system or something went wrong with my employer's W-2 submission. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I had no idea this was just a normal IRS processing delay. It's frustrating when you're trying to be proactive about organizing your tax records and half the information just isn't available yet. Guess I'll stop stressing about it and check back in a few months!