i think my company screwed up my w4 too. is there a way to check if they entered everything correctly? I filled it out right but maybe they input it wrong in their system?

The zero withholding issue is really common with the new W4 form! Based on your situation (Head of Household with 2 dependents), here's what likely went wrong: Most people accidentally check the "exempt from withholding" box or mess up Step 3 where you enter dependent amounts. For your situation, you should have $4,000 in Step 3 if both kids are under 17 ($2,000 each). Quick action plan: 1. Get a new W4 from HR immediately 2. Step 1: Check "Head of household" 3. Step 3: Enter $4,000 (for 2 kids under 17) 4. Step 4(c): Add extra withholding to catch up - probably around $150-200 per paycheck depending on your income Since you've had zero withholding for several months already, you definitely need that extra amount in 4(c) to avoid owing next year. The IRS withholding calculator can help you figure out the exact catch-up amount, but don't wait - get that corrected W4 to HR this week! Your smaller refund this year was because you essentially got an interest-free loan from the government instead of having taxes withheld. Better to fix it now than get hit with a big bill next April.

Don't forget to check if there's a totalization agreement between UAE and US for social security! It might not apply in your case, but it's worth checking. I got caught having to pay self-employment tax in the US even though I was working from Singapore because there was no totalization agreement. The W-8BEN doesn't cover social security taxes. Also, keep super detailed records of where you physically worked each day. If you ever visit the US for business, those days could potentially be considered US-sourced income and subject to different rules.

Great point about social security taxes! You're absolutely right that the UAE doesn't have a totalization agreement with the US, so this is definitely something to watch out for. As an independent contractor, you might still be subject to US self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) even if your regular income isn't subject to withholding. The self-employment tax applies if you have net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more, and unfortunately, the foreign earned income exclusion doesn't apply to self-employment tax. However, since you're performing all services outside the US, you should generally not be subject to self-employment tax on that income. But here's the tricky part - if your US client treats you as a contractor and issues you a 1099, they might report payments to you to the IRS, which could trigger questions. Make sure your contract clearly establishes that you're providing services from outside the US and consider having the contract specify that you're operating under UAE jurisdiction. Document everything - flight records, lease agreements, utility bills - anything that proves your physical location during work periods. This becomes crucial if there's ever any dispute about where services were actually performed.

To all those having trouble reaching a human at IRS. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

Hang in there! The 151 code after ID verification is actually pretty normal - it just means they're doing their final review now that they've confirmed you are who you say you are. The fact that you got the 766 code on the same day is actually a good sign that things are moving along. From what I've seen in this community, most people with your timeline (ID verification on 3/06) are seeing their refunds release within 2-4 weeks after the 151 appears. Keep checking your transcripts for updates and try not to stress too much - you're in the final stretch!

This is really helpful info everyone! I'm definitely going to wait for those 1099-B forms from Cashapp before filing. One follow-up question - if I only made like $200 in gains total from both stocks and crypto, do I still need to report all of this? I know there are minimums for some tax forms, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since this is all new to me. Better safe than sorry with the IRS!

Great thread everyone! As someone who works with tax prep, I want to emphasize a few key points for anyone new to reporting investment income: 1. **Keep detailed records** - Don't rely solely on what Cashapp provides. Track your own purchase dates, amounts, and any fees. This is especially important for crypto where cost basis issues are common. 2. **Understand the difference between short-term and long-term gains** - If you held investments for more than a year, you'll get more favorable tax treatment (long-term capital gains rates vs. ordinary income rates). 3. **Don't forget about losses** - If you had any losing trades, those losses can offset your gains and reduce your tax liability. Make sure to report both gains AND losses. 4. **Filing deadline reminder** - Even though Cashapp should get you those 1099-B forms by January 31st, don't wait until the last minute to review them. Give yourself time to gather any missing information or resolve discrepancies. The most important thing is to report everything accurately. The IRS already knows about your transactions from the 1099s they receive, so it's much better to be thorough and correct than to leave anything out!

I'm so sorry your mom is dealing with this - what a frustrating and stressful situation! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I wanted to add one more angle that might be helpful. Since your mom is dealing with a school district 401k, you should also consider reaching out to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) or whatever state retirement system oversees public education employees in your state. Even though this was a separate 401k account, these agencies often have experience with similar issues affecting educators and may have established relationships with major financial institutions like Merrill Lynch. Also, many states have a specific "Senior Protection" unit within their Attorney General's office that handles financial exploitation cases involving older adults. While this wasn't technically fraud, the unauthorized liquidation of a retirement account without proper notification could fall under their jurisdiction, especially given your mom's age and the significant financial impact. One thing I'd emphasize from all the great advice here - document every single interaction going forward, including the names and employee ID numbers of everyone you speak with at Merrill Lynch. Create a timeline of events and keep copies of everything. This documentation will be crucial when dealing with regulators and potentially in any legal proceedings. The fact that multiple people in this thread have successfully resolved similar situations gives me hope that your mom can get this reversed. Don't let Merrill Lynch's initial "nothing can be done" response discourage you - that's often just their first line of defense before proper pressure is applied.

This is an absolutely outrageous situation, and I'm furious on your mom's behalf! As a fellow government employee (federal side), I've seen how financial institutions sometimes take advantage of retirees and try to hide behind regulatory excuses. The advice about filing complaints with multiple agencies simultaneously is spot-on. I'd also suggest contacting your Congressional representative's office - they have dedicated staff who handle constituent services and can often cut through bureaucratic red tape that individual complaints can't penetrate. When a member of Congress inquires about a case, financial institutions tend to respond much more quickly and thoroughly. Also, since this involves a school district 401k, check if your mom was part of a union during her employment. Many teacher and public employee unions have legal assistance programs for retirees dealing with benefit issues, and they may have encountered this exact problem with Merrill Lynch before. The fact that she's lived at the same address for 20+ years and never received ANY of their supposed correspondence is a huge red flag. That's not address verification failure - that's institutional negligence. Make sure to emphasize this point in every complaint you file. Don't let them gaslight your mom into thinking this is somehow normal or acceptable. Retirement accounts have special protections precisely because they're so critical to people's financial security. Keep fighting this!