Anyone know if we're supposed to enter these 1042-S values in local tax software? I use the Australian equivalent of TurboTax and there's nowhere obvious to put "foreign tax paid" from these forms.

Great breakdown from everyone here! As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to emphasize that the 1042-S is really just a "receipt" showing what happened with your US-source income and withholding. The key thing to check is Box 7a (withholding rate) against your country's tax treaty rate. Australia has a pretty favorable treaty with the US - for most types of income like AdSense, the rate should be 0% or very low. If you're seeing 30% withholding, that means your W-8BEN wasn't properly processed or there was some other issue. One thing I learned the hard way: even if everything looks correct on your 1042-S, make sure you're reporting this income on your Australian tax return. The ATO can cross-reference this data, and you'll want to claim any foreign tax credits for whatever was withheld. Keep these forms with your tax records - they're essentially proof of income and tax paid that you may need later. If you're getting different withholding rates year over year for the same income source, that's usually a red flag that something needs to be fixed with your W-8BEN.

Has anyone used TurboTax for backdoor Roth reporting? I'm trying to DIY this and it keeps giving me errors when I enter my recharacterization.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! The key thing that saved me was getting everything properly documented on Form 8606. Since you did both the 2023 recharacterization AND the 2024 conversion in the same tax year, you'll need to be extra careful about the sequencing. For your 2023 amended return: You'll report the recharacterized contribution as a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution on Form 8606. This establishes your basis. For your 2024 return: You'll show the conversion on Form 8606 Part II, using the basis you established from 2023. Any earnings that accumulated between your original contributions and the conversion date will be taxable. The tricky part is that some tax software doesn't handle this cross-year complexity well. Make sure your preparer understands that the 2023 recharacterization creates nondeductible basis that carries forward to reduce the taxable portion of your 2024 conversion. If they miss this connection, you could end up paying tax on money that should be tax-free. I'd strongly recommend double-checking their work on Form 8606 - specifically that they're correctly calculating your nondeductible basis from the recharacterized 2023 contributions.

This is actually a really well-documented issue that the IRS acknowledged in their 2023 security updates. The system flags IP addresses based on multiple factors including geographic anomalies, browser characteristics, and even time-of-day patterns that look suspicious. I've found that clearing your browser's stored data for irs.gov specifically (not just cache/cookies, but also local storage and site data) before trying the mobile data trick works even better. Also, if you're using browser extensions like ad blockers or privacy tools, try disabling them temporarily - they can sometimes interfere with the IRS site's security checks and trigger false positives.

This is incredibly frustrating but totally normal during peak tax season! I've been a tax preparer for 8 years and see this constantly with clients. The IRS security system has become super aggressive - it's not just about your login attempts but also your IP reputation, device fingerprinting, and even network traffic patterns. Here's what usually works: 1) Try mobile data instead of wifi, 2) Use incognito/private browsing mode, 3) Clear ALL site data for irs.gov (not just cookies), and 4) Disable any VPN or proxy. If you're still locked out after 24 hours, call the Practitioner Priority Service at 866-860-4259 - they can usually reset the flag on your account immediately. Don't stress, your account isn't compromised, it's just their overzealous fraud protection doing its thing! 🤗

Filed March 11th with Chime/Cross River and just got my deposit this morning! I was in the exact same boat as you - checking WMR obsessively and getting frustrated with the "still processing" message. What finally helped was getting my transcript from the IRS website (took a few tries to verify my identity but eventually worked). The transcript showed way more detail than WMR and had actual codes that explained what was happening. Mine had been sitting in a verification queue for nearly two weeks. The key thing I learned is that the 5-day early deposit only kicks in once the IRS actually releases the funds and sets a direct deposit date - Chime can't work magic if the IRS hasn't approved your return yet. Hang in there, it sounds like a lot of people who filed around the same time as us are finally getting their deposits this week!

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed March 9th with Chime/Cross River and still waiting. The "still processing" message on Where's My Refund is driving me crazy. I've been seeing a lot of people mention checking transcripts and using tools like taxr.ai to understand what's actually happening. I tried to get my transcript but couldn't verify my identity online either - so frustrating! It's a bit reassuring to see that others who filed around the same time are finally getting their deposits this week. Fingers crossed we're in the next batch! The waiting game is brutal when you're counting on that money.

Has anyone used a payroll service for their babysitter? My accountant is saying I need to do quarterly filings and it sounds like a nightmare for someone who just watches my kid twice a week.

I went through this exact situation last year! Just to add to what others have said - the IRS has a specific threshold for household employees. If you pay your babysitter $2,600 or more in 2025 (it increases slightly each year), then you definitely need to treat them as an employee and handle payroll taxes. At $150 every two weeks, you'd hit about $3,900 for the year, so you'd be over that threshold. The good news is that even with proper employee classification, you can still claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit - you just need their SSN and address on Form 2441. One tip that saved me a headache: start keeping detailed records NOW of when she works and how much you pay. The IRS wants to see that you're treating this seriously from the beginning, not scrambling to create documentation later. A simple spreadsheet with dates, hours, and payments works fine.