Small warning from someone who works in tax prep: make sure you're actually required to file! Lots of first-time filers waste time filing when they don't need to. If your income is below $12,950 for 2024 (assuming you're single) you might not need to file a federal return at all.

As someone who just went through this same confusion last year, I can confirm what others are saying - definitely use the exact employer address that's printed on your W-2 form. Don't second-guess it or try to "correct" it even if you know the address has changed. The IRS matches everything electronically, so any discrepancy between what you enter and what your employer submitted could trigger delays or questions. One thing that helped me was organizing all my documents first before starting. Make sure you have your W-2 (and any 1099s if applicable), your Social Security card, and a copy of last year's return if you have one. Having everything in one place made the whole process way less stressful. Also, take your time! There's no rush, and it's better to double-check everything than to have to file an amended return later. The IRS website has some good resources for first-time filers too if you get stuck on other sections.

I was in this same situation and ended up filing Form 4868 for an extension while I sorted it out. This at least buys you until October to figure things out and avoids the late filing penalty! You'll still need to pay the estimated tax you owe by the original deadline to avoid interest charges, but it takes some pressure off the filing part.

I went through this exact situation two years ago with my stepmother! Here's what I learned that might help you: First, yes, you absolutely need the 1095-A information even if you didn't pay premiums. The IRS requires it to verify your health coverage compliance under the ACA. Second, your dad's CPA is likely worried about premium tax credit reconciliation. If your dad received advance premium tax credits, having multiple people claim portions could trigger an audit or require him to pay back credits. However, you can file Form 8962 indicating you had coverage but aren't claiming any premium tax credits yourself. Here's what worked for me: I printed out IRS Publication 974 (Premium Tax Credit) and highlighted the sections explaining dependent coverage requirements. I also got a letter from a tax preparer explaining that I only needed the coverage months and plan information, not the premium tax credit details. If your dad still won't budge, try calling Healthcare.gov at 1-800-318-2596. As a covered dependent, you may be able to get your coverage information directly from them. You'll need your SSN and basic info. Worst case, file Form 4868 for an extension and pay your estimated $750 owed by April 15th to avoid interest charges. This gives you until October to resolve the 1095-A issue while avoiding penalties. Don't file by mail without the form - you'll just get a letter requesting it anyway, which delays everything further.

Great thread everyone! As someone who works in tax prep, I wanted to add a few practical tips for newly married couples: 1. **Timing matters** - If you got married late in the year (like November/December), your withholding for that year might already be mostly locked in. You'll want to be extra careful about 2025 planning. 2. **State taxes too** - Don't forget that some states have different rules for married couples. If you live in a state with income tax, make sure your state withholding is also adjusted accordingly. 3. **Quarterly check-ins** - I always tell my clients to review their withholding after each quarter, especially in their first year of marriage. Look at your paystubs and estimate where you'll land for the year. It's much easier to make small adjustments than to get hit with a big surprise in April. 4. **The "marriage penalty"** - For couples with similar incomes like yours ($62k and $58k), you might actually benefit slightly from being married (marriage bonus), but the withholding tables don't always account for this perfectly. The IRS estimator is definitely your best bet, but if the tech solutions others mentioned work for you, that's great too. Just make sure whatever method you use accounts for ALL your deductions - 401k, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, etc.

Just went through this exact situation a few months ago! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to make sure you both update your W-4s at roughly the same time. My spouse updated theirs first in January, but I didn't get around to mine until March. During those two months, our withholding was completely out of whack because only one of us was using the married filing jointly rate while the other was still on single. It created this weird period where we were under-withholding significantly. Also, if either of you gets a raise or bonus during the year, revisit your W-4s immediately. We learned this the hard way when my husband got a promotion in August and suddenly our carefully calculated withholding was off again. The checkbox method in Step 2(c) really is the easiest for most people in your situation. Don't overthink it - you can always adjust if your first few paystubs show you're way off track. Better to start somewhere reasonable than to get paralyzed trying to get it perfect from day one!

Anyone else notice that sometimes the pre-filled forms from accountants have calculation errors? I almost filed with a mistake last year that would have cost me $800. Make sure you double-check all the numbers before submitting!!!

Just want to add another perspective here - if your accountant used professional tax software to prepare your forms, you might be able to ask them for the electronic file (.tax file or similar) that you could then import into compatible software for e-filing. This would save you from manually re-entering all the data and reduce the chance of transcription errors. Also, before you submit anything, I'd strongly recommend calling the IRS practitioner priority line if your accountant gave you a power of attorney form. Even though they can't file for you due to their emergency, you might still be able to get priority phone support to verify everything looks correct. The number is different from the regular taxpayer line and typically has much shorter wait times. One last tip - if you do end up mailing paper forms, send them certified mail with return receipt. It costs a few extra dollars but gives you proof of delivery and timing, which can be crucial if there are any processing delays or questions later.

check your email spam folder. sometimes they send verification letters that get filtered out

This happened to me too - blank transcripts for almost a month after filing! Turns out the IRS was doing additional processing because I had claimed some education credits. Eventually everything showed up and I got my refund. In the meantime, you can check your "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov which sometimes updates before transcripts do. Also make sure you're looking at the right tax year transcript (2024 for returns filed this year). Hang in there!