One thing nobody's mentioned yet - don't forget about FBAR requirements! Even after you surrender your green card, if you had $10,000+ across all foreign (non-US) accounts at any point during the year you lived in the US, you still need to file the FBAR form. I got hit with a massive penalty for missing this when I moved back to Europe.

This is a really complex situation that involves both US and UK tax law! A few additional points to consider beyond what others have mentioned: First, make sure you understand the timing of your move in relation to tax years. The UK tax year runs April 6 to April 5, while the US follows the calendar year. This can create some interesting split-year situations that affect how you report income in both countries. Second, regarding your W-8BEN form - you'll need to be careful about when you submit it. You can only claim treaty benefits as a UK resident once you've actually established UK tax residency. The distributors will need updated forms, and there might be a transition period where you're still subject to the higher withholding rates. Also worth noting: some music royalties might be classified differently depending on whether they're mechanical royalties, performance royalties, or sync licensing fees. The treaty treatment can vary based on the specific type of royalty income. Finally, consider keeping detailed records of your income sources and any taxes withheld during your transition year. You'll likely need to file partial-year returns in both countries for the year you move, and having clear documentation will make this much easier. The international tax rules for creative professionals are genuinely complicated, so getting professional help from someone experienced with US-UK tax issues is probably your best bet for navigating this correctly.

I tried the exempt thing a few years back. Ended up owing $3800 at tax time plus a $320 underpayment penalty. Wasn't worth the stress of coming up with that lump sum, tbh. Now I just have a separate bank account where I auto-transfer a percentage of each paycheck, so I still have the money but it's set aside for taxes.

Just want to add another perspective as someone who learned this lesson the hard way. I claimed exempt for two years thinking I was being smart by keeping more money in my pocket. Everything seemed fine until the IRS sent me a notice that I was being audited specifically because of the exempt claims. Turns out they have automated systems that flag people who claim exempt but then owe significant taxes when they file. The audit wasn't terrible, but it was stressful and time-consuming. I had to provide documentation for everything and explain why I thought I qualified for exempt status. The IRS agent explained that the exempt box isn't just about convenience or cash flow - it's a legal certification that you meet very specific criteria. If you don't actually meet those criteria, you're essentially making a false statement on a federal form, which can have serious consequences beyond just owing money. Now I use the withholding calculator like others suggested and just have a smaller amount withheld while staying compliant. I get most of the cash flow benefit without the legal risk. Much better sleep at night!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - be careful about the "member of household" rule if you're not legally married to your girlfriend. The IRS publication 501 states that your relationship must not "violate local law" to claim someone as a qualifying relative. In some states, cohabitation laws could technically come into play. California repealed their anti-cohabitation laws, so you should be fine, but it's something to be aware of when claiming non-relatives as dependents.

Based on everyone's responses here, it sounds like you're in a tough spot with the HOH filing status. I'm dealing with something similar - I support my elderly neighbor who has no family, and I was hoping to claim HOH status too. From what I'm reading, you can definitely claim your girlfriend's mother as a dependent if she meets all the qualifying relative tests (lives with you all year, under the income limit, you provide more than half support, etc.). But the Head of Household rules are stricter - you need a qualifying person with a specific relationship to you. Have you considered looking into other tax strategies to get your AGI down? Someone mentioned maxing out retirement contributions. Also, if you're supporting her medical expenses, you might be able to deduct those if they exceed a certain percentage of your AGI. The medical deduction threshold is pretty high, but if she has significant medical costs, it could help. It's frustrating that the tax code makes these distinctions, especially when you're genuinely supporting someone who depends on you financially.

Did you receive any CP01 notices? Those indicate identity verification issues. Have you checked your transcript for TC 570 codes? What about your account transcript - sometimes that updates before your return transcript.

I've seen this pattern before - when multiple tax years are being held simultaneously along with missing CTC payments, it often indicates a systemic account flag rather than just a processing delay. The fact that your return isn't even showing in the system after this long suggests it may be stuck in the Taxpayer Protection Program queue. Have you tried requesting your Account Transcript (not just Return Transcript) through IRS.gov? Sometimes the account transcript will show transaction codes even when the return transcript is blank. Also, if you haven't received any correspondence from the IRS at all, I'd recommend updating your address on file - sometimes verification letters get sent to old addresses and the lack of response keeps the account frozen.

Another approach nobody's mentioned yet - if you're self-employed or have significant side income, you can adjust your W-4 at your main job to account for that additional income. I'm an engineer with a consulting side gig, and I just increased my withholding at my day job slightly instead of making separate quarterly payments for the consulting work. My accountant says this is totally legit as long as your total withholding covers your tax liability appropriately. For me it's way easier to have a bit more taken from each paycheck than to remember four separate quarterly payment deadlines!

yall are overthinking this lol. i just claim exempt on my w4 and have zero withheld all year, then pay it all in april. been doing it for 7 years. never had a penalty.