For your wife's nanny income, wouldn't she need to pay self-employment tax too? That's an extra 15.3% on top of regular income tax, right? That seems like it would be a big hit on back taxes you're already struggling with.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through a similar situation with back taxes and missing documentation. The advice about reporting the nanny income as "other income" on Schedule 1 is spot on - that's exactly what I did when I had unreported cash payments from years ago. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet showing how I estimated the income. I listed things like "worked approximately 20 hours/week from March-December 2018 at $15/hour" with whatever details I could remember. Even if it's not perfect, the IRS appreciates seeing that you made a good faith effort to be accurate. Also, don't stress too much about the payment plan approval. In my experience, the IRS is pretty reasonable about setting up installment agreements, especially when you're proactively trying to get caught up. The fact that you've already filed 2019-2023 shows you're making an effort to stay compliant going forward. Filing jointly is almost certainly going to be better than separately - you'll get a higher standard deduction and potentially qualify for credits you'd lose filing separately. Just get that 2018 return filed with your best estimate and move forward with getting current.

Have you checked the calculators on Fidelity or Vanguard's websites? I've found both to be pretty accurate for SEP IRA calculations. The Fidelity one in particular lets you input your self-employment income and automatically does all the adjustments for you. I've been using it for the past three years and the numbers always match what my tax software calculates later.

I'm an accountant and I made a simple Excel calculator for SEP IRA contributions for my clients. It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done. It includes the adjustment for self-employment tax and handles the circular calculation accurately. I'd be happy to share it if you DM me. No charge obviously, just pay it forward somehow!

Welcome to the US tax system! Your situation is actually pretty common for new green card holders. Just wanted to add a couple of practical tips from my own experience with international transfers: 1. When you do transfer the money, consider doing it in smaller chunks (like $7k-8k at a time) rather than all $21k at once. This won't change your tax obligations, but it can sometimes get you better exchange rates and lower transfer fees depending on your banks. 2. Make sure to get a detailed transfer receipt showing the exchange rate used and any fees charged. These can be useful for your records, especially if you need to document the transaction later. 3. If your German bank charges high fees for international transfers, definitely look into services like Wise or Remitly - they often save hundreds of dollars on large transfers like yours. The good news is that Germany has a tax treaty with the US, so if you did have any taxable income from interest on that account while you were a US resident, you could potentially claim foreign tax credits to avoid double taxation. But for the principal amount you earned while working there, you're all set - no US taxes owed on the transfer itself!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through a very similar situation last year. I moved from Canada to the US with about $35k in savings and was equally confused about the tax implications. The key thing that helped me was understanding the difference between "pre-immigration assets" (money you earned before becoming a US tax resident) and income earned after you become subject to US taxation. Your $21k from working in Germany falls into that first category, so transferring it won't create a US tax liability. However, I'd strongly recommend keeping very detailed records of everything - not just for the FBAR filing, but also in case you ever need to prove the source of funds during future immigration processes or if the IRS has questions. I kept copies of my Canadian employment contracts, tax returns from Canada showing the income was properly reported there, and bank statements showing the money sitting in my account before I moved to the US. One practical tip: when I made my transfer, I used a combination of Wise for the bulk amount and kept about $5k in my Canadian account initially. This way I could test the process with a smaller amount first and also had some buffer time to make sure I understood all the US reporting requirements before moving everything over. The whole process ended up being much less scary than I initially thought, but having good documentation made me feel much more confident about everything!

Something nobody's mentioned yet - check if the foreign country has a tax treaty with the US! This makes a huge difference. I invested in a UK company and because of the tax treaty, my dividend tax rate was reduced from 30% to 15%. Also - watch out for foreign currency gains/losses. The IRS treats these as separate taxable events from your actual investment return. My tax software totally missed this and I had to file an amended return last year.

One important aspect that hasn't been covered yet is the timing of when you recognize income for tax purposes. For foreign investments, you need to be aware of the "constructive dividend" rules that can apply even when no actual cash distribution occurs. If you're investing in a European company as mentioned, also consider whether it's structured as a corporation, partnership, or other entity type under both US and foreign tax law. Sometimes an entity that's treated as a corporation abroad might be considered a partnership for US tax purposes, which completely changes your reporting obligations. Also worth noting - if you're planning to hold this investment long-term, consider the impact on your estate planning. Foreign investments can complicate estate tax filings significantly. The reporting requirements don't go away just because you're not actively managing the investment anymore. I'd strongly recommend getting that consultation with a tax attorney who specializes in international taxation before making the investment, not after. The structure you choose upfront can make a huge difference in your ongoing tax compliance burden.

Have you considered reaching out to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program? They offer free tax preparation services for people with disabilities, and many locations now provide remote options due to COVID adaptations they've maintained. While they don't offer advances directly, they might be able to expedite your filing to get your refund faster. Do you qualify for any special credits related to your disability that might increase your refund amount? What's your timeline for needing the funds?

I'm really sorry to hear about your Credit Karma situation - that's incredibly frustrating, especially when you're dealing with disability challenges and counting on that advance! 😔 Based on what others have shared, here are a few solid options to consider: **Quick alternatives with advances:** • H&R Block online - seems to have good disability accommodations and 24-48 hour processing • TaxSlayer - another user just got approved for $1,250 in 37 hours • Jackson Hewitt online - also offers refund advances **Things to watch out for:** • Fees can range $25-100, so compare the total cost • Some advances are smaller than advertised • New platforms have learning curves **Alternative approach:** Some folks found that filing with faster services like FreeTaxUSA or TaxAct without an advance actually got their refund in 8-12 days, which wasn't much slower than advances anyway and saved on fees. Given your disability needs, I'd probably start by checking H&R Block's online platform since multiple people mentioned their good accessibility features. Whatever you choose, make sure to read all the fee disclosures carefully before committing. Hang in there - there are definitely workable solutions for your situation! 💪