I've been following this discussion and wanted to add some practical advice about dealing with international dependent situations. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping records of ANY financial support you provide - not just monthly remittances. This includes things like paying for health insurance premiums directly to providers in the Philippines, online purchases shipped to your child (like school supplies from Amazon), or even paying tuition fees directly to schools via international wire transfers. The IRS looks at total support provided, and these direct payments can really add up over the year. I learned this when my tax preparer pointed out I was underestimating my total support contribution by not including the $800 I spent on my daughter's medical insurance and the $300 in school supplies I had shipped directly. Also, regarding the 50% support test - don't forget that "support" includes fair market value of lodging. If your child is living rent-free with a relative, you still need to include the fair rental value of their housing in the total support calculation. This can actually work in your favor since housing costs in the Philippines are typically much lower than what you might assume. One last tip: if you're unsure about your calculations, consider consulting with a tax professional who has experience with expat and international dependent situations before filing. The dependent exemption and credits can be worth several thousand dollars, so it's worth getting it right the first time.

I've been dealing with a similar situation for the past three years with my son living in the Philippines with his mother. Based on my experience, you should be able to claim your daughter as a dependent since she's a US citizen, but you need to be very careful about documentation. Here are the key things I learned: **Documentation is everything:** Keep records of ALL support - not just money transfers. This includes direct payments to schools, medical providers, insurance premiums, and even items you ship directly. I use a spreadsheet to track every expense by category and date. **The 50% support test is tricky:** You need to prove you provide more than half of her TOTAL living expenses, not just more than what her mother provides. Research actual costs in her specific area of the Philippines - housing, food, education, healthcare, etc. Numbeo.com has good cost of living data by city. **Currency conversion matters:** I use the average exchange rate for the tax year (available on IRS.gov) when converting peso expenses to USD for my calculations. **Work with the caretaker:** Ask her mother to help document major expenses with receipts when possible. This gives you real numbers instead of estimates. **SSN is critical:** Make sure you have your daughter's Social Security Number ready. Returns get rejected immediately without it. I've successfully claimed my son for three years now without any issues from the IRS. The dependent exemption and Child Tax Credit saved me about $3,500 last year, so it's definitely worth getting right. Happy to answer any specific questions about the process!

I'm just starting this process for my son's Special Needs Trust and this thread has been incredibly helpful! The "Corporation" label issue with the online application is exactly what I encountered - I was starting to think I was doing something fundamentally wrong. Based on all the detailed experiences shared here, I'm definitely going with the fax route. I've already called the IRS business line (800-829-4933) and they confirmed the correct fax number for my state and gave me great guidance on how to fill out line 9a - specifically to write "Special Needs Trust for [beneficiary name]" rather than just marking "Trust." Planning to fax tomorrow morning using the "fine" resolution setting with a detailed cover sheet. The consistency everyone is reporting with the 4-day timeline is really encouraging, especially compared to all the horror stories I was finding elsewhere online. One question for those who've been through this recently - when you received your EIN back via fax, was it clearly marked as being for a Special Needs Trust, or just listed as a general trust? I want to make sure there won't be any confusion later when setting up bank accounts and other services that need to understand the specific trust type. Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical, real-world guidance. This community has made what seemed like an overwhelming process feel much more manageable!

I just went through this exact process two months ago for my nephew's Special Needs Trust and can confirm the fax route is definitely the way to go! Got my EIN back in exactly 4 business days as promised. The "Corporation" label confusion with the online application is super common - the IRS system just doesn't handle specialty trusts properly, so you made the right call switching to fax. A few tips that really helped: I called the IRS business line (800-829-4933) beforehand to confirm the fax number and they walked me through filling out line 9a correctly - they specifically said to write "Special Needs Trust established for [beneficiary name]" rather than just "Trust." This helps their processing team route it to the right department faster. I faxed on a Tuesday morning at 8:45 AM using "fine" resolution (not standard) and included a detailed cover sheet explaining it was a Special Needs Trust under state law. The transmission went through immediately and I got the EIN assignment faxed back Thursday afternoon. When the EIN comes back, it's on official IRS letterhead clearly identifying it as assigned to your Special Needs Trust - very clear documentation that banks and other institutions accept without question. The 4-day timeline has been consistently accurate from what I've seen, as long as you're clear about the trust type and fill everything out correctly upfront. Much less stressful than the online horror stories make it seem!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with this exact same ID.me authentication nightmare right now and was getting so frustrated before finding all these detailed solutions. What's really impressive is how this community has essentially reverse-engineered all the technical issues behind this broken integration. The insights about OAuth token conflicts, autofill interference, VPN blocking, and even system clock synchronization from Natasha are incredibly valuable - way better than anything I've found in official help documentation. I'm definitely going to try the comprehensive method that's emerged from everyone's experiences: Firefox private mode, direct to irs.gov, manual credential entry, no VPN, and checking for any pending ID.me verifications. It's honestly ridiculous that accessing our own tax information requires this level of technical detective work, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share real working solutions. Has anyone noticed if this issue affects certain tax forms or situations more than others? I'm dealing with a Schedule C filing and wondering if business returns have additional authentication complications. Either way, about to try these methods now - will report back if I discover anything new in the process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by the incredible troubleshooting work everyone has done here! I just stumbled into this exact same ID.me/IRS portal nightmare yesterday and was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what was going wrong. Reading through all these detailed solutions has been like finding a treasure trove of actual working fixes instead of the usual "clear your cache and try again" responses you get from official help channels. The technical insights about OAuth token conflicts, autofill interference, VPN blocking, and even system clock synchronization issues are incredibly valuable - this community has essentially created the definitive guide for this broken authentication system. I'm particularly grateful for QuantumQuest's step-by-step method of going directly to irs.gov first and letting them initiate the ID.me redirect, combined with AstroExplorer's discovery about autofill causing token mismatches. The comprehensive approach that's emerged from everyone's experiences looks like exactly what I need to try. It's honestly mind-boggling that we need this level of technical expertise just to check our own tax information, but this thread demonstrates the power of community problem-solving. About to try the full method now: Firefox private mode, direct to IRS, manual credentials, no VPN, disabled autofill. Will definitely report back if I discover anything new in the process! Thank you all for sharing your real-world solutions and creating such an invaluable resource for anyone stuck in this authentication loop. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes the difference!

This is a really comprehensive discussion, but I want to add one crucial point that could save you significant headaches: consider the timing of when you report your gambling income versus when you actually receive the funds in your US accounts. The IRS generally uses a cash basis for gambling winnings, meaning you report income when you actually receive it, not when you win it. So if you win €10,000 in December but don't transfer it to your US account until January, you'd typically report it in the following tax year. This can be useful for tax planning, especially if you're near year-end. However, this gets complicated with foreign currency. Some tax professionals argue you should report the income when won (using the exchange rate at that time), while others say you report when received in USD. The currency fluctuation between winning and receiving could create additional taxable events. Also, don't overlook state tax implications. Some states have no income tax, while others might tax your gambling winnings at high rates. If you're in a high-tax state, you might want to establish residency elsewhere before you start this venture - but make sure you do it properly to avoid dual-state tax issues. Given the complexity here, I'd strongly recommend getting a consultation with a tax professional who specializes in international gambling taxation before you start. The upfront cost could save you thousands in penalties and missed optimization opportunities.

One additional consideration that hasn't been fully addressed is the potential impact on your US banking relationships. Many major US banks have become increasingly cautious about customers who frequently move money to and from offshore gambling sites, even when it's perfectly legal. I've seen cases where banks have closed accounts or restricted services for customers engaged in offshore betting, not because of any legal issues, but due to their internal risk management policies. This is especially true if you're moving significant amounts regularly. Before you start, I'd recommend: 1. Notify your bank about your planned international transfers and gambling activity to avoid surprise account freezes 2. Consider maintaining relationships with multiple banks in case one decides they don't want your business 3. Look into banks that are more friendly to international transactions and gambling activities Some credit unions and smaller regional banks are more accommodating than the major nationals. Also, having a clear paper trail and being upfront about the source of funds goes a long way in maintaining good banking relationships. The last thing you want is to hit a big win only to have your bank account frozen while they investigate the source of a large international transfer. Planning ahead for the banking side can save you major headaches down the road.

This is exactly the kind of confusion that trips up so many people! I went through something similar when I switched from freelancing back to regular employment. Just to reinforce what others have said - when an employer asks for your "tax ID" for a W-2 position, they're asking for your Social Security Number (SSN). That old EIN from your 2018 business is completely irrelevant for this situation, even though it does remain permanently associated with that business entity. The terminology can be really confusing because "tax ID" is such a generic term. Think of it this way: - Individuals use their SSN as their personal tax ID - Businesses use an EIN as their business tax ID - As a W-2 employee, you're being hired as an individual, not as a business Your new employer needs your SSN to properly report your wages to the IRS and Social Security Administration. Using the wrong number (like that old EIN) would create reporting problems and potentially mess up your Social Security earnings record. So go ahead and provide your SSN when they ask for your tax ID - that's exactly what they need for your W-2 employment!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I was actually in a very similar situation a few months ago when I was transitioning from some part-time consulting work back to a regular full-time job. The HR person kept asking for my "tax identification number" and I got so confused because I had an EIN from when I was doing freelance projects. What really helped me understand it was thinking about it from the employer's perspective - they need to file a W-2 form at the end of the year that reports your wages to both the IRS and Social Security. That W-2 form requires your Social Security Number specifically, not an EIN. The SSN is what links your earnings to your personal tax return and your Social Security earnings record. If you accidentally gave them your old EIN instead, your wages would be reported under that business number rather than your personal SSN, which could create problems when you file your individual tax return. The IRS might not be able to match up the income properly. So yeah, for any W-2 employment situation, always provide your SSN when they ask for a tax ID. Save the EIN for actual business activities or independent contractor work where you're filing 1099s. The distinction really comes down to whether you're working as an employee (SSN) or operating as a business entity (EIN). Hope this helps add to the clarity everyone else has provided!