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This is a really helpful thread! I had no idea about the once-per-year rollover rule that @Aisha Patel mentioned. I'm dealing with a similar situation where I took an early distribution for what I thought was going to be a first-time home purchase, but then had to return the money when the deal fell through. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have documentation of the exact dates. I kept records showing when I received the distribution and when I redeposited it to prove I was within the 60-day window. My financial advisor said this could be important if the IRS ever questions the rollover. Also, for anyone using other tax software besides TurboTax, I found that FreeTaxUSA has a pretty clear rollover section too. It walks you through the same process - report the 1099-R but then mark the rollover amount so it doesn't get taxed. @Aaliyah Jackson - sounds like you're on the right track now with everyone's help. The key thing is don't let TurboTax calculate taxes on money you properly returned!
Great advice about keeping documentation of the exact dates! I learned this the hard way when the IRS questioned a rollover I did a few years ago. Having bank records showing the withdrawal date and redeposit date made all the difference. One thing I'd add is to also keep a copy of any communication with your financial institution about the rollover. Sometimes they can provide a letter confirming the transaction was processed as a rollover, which can be helpful backup documentation. @Daniel Rivera - you re'absolutely right about other tax software having clearer rollover sections. I ve'found that some of the free options actually do a better job of explaining these situations than the more expensive programs. The key is just making sure you don t'skip over the rollover question when entering the 1099-R information!
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now - took an IRA distribution for a home purchase that fell through and managed to get the money back in within the 60-day window. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to double-check that your financial institution coded the redeposit correctly as a rollover contribution on the 5498. Mine initially coded it as a regular contribution, which would have created contribution limit issues. I had to call them to get it corrected to show as a "rollover contribution" instead of a "regular contribution." Also, for anyone using TaxAct, the process is similar - when you enter the 1099-R, there's a section that asks "Did you roll over any of this distribution?" Make sure to answer yes and enter the full amount. The software will then show $0 taxable income from the distribution. Thanks especially to @KylieRose and @Klaus Schmidt for the detailed explanations about how this all works. It's reassuring to know that as long as you properly report both the distribution and the rollover, you won't owe taxes on money you returned!
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I'm actually going through this exact situation right now! I moved from a rental to a purchased home in June and have been agonizing over how to handle my carryover expenses from prior years. Reading through everyone's responses, I'm leaning toward the income-based allocation approach (option 3) that several people have mentioned. My situation is a bit different though - I actually had a temporary dip in income right after moving due to the disruption, but then it picked up significantly in the last quarter. One thing I'm curious about - for those who used the income-based method, did you allocate based on when you invoiced clients or when you actually received payment? I have some clients who pay net-30 or net-60, so there's a timing difference between when I earned the income versus when I received it. Also, has anyone had experience with what happens if you have a loss year at one of the properties? I'm wondering if that affects the carryover allocation at all. Thanks for all the helpful insights everyone - this thread has been incredibly valuable!
Great questions! For the timing issue, I'd recommend using when you earned the income (invoice date) rather than when you received payment, since that better reflects when the business activity actually occurred at each location. This aligns with the accrual method principle even if you're a cash basis taxpayer for most purposes. Regarding loss years - if one property shows a business loss, you'd still allocate the carryover based on your methodology, but keep in mind that losses can't increase your carryover amounts. The carryover rules are designed to only apply when you have insufficient business income to claim all your home office expenses. Your temporary income dip after moving actually supports the income-based allocation approach, since it shows a real business impact tied to the location change. Just make sure to document your reasoning clearly in case of questions later.
This is an excellent discussion thread! I'm dealing with a very similar situation and want to add a few practical considerations that might help others navigating this. After reading through all the responses, I'm convinced that the income-based allocation method (option 3) is the most defensible approach, especially when you can document where your business activity actually occurred. However, I'd recommend a few additional steps: 1. **Create a detailed timeline** showing not just income but also major business activities, client meetings, project completions, etc. at each location. This strengthens your case that the allocation reflects genuine business reality. 2. **Consider state tax implications** - Some states have different rules for home office deductions, so make sure your allocation method works for both federal and state returns. 3. **Keep copies of utility bills, internet bills, etc.** from both properties showing the business use periods. This supporting documentation can be valuable if questions arise. The point about quarterly estimated taxes is spot-on too. When your income increases significantly after a move, it's easy to get caught off guard by underpayment penalties. I learned this the hard way last year! One last thought - if you're using tax software, some programs struggle with multiple Form 8829s in the same year. You might need to prepare them separately or use professional software to handle this correctly.
These are really comprehensive suggestions! I especially appreciate the point about creating a detailed timeline beyond just income tracking. I hadn't considered documenting client meetings and project completions by location, but that makes total sense for building a strong case. The state tax implications point is crucial too - I almost overlooked checking my state's specific rules. Turns out my state follows federal guidelines for home office deductions, but it's definitely worth verifying since some states have their own quirks. Your comment about tax software struggling with multiple Form 8829s is spot on. I ran into this exact issue when trying to use TurboTax - it kept trying to combine everything into one form. Ended up having to prepare them manually and attach them to my return. Good heads up for anyone else going through this!
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Monique Byrd
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a very similar situation where my girlfriend and I split all our housing costs 50/50, but everything's in my name due to her credit history. She sends me $1,200 monthly through Venmo for her half of mortgage, insurance, and utilities. Reading through everyone's experiences here has really put my mind at ease about the new payment app reporting rules. The distinction between personal expense sharing and business income makes perfect sense when explained clearly like @6a16f57c11b1 did. I'm definitely going to implement some of the documentation suggestions from @a6dd59e13835 and @c42dcc408bd5 - keeping a simple digital folder with screenshots of bills and payment records seems like the perfect balance of being prepared without going overboard. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else in this situation: my bank actually has a feature where I can set up automatic payments directly from my girlfriend's account to the mortgage company for her portion. We looked into this option, but decided the Venmo approach was simpler since we're already using it for other shared expenses. Good to know we have that backup option though if we ever want to eliminate any potential confusion. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this community is such a great resource for navigating these confusing tax situations!
Welcome to the community @715a9786a701! Your situation sounds almost identical to what many of us have been dealing with, and it's great to see how this thread has helped clarify things for everyone. I love that you mentioned the automatic payment option from your bank - that's actually something I hadn't considered for my own situation. Even though Venmo works well for us too, it's good to know there are alternatives that might provide even clearer documentation of the expense-sharing arrangement. One thing I wanted to add based on my own experience: I found it helpful to have a brief conversation with my partner about how we describe these payments when we send them. We both use consistent descriptions like "mortgage + utilities April" so there's no ambiguity about what the payments are for. It's probably unnecessary, but it creates a clear pattern that shows these are household expense reimbursements. This community really has been fantastic for sorting through all the confusion around these new payment app rules. It's reassuring to know that so many people are in similar situations and that the consensus from everyone's research and professional consultations is that legitimate expense sharing isn't something to worry about!
Luca Ferrari
I'm in a nearly identical situation with my partner and our shared townhouse! He sends me $975 monthly through Venmo for his half of the mortgage and HOA fees. I was losing sleep over the new payment app rules until I did some deep research. What really helped me understand this was looking at the actual IRS Publication 525, which covers taxable income. It specifically states that money received from personal relationships for shared living expenses isn't considered income - it's cost sharing. The key is that you're not providing housing as a service or business, you're genuinely sharing the expenses of a home you both live in. I ended up creating a simple one-page agreement with my partner that outlines our arrangement - that we both consider ourselves co-owners despite the legal title, we both contributed to costs, and we're splitting ongoing expenses. I also keep a basic spreadsheet showing the actual mortgage payment and how we split it. The vacation reimbursement situation you mentioned is even more straightforward - that's just paying back money your friend spent on your behalf. The IRS sees millions of these transactions and they're clearly personal reimbursements, not taxable income. I think a lot of us are overthinking this because the new rules got so much media attention, but they're really designed to catch people running businesses through payment apps, not couples sharing household costs!
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Dananyl Lear
Just to add a practical tip - when my wife and I were in a similar situation (I make $150k, she makes $60k), we found that using tax software to run a "what-if" scenario in January helped us make adjustments early in the year. We took our previous year's return, updated the expected income for the current year, and then looked at the projected result. It showed us we'd be short about $3,200 in withholding, so I updated my W-4 to withhold an extra $275 per month. Worked perfectly - we got a small refund instead of owing money.
What tax software do you recommend for this? I've been using TurboTax but never thought about using it for planning rather than just filing.
Paolo Rizzo
Great question! I went through this exact same situation last year when my spouse and I had a similar income gap ($140k vs $75k). One thing that really helped us was understanding the "marriage penalty" concept - when both spouses work, the combined income can push you into higher tax brackets than either would face individually. This is especially true with your income levels. For your W-4 forms, definitely choose "married filing jointly" as others have mentioned. However, I'd strongly recommend using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator mid-year to check if you're on track. We discovered we were under-withholding by about $2,800 and were able to adjust before it became a problem. Also consider having the higher earner (you at $145k) make the withholding adjustments rather than splitting it between both W-4s. It's often simpler administratively and gives you more control over the process. You can always adjust quarterly if needed. The key is being proactive about it rather than getting surprised at tax time!
This is really helpful advice! I'm new to dealing with taxes as a married couple and the "marriage penalty" concept is something I hadn't heard of before. When you mention having the higher earner make the withholding adjustments, did you just add extra withholding in Step 4(c) of the W-4? And how did you figure out the right amount to add? I want to make sure I understand the process correctly before making changes to our forms.
Andre Dupont
ā¢Yes, exactly! I added the extra withholding in Step 4(c) of my W-4 form. To figure out the right amount, I used the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (you can find it on irs.gov) around mid-year when I had a good sense of our actual income for the year. The estimator takes your year-to-date withholding from both paychecks, estimates your total tax liability, and tells you if you need to adjust. In our case, it recommended I add about $250 per month in additional withholding for the rest of the year to avoid owing money. The nice thing about putting it all on the higher earner's W-4 is that it's easier to track and adjust if needed. Plus, since the higher earner typically has more withholding room before hitting weird payroll system limits, it's usually more straightforward administratively. Just make sure to re-run the estimator if either of your incomes changes significantly during the year - bonuses, raises, job changes, etc. can all throw off your projections!
Alicia Stern
2 But what about the Monaco-US tax treaty? Doesn't that change how much they have to pay on US tournament winnings? I think there might be a lower rate for residents of countries with tax treaties.
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Alicia Stern
ā¢3 Monaco doesn't actually have a tax treaty with the US. This means Monaco residents earning US income are generally subject to the full US tax rates without treaty benefits. Some tennis players deliberately establish residency in countries that do have favorable tax treaties with the US and other nations where they compete. For instance, Switzerland (where Federer lived) does have a US tax treaty that can provide certain benefits, though they'd still pay US taxes on US-sourced income. The tax planning behind where professional athletes choose to live can be incredibly strategic!
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Ruby Garcia
This is such a fascinating topic! I had no idea about the "jock tax" situation where athletes get taxed by every state they compete in. That must make tax season an absolute nightmare for these players. It's interesting how Monaco's lack of a tax treaty with the US actually works against athletes living there - they don't get any of the benefits that residents of countries like Switzerland might get. Makes you wonder if some of these players might actually be better off tax-wise living somewhere else with better treaty arrangements. The duty days calculation for endorsement income is mind-blowing too. Imagine having to track every single day of work and which state/country you were in. No wonder these athletes need armies of accountants and tax specialists!
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Dmitry Petrov
ā¢Exactly! And what really gets me is how this affects up-and-coming players who might not have the resources for those armies of accountants yet. They're probably getting hit with surprise tax bills they never saw coming. I wonder if there's a threshold where it becomes worth it to hire specialized tax help versus just accepting you're going to overpay. Like, at what point in prize money earnings does it make financial sense to get those expensive international tax specialists? Some of these lower-ranked players might be losing a huge chunk of their already modest winnings just to compliance costs and penalties for getting it wrong.
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