If u cant get thru on phone try taxpayer advocate service. They helped me sort this out last year but took like 2 months ngl

Been through this nightmare myself last year! Here's what worked for me: 1) Get your account transcript from IRS.gov first - it'll show if there's any suspicious activity 2) File Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) online even if you're not 100% sure it's identity theft 3) Try calling the IP PIN line super early (like 7am) or use the callback option if available. The whole process took me about 3 weeks but I got it sorted. Don't panic - you can file an extension if needed! 🙏

Don't feel foolish - the tax system is complicated! One thing to consider: was this rental income ACTUALLY earned in 2024, or was it payment for the 2023 rental period that just happened to be paid in January? If it was payment for December 2023 rental that was just paid in January, some might argue it actually belongs on 2023 taxes depending on your accounting method (cash vs accrual). Might be worth clarifying this point.

You're definitely not alone in making this mistake! I had a similar situation with some freelance income last year. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of exactly when the income was received versus when it was for. In your case, since you received the rental payment on January 3rd, 2024, it should indeed go on your 2024 return regardless of what rental period it covered (assuming you use cash basis accounting like most individual taxpayers). The 1040-X process is pretty straightforward once you get started. Make sure to clearly explain in Part III that you're removing income that was mistakenly reported in the wrong tax year. I'd also recommend making copies of everything before you mail it in - the IRS has been pretty slow with processing amendments lately. One small tip: if this was a significant amount of income that affected your tax bracket or other deductions, double-check that removing it from 2023 doesn't create any other issues with things like the Earned Income Credit or other income-based calculations.

Anyone tried Xoom? It's owned by PayPal but supposedly has better rates for international stuff. Just wondering if it's better than Transferwise or Remitly for Italy specifically.

I actually just went through this exact same situation last month - needed to send $3,000 to my brother in Rome for an emergency medical bill. After comparing both services side by side, I ended up going with Wise and was really happy with the choice. The total cost breakdown for my transfer was: $2,982.15 received by my brother after a $17.85 fee from Wise. The exchange rate was essentially the real mid-market rate with no hidden markup. The money arrived in his Italian bank account in about 18 hours. I also tested what the same transfer would cost through Remitly, and while their upfront fee was slightly lower, their exchange rate had a markup that would have resulted in about €20 less for my brother to receive. One tip: Both services let you lock in the exchange rate for a short period (I think it's 24-48 hours), so you can set up the transfer and wait for a good rate if you have some flexibility on timing. Since you mentioned this is urgent though, I'd just go with whatever rate is available now. Hope this helps with your decision!

I had something similar happen last year. I received both a W-2 and 1099-NEC from the same company and my tax preparer filed it wrong too. It got fixed with an amendment and literally nothing happened. No audit, no questions, nothing. The IRS is so backlogged right now they're not going after these small issues, especially when you fix them yourself. The only thing you might want to check is if you need to file an amended state return too if your state has income tax. Sometimes the state revenue departments can be even more behind than the IRS in processing.

I understand your panic - I went through something very similar two years ago with a misclassified 1099. The key thing to remember is that you've already done the right thing by filing an amended return quickly. From my experience working with small business tax issues, the IRS typically only initiates employer investigations when they see systematic problems across multiple employees or significant dollar amounts involved. A single corrected filing, especially one that you self-reported and fixed, rarely triggers broader scrutiny. Your amended return essentially tells the IRS "disregard the original Form 8919 - the income was correctly classified as independent contractor work." Since you're paying the additional taxes owed and showing good faith compliance, this should close the loop from their perspective. The fact that your employer legitimately uses both W-2 and 1099 workers (you have separate roles) actually works in your favor here. If anything ever did come up, your employment situation would be easy to explain and justify. Try not to stress too much - you caught the error quickly and handled it properly. That's exactly what the amendment process is designed for.

Anyone used both TurboTax and H&R Block who can tell me which is better for first-timers? My brother says TurboTax is more expensive but easier to use.

As someone who was in your exact shoes two years ago, I'd definitely recommend going the DIY route with your simple tax situation! I ended up using TurboTax Free and it was honestly much easier than I expected. One thing that really helped me was gathering all my documents first - your W-2, any 1099-INT forms from your savings accounts (even if the interest was small), and your bank account info for direct deposit. Having everything ready made the process super smooth. The step-by-step interview format in both TurboTax and H&R Block is designed for people who have never done taxes before. They literally ask questions like "Did you work a job this year?" and guide you through entering each piece of information. For someone with just W-2 income and savings accounts, you'll probably spend more time gathering documents than actually filling out the return. Save your money and skip the tax preparer for now - you can always go that route in future years if your situation gets more complicated with investments, side income, or major life changes.