I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed in early February and got that identity verification letter from Wisconsin DOR about 3 weeks ago. Like you, I've been filing in Wisconsin for years without any issues, so this totally caught me off guard. I submitted all my documents (ID, utility bill, last year's return) through their portal about 2 weeks ago and it's still showing "under review." Based on what everyone's saying here, sounds like I'm probably looking at another week or two before it gets processed. The timing couldn't be worse - I was planning to use my refund for some home repairs that can't wait much longer. It's so frustrating that they can't give us better communication about what's happening or realistic timelines. At least seeing all these responses makes me feel like I'm not alone in this mess! Has your portal status changed at all since you submitted your docs? I'm trying to figure out if "under review" actually means anything or if it just stays that way until the refund magically appears like some people mentioned.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now in Wisconsin! Got my verification letter about 10 days ago and submitted everything immediately. It's so frustrating because like you, I've been filing here for years without any issues. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - sounds like 2-4 weeks is pretty typical once you submit your documents. The hardest part is definitely the waiting and not knowing what's happening. My portal also just says "under review" with no other updates. I'm also waiting on my refund for car repairs, so I completely understand the stress. At least it seems like most people are eventually getting their refunds processed, even if the communication from the state is terrible. Hang in there - hopefully both of us will see our refunds soon!

I've been helping people with tax code issues for years, and your situation is actually quite common! The change from 1275L to 1113L typically happens when HMRC receives information about additional income or benefits that weren't previously accounted for in your tax code. Given that you mentioned being on £32,000 and having no major life changes, here are the most likely causes: bank interest that exceeded your Personal Savings Allowance (£1,000 for basic rate taxpayers), small employer benefits like health insurance or gym memberships, or any freelance/gig work you might have done. The reduction means you'll pay roughly £27 more in tax each month (£324 annually), as others have calculated. Here's what I'd recommend doing in order: 1. Log into your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk and look for the "Check your Income Tax estimate" section - this should show exactly why they've calculated your new code 2. If that doesn't give you clear answers, call HMRC at 8am when wait times are shortest 3. Have your National Insurance number and recent payslips ready Don't worry too much - if it's incorrect, they'll backdate any refund once sorted. Most tax code changes have straightforward explanations once you get the full picture!

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing a few months ago! My tax code changed from 1257L to 1100L seemingly out of nowhere, and I was really stressed about the extra tax I'd be paying. After following the advice that others have shared here (checking the Personal Tax Account first), I discovered it was because I'd earned about £800 from some tutoring work that I'd declared on my self-assessment earlier in the year. HMRC had automatically adjusted my tax code to collect the tax on this additional income throughout the year rather than in one lump sum. What really helped me was understanding that this is actually HMRC trying to be helpful - they spread the tax burden across your monthly payments instead of hitting you with a big bill later. Once I realized this, the change made perfect sense. The Personal Tax Account really is the best first step - it saved me hours on the phone and explained everything clearly. For anyone else in this situation, don't panic! These adjustments usually have logical explanations once you know where to look.

Another option nobody's mentioned yet - if you expect similar interest income this year, you could make an estimated tax payment for Q1 (deadline April 15) to avoid getting into the same situation for 2024. Even if you've already missed the January 15th deadline for the final 2023 estimated payment, starting fresh with the new tax year can help you avoid penalties going forward. For reference, I set calendar reminders for all four estimated tax deadlines (April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15) and calculate roughly 25-30% of any untaxed income (interest, dividends, side gig) to pay each quarter. Never had underpayment issues since starting this system.

I went through almost this exact situation two years ago! The anxiety is completely understandable, but you have several good options here. Since you mentioned your 2022 AGI was around $165,000, you'd need to pay 110% of your prior year tax to qualify for the safe harbor (not 100%). But honestly, given your clean compliance history, I'd skip the complicated Form 2210 calculations entirely and go straight for the First Time Penalty Abatement that others mentioned. Here's what worked for me: File your return and pay the $3,400 as soon as possible. Then wait about 2-3 weeks for the payment to process in their system. Call the IRS and specifically ask for "First Time Penalty Abatement for underpayment penalty." Have your prior year returns handy to confirm you've been compliant. Most agents can approve this immediately if you qualify. The key phrase is "this is my first time owing a significant underpayment penalty and I've always filed and paid on time in previous years." They usually waive the entire penalty without requiring detailed Form 2210 calculations. For future years with high interest income, consider making a small estimated payment in Q4 (January 15 deadline) to cover the interest you've earned. Much simpler than trying to predict quarterly amounts throughout the year. You'll get through this! The IRS penalty abatement programs exist exactly for situations like yours where life circumstances change unexpectedly.

In my experience, Zazzle is actually pretty good about handling international seller taxes correctly! I've been selling there for years from France, and they've always applied the right tax treaty exemptions. You should check your Zazzle payment statements from last year to confirm the $19.25 wasn't withheld from your earnings. Sometimes they report the "withholding credit" amount but it was never actually deducted because of your W-8BEN.

As someone who's been dealing with international tax forms for years, I can confirm what others have said - you're in good shape! The 1042-S with exemption code 15 means you successfully qualified for treaty benefits and don't owe US taxes on this income. One thing I'd add is to make sure you keep this form organized with your other tax documents. I create a separate folder each year for all my international income forms (1042-S, 1099s from various platforms, etc.) because you'll likely get more of these as you continue selling on US platforms. Also, if you expand to other US-based print-on-demand or creative platforms, you'll probably need to submit W-8BEN forms to each of them. The good news is once you understand the process with one platform, it's basically the same everywhere. Just make sure to update your W-8BEN every 3 years or if your circumstances change!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - Canadian investor with US stocks through TD Direct Investing. After reading through all these responses, I think I understand the confusion now. The W-8BEN form itself doesn't require ID documents from the IRS perspective, but each brokerage has its own internal policies. What I found helpful was calling my broker directly and asking specifically what THEY require, not what the IRS requires. TD told me they only need the electronic W-8BEN form since they already have my identity verification from when I opened the account. But when I tried to open a small account with Interactive Brokers, they wanted additional documentation. For anyone still confused, I'd suggest: 1) Check with your specific broker about their requirements, 2) Make sure you use consistent information across all your forms (name, address, etc.), and 3) Double-check that you're claiming the right tax treaty benefits. The 15% vs 30% withholding rate difference is huge over time!

As a Canadian who's been through this process with multiple brokerages, I can share what worked for me. The key insight from this thread is absolutely correct - it's institution-specific, not IRS-specific. For what it's worth, I've dealt with Questrade, Wealthsimple Trade, and RBC Direct Investing. Questrade and RBC only needed the electronic W-8BEN form (no additional ID), while Wealthsimple had some additional verification steps but nothing too onerous. One tip I learned the hard way: if you have accounts with multiple brokers, make sure you're using the exact same information on all your W-8BEN forms. I had slight variations in how I wrote my address across different accounts and it caused some confusion during my tax filing. The CRA and IRS systems do cross-reference this stuff. Also, keep copies of all your submitted forms and confirmation emails. You'll need them for your Canadian tax return to claim the foreign tax credit for any US withholding taxes paid.