Just wanted to add something that helped me when I was in a similar situation - don't stress too much about getting everything perfect your first year! The IRS withholding calculator on their website (irs.gov/w4app) is actually really helpful for figuring out how to fill out your W-4 form correctly. Since you're starting mid-year, you might want to be extra careful with your withholding. Sometimes when you start a job partway through the year, the payroll system assumes you'll be making that salary for the full year and doesn't withhold enough for your actual situation. The IRS calculator takes into account when you started working and helps you adjust accordingly. Also, keep all your tax documents organized from day one - your W-2, any 1098-T forms if you're claiming education credits, receipts for any work-related expenses, etc. Makes filing so much easier! And congratulations on the new job!

Great question! I was in a very similar situation when I started my first job out of college. The confusion about how the standard deduction works is super common. Just to reinforce what others have said with a concrete example: if you make $58,000 and take the standard deduction (around $13,850 for 2025), your taxable income becomes about $44,150. Your federal tax on that would be roughly $5,200-5,500, not $12,000. One thing I'd add is to consider setting up your tax withholding to be slightly higher rather than lower for your first year. It's better to get a small refund than to owe money when you're just starting out and building your financial foundation. You can always adjust your W-4 later once you see how your first few paystubs look. Also, don't forget about FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) - those are separate from income tax and aren't affected by the standard deduction. They'll be about 7.65% of your gross pay. Welcome to the working world! It gets less confusing after your first tax season, I promise.

This ID.me situation is absolutely infuriating! I went through something very similar about 6 months ago when I had to change my phone number due to harassment calls. The system is definitely broken when legitimate taxpayers can't access their own information. Here's my experience: I tried the phone support route first (complete waste of time - 2+ hour holds just to get disconnected), then discovered the "I don't have access to my phone" link that others have mentioned. It's ridiculously small text at the bottom of the login page, but it does work. For the photo submission, I learned this the hard way: take the photo during daytime near a window for natural light, put your ID on a white sheet of paper, and make sure your phone camera is directly above the ID (not at an angle). My first two attempts got rejected for "poor image quality" until I figured out their very specific requirements. The whole process took about 4 business days for approval, which honestly felt like a miracle compared to their phone support disaster. I also submitted Form 4506-T the same day as backup insurance, which ended up arriving in the mail right around the same time my ID.me access got restored. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops to access our own tax records, but at least there are workarounds that actually function. Hang in there - you'll get through this mess!

I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now and it's driving me absolutely insane! I changed my phone number 3 months ago and now I'm completely locked out of my ID.me account when I need to check if my quarterly estimated payments were processed correctly. After reading through all these comments, I'm definitely going to try the "I don't have access to my phone" option first - it sounds like that tiny link at the bottom of the login page is the secret everyone wishes they knew sooner! The photo tips about natural window lighting and white paper background are super helpful too since it seems like their image requirements are ridiculously picky. I'm also going to submit Form 4506-T as my backup plan while waiting for the ID.me photo verification to process. It's frustrating that we need backup plans just to access our own tax information, but I'd rather be overprepared than stuck waiting even longer. Has anyone had success with updating their phone number AFTER getting back into their account through the photo verification process? I want to make sure I can actually update my contact info once I'm back in so this doesn't happen again next tax season!

Just wondering, did your original engagement letter with the CPA specify anything about audit support or providing documentation after filing? That would determine if they're being reasonable or not. I've had CPAs include limited audit support in their original fee, while others charge separately. $350/hr is a standard rate for a CPA, but 2 hours seems excessive just to send existing docs. Might be worth asking if they can reduce the time estimate.

This is exactly why I always ask for all supporting worksheets and calculations when my CPA completes my return - before I pay the final bill. I learned this the hard way after getting hit with a $450 charge just to get documentation for an amended return. For complex situations like Section 1341, those calculations are literally the core work product you paid for. It's like hiring a contractor to build a deck and then having them charge extra to show you the structural plans they used. The CPA should have provided those worksheets as part of your original deliverables. Going forward, always request a complete "tax organizer" or "client copy" that includes all worksheets, supporting calculations, and documentation used to prepare your return. Most reputable CPAs will provide this automatically, but some need to be asked explicitly. This protects you from exactly this situation. Glad you found alternative solutions that worked! Your experience will definitely help other people facing similar issues.

The "transition year" thing is complete nonsense! I worked for H&R Block for 7 years and never once heard of this concept. Your tax status is determined by your marital status on December 31st, period. One thing to consider - if your spouse has already filed incorrectly as Single, and you file correctly as Married Filing Separately, it's going to throw up major red flags in the IRS system. The computer will automatically notice the discrepancy between your returns.

I'm a tax professional and I can confirm that your husband's tax preparer is absolutely incorrect. There is no such thing as a "transition year" for newly married couples in the IRS tax code. This is a serious error that needs immediate correction. Your filing status for 2024 is determined solely by whether you were married on December 31, 2024. Since you got married in May 2024, both you and your husband MUST file as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately for the 2024 tax year. The fact that you're on a payment plan, when you started living together, or any other circumstances don't change this fundamental rule. Your husband needs to file an amended return (Form 1040X) immediately to correct his filing status from Single to either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately. This is especially critical given your immigration paperwork situation. Having inconsistent filing statuses between spouses can create serious complications with USCIS and may be viewed as fraudulent documentation. Immigration authorities cross-reference tax returns with other paperwork, and discrepancies can delay or jeopardize immigration cases. I'd strongly recommend finding a new tax preparer who actually knows the tax code. A professional with "40+ years of experience" should never make such a basic error about marital filing status requirements.

Don't forget that if you had any futures positions open at the end of the year, they're considered "closed" for tax purposes due to the mark-to-market rules, even if you didn't actually close the position. This means any unrealized gains or losses as of December 31st are treated as realized for tax purposes and reported on your 2024 return. Then when you actually close the position in 2025, your basis is adjusted to that December 31st value. This is different from stock trading where unrealized gains/losses aren't taxed until you actually sell.

Great question about futures tax reporting! As someone who went through this exact confusion last year, here are the key points that helped me get it sorted out: 1. **Section 1256 Treatment**: Your E-mini S&P and commodity futures are definitely Section 1256 contracts, so you get the 60/40 tax treatment regardless of holding period. This is actually advantageous since 60% gets long-term capital gains rates. 2. **Forms You'll Need**: TD Ameritrade will send you a 1099-B, but you'll also need to file Form 6781 to properly report the 60/40 split. The totals from Form 6781 then flow to your Schedule D. 3. **Day Trading Doesn't Matter**: Since you're day trading and not holding overnight positions, the mark-to-market rules at year-end won't affect you - all your positions are already closed. 4. **Record Keeping**: Make sure to keep detailed records of all your trades. Sometimes brokers make errors on the 1099-B forms, so having your own records is crucial for verification. One thing that really helped me was organizing all my trade confirmations by month and cross-referencing them with my 1099-B when it arrived. The $32K profit you mentioned should be straightforward to report once you have the proper forms filled out. Consider consulting a tax professional if you're still uncertain - futures taxation can be tricky the first time around.