Has anyone tried just asking their employer for an early copy of their W2? I was able to get mine emailed to me a week before they officially sent them out just by asking my HR department. Might be worth a try if you're eager to file!

Adding to what everyone else has said - your coworker is definitely taking a huge risk. I work in tax preparation and see people get in trouble for this exact thing every year. The W-2 contains specific information that paycheck stubs don't always have, like dependent care assistance, group life insurance over $50k, and other fringe benefits. What's particularly dangerous is that when the IRS eventually matches your filed return against what your employer reported (which they will), any discrepancies can result in penalties, interest, and potential audit flags. I've seen people owe hundreds in penalties just because they estimated wrong using their paystub. If you're really anxious about filing early, try calling your payroll department directly. Many companies can provide W-2s electronically before they mail the paper copies. It's a much safer approach than risking IRS issues down the road.

22 My college sends an email every year reminding student tutors that we're independent contractors. So annoying they don't just hire us as employees! Does anyone know if there's a way to avoid that 15.3% self-employment tax? That's a huge chunk of my small tutoring income 😩

Just want to add that even though $550 seems small, you'll likely still owe some self-employment tax on it. The good news is that if your net earnings from self-employment are less than $400, you don't have to pay self-employment tax at all. So definitely track every expense you can think of - textbooks you bought for reference, gas to drive to tutoring sessions, even a portion of your phone bill if you use it to coordinate with students. Those deductions could potentially bring your net profit below the $400 threshold and save you from owing the 15.3% self-employment tax entirely! Also, make sure to save about 25-30% of your tutoring income for taxes if you haven't already. Even as a student, you might owe both income tax and self-employment tax on this money.

I went through this exact situation two years ago when I moved from Texas to California mid-year while my husband stayed in Texas for his job. The key thing I learned is that you absolutely need to be precise about your residency dates and income allocation. For your Colorado/Arizona situation, here's what worked for me with a similar setup: 1) Keep detailed records of your move date and when you started working in Arizona 2) Colorado will want income earned while you were a Colorado resident, plus any Colorado-source income earned after you moved 3) Arizona will want income earned while you were an Arizona resident, plus any Arizona-source income The tricky part is joint income like investment gains, interest, etc. Most states use a "source" rule - if the investment account was opened while you were a resident, that state may claim the income. But this varies by state. I ended up using a CPA for the first year to make sure I got the allocation right, then used that as a template for subsequent years. The peace of mind was worth the extra cost, especially since I discovered I was eligible for some part-year resident credits I would have missed otherwise. Don't stress too much about the software limitations - most aren't designed for complex multi-state situations like yours. Either go with a specialized service or get professional help for this year at least!

I actually work as a tax professional and see multi-state situations like yours frequently. Here's what I'd recommend for your Colorado/Arizona situation: **Immediate steps:** 1. Gather your exact move date and employment start date in Arizona 2. Calculate what percentage of the year you were a resident of each state 3. Collect all income documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) and note which state each income was earned in **Filing approach:** - File jointly for federal (as you planned) - File a Colorado part-year resident return for yourself - File an Arizona part-year return for yourself - Your wife files a Colorado full-year resident return **Software limitations:** FreeTaxUSA and most consumer software struggle with these scenarios. You'll likely need to either: - Use a specialized multi-state tax service - Work with a CPA who handles multi-state taxation - File each state return separately using different software sessions **Key gotcha:** Don't forget about potential reciprocity agreements or credits for taxes paid to other states. Both Colorado and Arizona may give you credits for taxes paid to the other state, but you need to claim them properly. The good news is this gets much easier in subsequent years once you establish the pattern. But for your first year in this situation, getting professional guidance can save you from costly mistakes and ensure you're taking advantage of all available credits and deductions.

This is such a timely discussion! I've been dealing with this exact scenario and wanted to add a practical perspective. I've been moving between Bitcoin and Bitcoin ETFs strategically for tax-loss harvesting, and so far it's worked well under current rules. One thing I'd emphasize is keeping meticulous records. Even though the current guidance suggests these swaps don't trigger wash sale rules, you want to be able to demonstrate to the IRS (if ever audited) that you understand the distinction between holding actual cryptocurrency versus securities that track cryptocurrency. I also set up separate tracking for my crypto transactions vs my ETF transactions in my portfolio management system. This makes it much easier come tax time to identify which losses are subject to wash sale rules and which aren't. The key is being prepared for potential rule changes. I'm continuing to use this strategy while it's available, but I'm also not going overboard with it since the regulatory landscape could shift pretty quickly in this space.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who's been navigating this space for a while, I wanted to add a few practical considerations that might help others. One thing to keep in mind is the timing aspect - even though crypto-to-ETF swaps currently don't trigger wash sale rules, you still want to be strategic about when you make these moves. I've found it helpful to batch my transactions rather than constantly switching back and forth, both for record-keeping simplicity and to avoid any potential gray areas if the rules change. Also, don't forget about state tax implications! While the federal wash sale rules are what we've been discussing, some states have their own quirks around cryptocurrency taxation. I learned this the hard way when I moved from California to Texas mid-year. For those using the strategy actively, I'd suggest setting up a simple calendar reminder to review any pending legislation around crypto taxation quarterly. The regulatory environment is moving fast, and you want to stay ahead of any changes that might affect your approach. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the various tools and services - really helpful to hear real-world feedback rather than just theoretical tax advice!

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! As someone who just moved to a new area and has been shopping at various local businesses, I now realize I should be paying much closer attention to my receipts. The advice about checking tax rates on your state's Department of Revenue website and documenting everything with photos is something I'm definitely going to start doing. What really stands out to me is how this isn't just about individual customers being overcharged - it's about protecting the entire community from what amounts to systematic theft. The fact that you tried to address it directly with management first and were essentially dismissed shows you handled this exactly the right way. I'm curious to follow up on this - have you decided which reporting avenue you're going to pursue first? The state Department of Revenue seems like the obvious choice, but several people mentioned the Attorney General's consumer protection division as well. Either way, it sounds like you have more than enough documentation and community support to make a strong case. Thank you for speaking up about this issue and for everyone who contributed such detailed, helpful advice. This is exactly the kind of consumer protection information that more people need to know about!

This is such an important issue that more people need to be aware of! As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed advice everyone has shared. I had no idea that tax overcharging was this common or that there were so many resources available to help document and report these situations. The combination of practical tools (like taxr.ai for receipt analysis and Claimyr for getting through to tax agencies) and step-by-step guidance from people with real experience makes this feel much more manageable than it initially seemed. What really struck me is how this affects entire communities - if a business is systematically overcharging hundreds of customers even small amounts, that adds up to significant theft from working families. The manager's dismissive "shop somewhere else" attitude instead of investigating the problem immediately is a huge red flag that this needs to be reported to authorities rather than just avoided. Based on all the advice here, it sounds like the state Department of Revenue is the best place to start, especially with the reassurance from @Yuki Nakamura that these cases are investigated within 30-45 days. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and expertise - this thread is exactly why community forums are so valuable for helping people navigate these kinds of consumer protection issues!