Has anybody used care.com or similar services for finding backup childcare? I'm wondering if using an agency vs hiring directly affects the tax deduction situation at all.

One thing to keep in mind is that your irregular 1099 schedule might actually work in your favor for justifying these additional childcare expenses. Since you can't predict when you'll be called in for those 14+ hour shifts or overnight assignments, having backup childcare available becomes a legitimate necessity for maintaining your income. The key is documentation - keep a detailed log of your work calls/assignments and how they correlate with your childcare needs. This will help support your claim that the nanny/au pair expenses are directly tied to your ability to work, especially during times when regular daycare isn't available (evenings, weekends, extended hours). Also consider that with your unpredictable schedule, you might qualify for a higher percentage of the Child and Dependent Care Credit if your irregular income puts you in a lower AGI bracket. The credit percentage can be up to 35% of qualifying expenses for lower income levels.

Don't forget that if you make the 6013(h) election, your spouse's WORLDWIDE income for the ENTIRE year becomes subject to US taxation, not just the income after getting the green card. We made this election last year and ended up owing more than expected because of this.

Another option: if your spouse was from a country that has a tax treaty with the US, check if there are any special provisions that might help. My wife is from Canada and there were specific rules that applied to our situation when she got her green card.

Has anyone used both a professional appraiser and the IRS's Art Appraisal Services for valuable collectibles in an estate? My parents have some artwork that might need special handling on the 706.

This is exactly the kind of complex estate planning question that keeps me up at night! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my grandmother's estate planning. One additional consideration that might be worth discussing with your mother's financial advisor - the timing of when she passes could significantly impact the filing threshold since the basic exclusion amount changes each year (it's inflation-adjusted). For 2024, it's $13.61 million, and it will likely be higher in future years until the current law sunsets after 2025. Also, don't forget that if your mother remarries (I know this might seem unlikely, but it happens!), that could complicate the DSUE situation since she can only carry forward the DSUE from her last deceased spouse. Just something to keep in the back of your mind for comprehensive planning. Given the complexity here, I'd really recommend getting a second opinion from an estate tax specialist who deals with portability elections regularly. The peace of mind is worth the consultation fee, especially when you're dealing with estates of this size.

bruh ur gonna get paid 🤑 4 dependents is the sweet spot

With your income level and 4 dependents, you're looking at some solid refund potential! The Child Tax Credit alone could be $8,000 ($2,000 per child), plus you'll likely qualify for a substantial Earned Income Tax Credit. Given that you had $2,592 withheld and got $10k back last year on similar income, I'd estimate you're looking at $10,000-$12,000 this year. The extra withholding this year should boost your refund even more. Just make sure you have all your documentation ready when you file!

I think everyone is overcomplicating this. The Code R on 1099-R literally just means "Recharacterized IRA contribution." The IRS knows exactly what this is. You report it on your 2023 return (the year of the 1099-R) and move on. Box 2a is $0 because there's no taxable amount - it's just moving money from one type of IRA to another. TurboTax is suggesting an amendment because their software is designed to be extra cautious. But unless you're eligible for a traditional IRA deduction you didn't claim (which sounds unlikely given you have a 401k), there's no benefit to amending.

Just to add some clarity from the technical side - when you recharacterized your Roth IRA contribution to traditional before filing your 2022 return, you essentially treated it as if the contribution was always made to the traditional IRA. The 1099-R with Code R in 2023 is just the custodian's way of reporting that recharacterization transaction to the IRS. Since you did this before filing your 2022 taxes, your original return should have reflected the traditional IRA contribution (either as deductible or non-deductible depending on your income and workplace plan). The key question now is whether you properly reported that traditional IRA contribution on your 2022 return. If you didn't report it at all, you might need to file Form 8606 for non-deductible contributions to establish basis, but that's separate from the 1099-R Code R issue. The 1099-R itself goes on your 2023 return with no additional tax owed since box 2a shows $0 taxable amount.