My tax accountant told me that the "closer connection" rule is only one piece of the puzzle. If ur a non-US citizen who lived in the US, you also need to consider tax treaties between the US and your new country. Some treaties have specific residency tiebreaker rules that might override the standard IRS rules.

I went through a very similar situation when I moved to the UK for work. Your tax residency end date is when you physically left the US two weeks ago, not after your November visit. The key factors the IRS looks at are: (1) where your tax home is now located, (2) your closer connection to the foreign country, and (3) the temporary nature of any US visits. Since you've relocated permanently for work and have closer ties to your new country, a 6-day wedding visit won't change your residency status. Make sure you keep documentation of your move - employment contract, lease agreement, bank accounts in your new country, etc. For your foreign bank, you'll likely need to provide a statement of your non-US tax resident status. Some banks accept a simple declaration, while others may want Form W-8BEN. The important thing is that your residency ended when you established your new life abroad, not when you temporarily return to visit. Your 2022 return will indeed be dual status - you'll file as a resident for the portion of the year before you left, then as a non-resident for the remainder. Just make sure to clearly document your departure date for the IRS.

Something nobody's mentioned yet is that you should check if your state offers tax benefits for 529 contributions before doing this. In my state (New York), I get a state tax deduction for 529 contributions. So what I did last year was contribute new money to my 529 (got the state tax deduction), waited the required 30 days, then rolled that amount to my Roth IRA (up to the annual limit). Basically got a state tax deduction for Roth contributions, which normally isn't possible. Might be worth considering before you just roll over existing funds.

One important thing to consider is that the 15-year rule for 529 plans is based on when the account was opened, not how long you've been a beneficiary. So if you were added as a beneficiary to an existing 529 later, make sure to check when the account was actually established. I almost made this mistake with my cousin's 529 that I was added to - thought it was old enough but the account itself was only opened 12 years ago even though I'd been listed as a beneficiary for most of that time.

Also check your last paystub from that job!! If you have your final paystub, it should show year-to-date totals for everything that would be on your W2 - federal income tax withheld, social security, medicare, etc. I've used this method before and it worked fine.

Perfect! If your last paystub shows the year-to-date totals and you didn't work there after July, then those YTD numbers ARE your annual totals for 2024 from that employer. You can absolutely use those to file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2). Just make sure your paystub shows: - Total wages (Box 1 on W2) - Federal income tax withheld (Box 2) - Social Security wages and tax (Boxes 3 & 4) - Medicare wages and tax (Boxes 5 & 6) - Any state taxes withheld Form 4852 is specifically designed for situations like yours where you can't get your W2 but have the wage information from other sources. The IRS accepts this all the time. Just attach a copy of that final paystub to your return as supporting documentation. You've got this - no need to grovel to your old boss!

6 One thing nobody's mentioned yet - be REALLY careful about how you transport that much cash to the bank! Don't just walk in with a duffel bag full of money. Call the bank ahead of time and ask to speak with a manager about making a large cash deposit. They might have you come in during specific hours or make special arrangements. Also, make sure you count it all carefully before going in. Write down the denomination of each bill so you know exactly what you have. The bank will count it too, but you want to be sure of what you're depositing.

14 I went through something similar with money my grandma had hidden in her house. One thing that helped me was getting a letter from my family members acknowledging they were aware of the cash and understood it was intended for me. It wasn't legally binding or anything, but it helped establish the story when I talked to the bank and later when I had questions from the IRS. Would your parents or other family members be willing to write something confirming your grandpa's verbal wishes? Might help smooth things over.

Just to add something nobody mentioned - check if your 401k plan allows for an in-service distribution. Some plans let you take money while still employed. Also, if you're 55 or older and leave your job, you can take penalty-free distributions from THAT employer's 401k (not IRAs or previous employers).

I understand your frustration with the plan restrictions. Since the CARES Act provisions expired in 2020, you're unfortunately stuck with the standard early withdrawal rules. One thing to clarify though - you can't "choose" to pay the 10% penalty if you don't actually qualify for it under CARES Act criteria, since those provisions no longer exist anyway. Any early withdrawal now would automatically be subject to the penalty unless you meet one of the standard exceptions. Before proceeding, I'd strongly recommend double-checking your plan documents about hardship withdrawals. Sometimes people think they don't qualify when they actually do - the criteria can be broader than expected (like preventing foreclosure, certain medical expenses, or funeral costs). Also verify if your plan truly doesn't offer loans, as this is pretty rare. If you absolutely need the money and don't qualify for any exceptions, then yes, you'll pay the 10% penalty plus full income tax in the year of withdrawal. Just make sure to set aside enough for the tax bill - it can be substantial depending on your tax bracket.