Just to add one more data point - I'm from Austria and was in the US on a J1 last year. I initially had the same problem with Shutterstock and Adobe Stock. After several rejections, I finally just used my Austrian address on Line 3 (my parents' house) and Austria on Line 9, and both were immediately accepted. Is it technically correct? Maybe not 100%, but multiple agency compliance departments told me this was their preferred approach for nonresident aliens temporarily in the US. The reality is these companies just want the form to be processable in their automated systems so they can pay you without IRS issues.

As someone who went through this exact situation with multiple stock agencies last year while on a J1 visa, I can confirm what others have said about using your home country address on both Line 3 and Line 9. The key insight that finally resolved my issues was understanding that "permanent residence address" for tax purposes isn't about where you're currently sleeping - it's about your established tax residence. Since you're in the US on a temporary visa and remain a tax resident of Germany under the treaty, your permanent residence address should reflect that. I ended up using my family's address in my home country for Line 3, which matched the country I claimed treaty benefits for in Line 9. Every agency accepted this approach immediately. The automated systems these companies use are looking for consistency between your claimed tax residence and the country you're seeking treaty benefits from. One practical tip: if you don't currently maintain your own residence back home, using a family member's address where you could realistically receive mail is generally acceptable. The IRS guidance focuses on having a legitimate address in your country of tax residence, not requiring you to personally lease property there while temporarily abroad.

Anyone know if using your parents' address affects your state tax filing? I live in California for college but my parents' address is in Texas (no state income tax). Can I just use their address and avoid state taxes completely?

For your specific situation, it sounds like you did support yourself in 2021. The key test is whether you paid more than 50% of your total living expenses with your own earned income - which you did by covering rent, utilities, food, car payment, etc. The mailing address on your tax return is completely separate from the support determination. However, I'd recommend double-checking your calculation by listing out ALL your expenses for the year, including any amounts your parents might have contributed (health insurance, phone bill, etc.). Sometimes people overlook expenses that parents cover. Regarding your AMC stock - yes, you must report that $60 gain even without a 1099-B form. You can usually find your transaction history in whatever app/platform you used. Report the purchase price ($30) and sale price ($90) on Schedule D and Form 8949. The IRS requires all capital gains to be reported regardless of the amount. One thing to be careful about - make sure your parents aren't planning to claim you as a dependent on their return. If you're claiming yourself as independent, they can't also claim you. It's worth having that conversation with them before you both file to avoid any issues with the IRS.

I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through a similar confusing situation with the IRS. Like others have mentioned, getting that exact notice number is going to be key to figuring out what's really going on here. From what I've learned lurking in tax forums, the IRS computer systems sometimes flag accounts for weird reasons that don't always make sense on the surface. If you're married filing jointly and both signed the return, you definitely shouldn't need to give each other power of attorney - that's not how joint filing works at all. One thing I noticed in this thread is that there might be some confusion about what type of notice you actually received. The CP2000 that was mentioned by someone else is completely different from a Form 2848 request. Before trying any of the services people have recommended (which might be helpful, but seem like overkill if this is just a system glitch), I'd definitely start with calling the IRS directly with that notice number in hand. Hope you get it sorted out quickly - these kinds of notices are so stressful even when they turn out to be nothing!

As someone new to dealing with IRS notices, I've been following this thread with great interest! It's really helpful to see how experienced community members and tax professionals break down these confusing situations. What strikes me most is how important it seems to be to get that exact notice number before jumping to conclusions about what the IRS actually wants. The confusion between CP2000 notices and Form 2848 requests in this thread really illustrates how easy it is to misinterpret these government letters when you're not familiar with the different types. I'm also impressed by the range of solutions people have shared - from calling the IRS directly (which seems like the most logical first step) to various third-party services that can help navigate the phone system or analyze documents. It's good to know these options exist, even if going straight to the source is probably the best starting point. @Lucas Adams - I hope you're able to get this sorted out quickly! Please keep us updated on what the notice number actually says and how it gets resolved. These kinds of real-world examples are so valuable for those of us who might face similar situations in the future.

When I started my insurance agency, I tried deducting moving expenses as business startup costs and got audited. The IRS disallowed all household moving expenses but did allow: - Cost of moving actual business equipment - Business setup costs in new location - Business licenses in new state - Professional fees related to establishing the business Learn from my expensive mistake - keep personal and business expenses completely separate!

This is a really common misconception! I see this mistake frequently with new business owners who think the business motivation makes personal expenses deductible. The key principle is that the IRS looks at the nature of the expense itself, not just the reason behind it. Moving your household is inherently personal - you're relocating your family and personal belongings to live somewhere new. The fact that you're doing it for business reasons doesn't magically transform personal living expenses into business deductions. Think of it this way: if someone moves across the country to take a W-2 job, they can't deduct their moving expenses as unreimbursed employee expenses (even pre-2018). The same logic applies to business owners. Your friend should focus on legitimate business startup costs like business licensing, professional consultations, market research, and any actual business equipment or property being relocated. Those have a much stronger foundation if the IRS ever questions them.

Don't forget about per diem rates! Instead of tracking every meal receipt, you can use the GSA standard rates (google "GSA per diem" for the latest). Way easier than keeping every coffee and lunch receipt. For the conference itself, I take pictures of the agenda and circle/highlight the sessions I attend that are relevant to my side business. This has saved me multiple times when my accountant asked for documentation of business purpose.

Great thread with lots of helpful info! One additional tip I'd add - create a simple trip log documenting each day's activities and their business purpose. I keep a notes app on my phone and jot down which sessions I attended, who I networked with for my 1099 work vs W-2 job, etc. This becomes crucial if you ever get audited because the IRS wants to see that the trip had a legitimate business purpose beyond just a vacation. Even something as simple as "Day 1: Attended 'Digital Marketing Trends' session - directly applicable to freelance client work" can make all the difference. Also, if you're staying extra days for personal reasons (like extending the trip into a weekend), make sure you allocate hotel costs appropriately. You can only deduct the nights that would have been necessary for the business portion of the trip.