pro tip: sign up for informed delivery on usps website. at least youll know when its coming

Same situation here - mailed 1/30 and still nothing. Called the IRS yesterday and they said to wait the full 4 weeks before requesting a trace. Super frustrating but apparently this is pretty normal right now. The rep mentioned they're seeing a lot of mail delays due to increased volume and some postal processing issues. Hang tight!

Has anyone considered the insurance implications here? When I started renting part of my house to a business (even one I partially owned), my homeowners insurance freaked out. They said I needed a different policy that included business use. Ended up costing me about $350 more per year. Make sure you check with your insurance company before you start, or they might deny claims if something happens!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping detailed records of how you calculate your business use percentage. I went through an audit last year for a similar situation (renting my home office to my consulting business), and the IRS agent was very thorough about my square footage calculations and usage logs. I'd recommend taking photos of the spaces being rented, measuring everything precisely, and keeping a simple log of when the business actually uses common areas like bathrooms or hallways. The agent told me that consistency in your calculation method year-over-year is crucial - if you change how you calculate the percentage without a good reason, it can trigger additional scrutiny. Also, be prepared that if you claim depreciation on the business portion of your home, you'll have to "recapture" that depreciation when you eventually sell the house, which means paying tax on it at ordinary income rates rather than capital gains rates. Sometimes it's worth skipping the depreciation deduction to avoid this complication down the road.

For UK sellers specifically, you'll want to report this income on your Self Assessment tax return if you're self-employed or have other income that requires filing. The income from your Zazzle sales should be reported as business income or miscellaneous income depending on how you classify your selling activity. Since you received the 1042-S with exemption code 15, no US tax was withheld, so you'll pay UK tax on the full amount according to your UK tax bracket. Make sure to convert the USD amounts to GBP using HMRC's published exchange rates for the tax year. Keep the 1042-S form with your records - you don't need to send it to HMRC, but it's proof of your foreign income if they ever ask. Also worth noting that if your total Zazzle income for the tax year exceeds £1,000, you'll need to register for self-employment with HMRC if you haven't already.

Just wanted to share my experience as another UK-based seller on Zazzle. I received my first 1042-S last month and was equally confused! After reading through all these comments and doing some research, here's what I learned: The exemption code 15 is specifically for UK residents under the US-UK tax treaty - it means Zazzle recognized you as a UK tax resident and didn't withhold any US taxes. This is exactly what should happen when you properly complete the W-8BEN form. For UK tax purposes, I reported my Zazzle income as "other income" on my Self Assessment. Since I'm under the £1,000 trading allowance threshold, I claimed the full allowance rather than deducting actual expenses (which were minimal anyway - just some design software subscriptions). One tip: HMRC's exchange rates can be quite different from what you might see on Google or bank statements, so make sure to use their official monthly rates. I found them on the gov.uk website under "HMRC exchange rates for customs and VAT." The whole process was much less scary than I initially thought! Keep that 1042-S safe with your other tax documents - you'll likely get one each year you have Zazzle earnings.

I see nobody mentioned Form 8938 (Statement of Foreign Financial Assets) yet. Depending on the value of your foreign property and mortgage, you might need to report these on this form while you owned the property. Now that you've sold it, you'll report the disposition. Also, if you still have other financial accounts in that foreign country (maybe where you were transferring mortgage payments from?), don't forget about FBAR requirements (FinCEN Form 114) for foreign accounts that exceed $10,000 aggregate at any point during the year. Foreign asset reporting requirements are separate from the tax calculations we've been discussing, but the penalties for non-compliance can be severe.

One thing I learned the hard way - don't forget about state taxes! Depending on your state, they might not follow the same rules as federal for foreign property transactions. I sold a vacation home in Costa Rica and properly reported everything on my federal return, but California had different rules for how they wanted the currency gain/loss reported. Ended up having to amend my state return and pay penalties.

Based on my experiences with IRS refund checks over multiple tax seasons, here's what typically happens: 1. The IRS sets a mail date in their system 2. The Treasury Financial Management Service processes the payment (1-2 business days) 3. The check is printed at a regional Treasury facility (1 day) 4. The check enters the postal system (1 day) 5. USPS delivers domestically (3-5 days) 6. International mail adds 5-10 additional days So realistically, for an international address with a mail date of tomorrow, you're looking at 10-15 days before delivery. The IRS is notorious for creating confusion by calling it a "mail date" when it's really just the authorization date.

As someone who's been through this multiple times, I can confirm what others are saying - the IRS "mail date" is misleading. It's really more of a processing date. For international filers like yourself, I'd recommend using the IRS2Go mobile app or checking "Where's My Refund" online, as these sometimes provide more detailed status updates than just the transcript date. One thing I learned the hard way is to never plan major expenses around that initial mail date, especially for international delivery. The combination of Treasury processing delays, international mail routing, and customs clearance (in some countries) can easily push delivery out 2-3 weeks from the listed date. For future reference, if you're eligible for direct deposit next year, it's typically much faster and more reliable than paper checks for international filers.