Just went through this exact situation last month! They absolutely will take the full $750 regardless of how small it seems. I owed $680 in back child support and was expecting a $2,100 refund. Got a letter from the Bureau of Fiscal Service about a week before my refund date explaining the offset. They took exactly $680 and I received the remaining $1,420 about 10 days later than my normal refund timing. The process is completely automated once your name hits their database - there's no human reviewing whether the amount is "worth it" or not. If you haven't received a Pre-Offset Notice yet, definitely update your address with both the IRS and your state child support agency because those notices are crucial for understanding your options.

The $750 will definitely be taken - there's no minimum threshold for child support offsets. I work in tax preparation and see this constantly during filing season. The Treasury Offset Program is completely automated, so once you're in their system, any refund gets intercepted regardless of the amount. What many people don't realize is that you should have received a Pre-Offset Notice around December or January explaining this would happen. If you didn't get one, check that your address is current with both the IRS and your state child support enforcement agency. The good news is if your refund is larger than $750, you'll get the difference back - it just takes an extra 2-3 weeks to process after the offset. The key thing to remember is that disputing the amount needs to be done through your state child support agency, not the IRS. The IRS is just the middleman collecting the money.

Has anyone actually calculated what this cash back approach is costing? I did this for a while until I realized how expensive it was. Let's break it down: If you're getting $1,200/month via cash advances with a 4% fee and 24.99% interest, and you pay your bill 15 days after the advance (on average): - $1,200 × 4% fee = $48/month in fees - $1,200 × 24.99% × (15/365) ≈ $12.30 in interest - Total: about $60/month or $720/year just for the convenience That's WAY more expensive than just using an ATM, even with fees!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who made this same mistake. I was doing exactly what you're describing - getting cash back on credit card purchases regularly without realizing the true cost. The real wake-up call came when I realized I was essentially paying $700+ per year just for the "convenience" of getting cash this way. That's money that could have gone toward paying down debt, savings, or literally anything else more productive. Beyond the financial aspect, I also learned that banks have algorithms that flag unusual patterns of cash transactions. Even though what you're doing isn't illegal, it can potentially affect your relationship with your bank if they start viewing your account as higher risk. My advice: switch to using your debit card at ATMs or getting cash back with debit purchases at stores. Most grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations offer cash back with debit at no fee. If you need larger amounts of cash regularly, consider opening an account with a credit union that reimburses ATM fees - many offer this benefit and it's still way cheaper than credit card cash advances. The peace of mind of not having to worry about suspicious transaction patterns plus saving hundreds per year in fees makes it a no-brainer decision.

I think everyone's making this too complicated. If you're not a US resident anymore, you only need to file if you have US source income above the filing threshold. Interest from US banks and trading on US exchanges is typically US source income, so yeah, you probably need to file. The $0 balance just means nothing's been assessed yet. Did your Robinhood account send you any tax forms? If they did, the IRS probably has that info too, and they'll eventually come looking for a return.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! The $0 balance definitely doesn't mean you're off the hook - it just means the IRS hasn't processed any information returns or made any assessments yet. I made the mistake of assuming everything was fine because of that zero balance. Here's what I learned: As a former non-resident alien, you're still required to file Form 1040-NR if you have any U.S. source income, which includes interest from your bank accounts and any gains/dividends from Robinhood. The IRS systems don't automatically calculate what you owe - they're waiting for you to file. I ended up filing both my missing 2022 return and my 2023 return earlier this year. Even though I only owed a small amount, I got hit with failure-to-file penalties that added up quickly. The good news is that if you file soon and pay any taxes owed, the penalties are usually manageable. Don't wait for them to send notices - by the time they do, the penalties and interest will have grown significantly. I'd recommend gathering all your tax documents (1099-INT from banks, 1099-B from Robinhood if you sold anything) and filing both years as soon as possible.

Make sure you actually set up your business properly! Don't just start buying stuff and assume the IRS will see it as a business. Get an EIN, open a separate business bank account, maybe file for an LLC depending on your situation. I made the mistake of mixing personal and business expenses my first year and got audited. Total nightmare trying to prove what was actually for business vs personal. I'm not saying you need to incorporate right away but at minimum keep EVERYTHING separate.

One thing to keep in mind is the timing of when you can actually deduct these startup costs. The IRS distinguishes between true "startup costs" (like market research, legal fees to set up the business) and regular business expenses once you've begun operations. Equipment purchases like laptops are generally considered regular business expenses once you're actively in business, not startup costs. The good news is you can typically deduct equipment immediately under Section 179 or bonus depreciation rules, but make sure you're actually "in business" when you buy it - meaning you're actively pursuing clients and revenue. If you buy everything months before you start marketing your services, the IRS might question whether you were truly in business yet. Consider timing your equipment purchases closer to when you actually begin operating. Document everything showing you're actively working toward generating income!

I went through this verification obstacle course about three months ago! It was like being asked to prove you're not a robot, except the captcha is a 10-page tax form. 😂 In my case, they needed to verify some education credits I claimed. I called them right away (took forever to get through), gathered all my documentation, and responded within a week of getting the letter. The whole thing was resolved in about 3 weeks after that, and my refund was processed shortly after. The key was addressing it immediately rather than waiting. I really appreciate all the insights others have shared here - wish I'd had this information when I was going through it!

I experienced this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The "VERIFY TAX INFORMATION" notice appeared in my online account, and like you, I hadn't received the physical letter yet. What helped me was creating a checklist while waiting for the letter to arrive: - Gathered all my tax documents (W-2s, 1099s, receipts for deductions) - Made copies of everything for my records - Set up a dedicated folder for all correspondence related to this issue - Noted the date I first saw the online notification The letter (mine was a CP2000) arrived about 10 days later and clearly outlined which specific items they wanted me to verify - in my case, it was unreported 1099-INT income from a bank account I'd forgotten about. The process was actually much smoother than I anticipated once I had the letter with specific instructions. Just make sure to respond within their deadline (usually 30 days) and keep detailed records of everything you send them. Good luck navigating this - you've got this! 👍