Quick question - what exactly counts as "income" for US tax purposes when living abroad? I have a family member who mostly received gifts from local family while living in another country. Would that even count for filing requirements?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my sister who lived in Australia for 12 years and never filed. Reading about the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures gives me hope that there's a reasonable path forward. One thing I'd add for the original poster - when your brother does start working again, make sure he keeps excellent records of his foreign residence period. Having documentation showing he was genuinely living abroad (not just traveling) can be really important for qualifying for programs like the Streamlined procedures or demonstrating that any non-filing was truly non-willful. Also, regarding the health insurance question - I work in benefits administration and can confirm that marketplace enrollment by itself doesn't trigger IRS investigations. The systems are more focused on verifying current eligibility than digging into historical filing patterns.

Anyone know if the support test includes the value of the living space? Like if mother in law has her own bedroom in our house, do we count what that room would rent for as part of our support contribution?

Based on what you've described, you have a good chance of being able to claim your mother-in-law as a dependent! The key factors working in your favor are that you're providing more than half her support (housing, food, utilities, cell phone) and she's living with you for more than half the year. The main thing to watch out for is the gross income test. Her Social Security payments ($1,450/month) may not all count toward the income limit if she's not required to file a tax return, but you'll need to include the full amount of her 401K distributions ($600/month = $7,200 annually). Since the gross income limit is $4,400 for 2024, those 401K distributions alone would exceed the threshold. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional or using IRS Publication 501 to determine exactly how much of her Social Security income needs to be counted. The rules around Social Security taxation can be complex and depend on her total combined income from all sources. Also keep detailed records of all the support you provide - housing costs, food, utilities, medical expenses, etc. You'll want to be able to demonstrate that your contributions exceed 50% of her total support if the IRS ever asks for documentation.

Quick question - does anyone know if the 30% solar credit applies to the entire installation cost for rental properties? I was told by a solar company that for investment properties there are different rules about what expenses qualify compared to primary residences.

Just to add one more important point that might be helpful - make sure you're aware of the timing rules for claiming the solar credit on rental properties. The credit is based on when the solar system is "placed in service," which is typically when it's installed and ready to generate electricity, not when you paid for it. If you installed the panels late in the tax year, you might want to consider whether it makes sense to claim the full credit this year or potentially spread some costs across tax years if you have installation work spanning multiple years. Also, keep detailed records of all installation costs, permits, and the date the system became operational - the IRS can be particular about documentation for energy credits on investment properties. Your situation with $16,000 in W-2 tax liability gives you plenty of room to absorb the full $10,250 credit, so you should be able to use it all in the current tax year rather than having to carry any forward.

Friendly reminder to double check that your direct deposit info is correct! I thought mine was stuck but turns out I typed one number wrong in my account # 🤦‍♂️

Filed mine on 2/2 and still waiting too! Called last week and they said they're processing returns in the order received but with "additional security measures" this year. The rep couldn't give me a specific timeline but said to check back in 2-3 weeks if still no update. Hang in there! 🤞

Filed jointly with my wife late March. Got federal April 15th, PA refund May 23rd. So about 8 weeks for PA, 3 weeks for federal. Pretty normal in my experience.

PA resident here too! Just wanted to chime in that 6 weeks is totally normal for state refunds. I've been filing in PA for about 8 years now and it's always been significantly slower than federal. The state processing times are just much longer - I think it's a combination of older systems and smaller staff compared to the IRS. From what I've seen, if you filed electronically in early April, you're probably looking at another 1-2 weeks max. The "being processed" status is actually good news - it means they have your return and it's moving through the system. If there were any major issues, you would have gotten a notice by now. Try not to stress about it too much. PA is just slow but they do eventually get there!