For future reference, your brokerage (E*TRADE) should provide a "Tax Center" or similar section that breaks down exactly how much was withheld for taxes on RSU vests. It'll show the split between federal, state, and FICA taxes. Also, when you get your W-2 next year, you'll see your RSU income and all withholding included in the regular income boxes - Box 1 for federal wages, Box 2 for federal tax withheld, etc. The split transactions don't create any special tax reporting - it all gets consolidated. One thing to watch for: sometimes the withholding on RSUs isn't quite enough if you're in a high tax bracket (above 22% federal), so you might want to check if you need to adjust your regular paycheck withholding to compensate.

I had a very similar experience with my RSUs at my company! The split transactions threw me off initially too, but after going through this last tax season, I can confirm what others have said - it's completely normal and doesn't complicate your taxes at all. In my case, I discovered the split was because my company processes different types of withholding through separate payroll runs. The first transaction covered federal income tax withholding (22% supplemental rate), and the second covered state taxes plus FICA (Social Security and Medicare). What helped me understand this better was looking at my pay stub from the RSU vest date - it showed the breakdown of all the different tax withholdings, which matched up exactly with the separate sell-to-cover transactions in my brokerage account. The key thing to remember is that all these withholdings will be reflected on your W-2 at year-end, and when you file your taxes, you'll get credit for all the taxes that were withheld regardless of how many separate transactions they used to collect them. The IRS doesn't care if it was one transaction or ten - they just care about the total amount withheld versus what you actually owe. One tip: save the transaction confirmations from E*TRADE along with your grant documents. While you probably won't need them for filing your regular tax return, they're helpful for tracking your cost basis on the shares you kept.

I'm also a student & dependent. My tax professor explained that there are actually TWO different filing requirements happening: 1. Self-employment tax filing threshold: $400 2. Income tax filing threshold: $12,950 (standard deduction for dependents in 2025) Even though you have to FILE because of the self-employment, the actual TAXABLE portion follows normal rules. You'll fill out Schedule SE for the self-employment tax on your DoorDash earnings, but your W-2 income still gets the standard deduction.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm what others have said - you won't lose money doing DoorDash! Here's my real-world example: My DoorDash earnings: $1,200 My campus bookstore job: $7,500 Total income: $8,700 I had to file because of the $400 self-employment threshold, but here's what I actually paid: - Self-employment tax on DoorDash: ~$170 (15.3% on net earnings after deductions) - Federal income tax: $0 (total income was under $12,950 standard deduction) The key thing I learned is that filing a return doesn't automatically make all your income taxable - the standard deduction still protects your regular W-2 income. I actually saved money by tracking my mileage and other DoorDash expenses, which reduced the self-employment tax even more. Don't let tax fears stop you from earning extra money - you'll definitely come out ahead even after paying the self-employment taxes!

Does anyone know what the timeline is for the Supreme Court decision? I have a client with a similar situation (multiple unreported accounts), and we're wondering if we should delay addressing the issue until after the ruling.

This is such an important case that more people need to know about! I've been an expat in Australia for 8 years and only discovered FBAR requirements 2 years ago when my US-based CPA mentioned them almost in passing. The fact that a simple reporting oversight can result in millions in penalties is absolutely terrifying. What really gets me is how the IRS doesn't do much to educate Americans living abroad about these requirements. There's no automatic notification when you move overseas, no clear guidance sent to embassies or consulates, and most local tax preparers in other countries have never heard of FBAR. Yet they expect perfect compliance with penalties that can literally bankrupt someone. I really hope the Supreme Court rules in favor of limiting these penalties. The current system feels designed to trap honest people who are already dealing with the complexity of dual tax obligations. Even if you owe zero US tax (thanks to foreign tax credits), you can still face financial ruin over paperwork violations.

Anyone else notice that the IRS seems really random about who they go after? My cousin owed like $80k and didn't hear anything for years, while my coworker got audited over a $2,000 charitable contribution. Makes no sense.

The randomness isn't actually random - it's resource allocation. The IRS uses algorithms to determine which cases have the highest probability of successful collection relative to the cost of enforcement. They might go after someone with a small discrepancy if their system flags it as likely fraudulent or if it's part of a pattern they're investigating. Your cousin with $80k might not have gotten attention yet because they're in a category the IRS considers "uncollectible" (no assets, low income, etc.) or their case hasn't bubbled up to human review yet. But that doesn't mean it won't eventually - the IRS can pursue collection for up to 10 years after assessment, and they often batch process older cases when they have capacity. The charitable contribution audit probably triggered because the amount was disproportionate to reported income, or because your coworker claimed deductions in categories that are commonly abused. The IRS has gotten pretty sophisticated about using data analytics to spot potential issues, even small ones.

Quick question about car expenses - is it better to track actual expenses (gas, maintenance, etc.) or just use the standard mileage rate? I've been doing both and it's getting really time consuming.

Great advice from everyone here! One thing I'd add that really helped me as a new consultant - create a simple spreadsheet or use a basic expense tracking app to log everything immediately. I learned the hard way that trying to recreate months of expenses from a shoebox of receipts is a nightmare. For home office, I actually measured my space and took photos showing it's exclusively for business use. This helped when my accountant had questions. Also, if you're just starting out, the simplified home office deduction might be easier - it's $5 per square foot up to 300 sq ft, so max $1,500. No need to track utilities and maintenance costs. One more tip: set up a separate business bank account and credit card if possible. Makes tracking so much cleaner and shows the IRS clear separation between personal and business expenses. Even if you're not incorporated, it's still helpful for record keeping.