Don't forget that how you file can also affect your eligibility for certain credits! I'm a J1 visa holder married to a US citizen, and we found out that filing jointly made us eligible for the Earned Income Credit and American Opportunity Credit (my spouse is a student) which saved us a significant amount. If you file separately as a nonresident, you miss out on those completely.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm actually a tax preparer who works with a lot of international students and visa holders, and I wanted to add a few practical considerations that might help with your decision. One thing that's often overlooked is the timing aspect - if you make the election to file jointly this year, you're generally committed to filing jointly for all subsequent years while you're married and at least one spouse is a US resident, unless you get IRS permission to change. So think about your long-term situation, not just this year. Also, @Philip Cowan, since you mentioned this is your first tax season in the US, make sure you understand the implications for state taxes too. Some states don't recognize the federal election to be treated as a resident, so you might still file as a nonresident at the state level even if you file jointly federally. My general advice for J1 holders in your situation: if your income is relatively modest and your spouse qualifies for education credits, joint filing usually wins. But if you have significant income that would benefit from treaty provisions, or if you have complex foreign financial accounts to report, the analysis gets much more complicated and you might want to consult with a tax professional who specializes in international tax issues.

This question causes so much confusion! At our office we made a simple calendar we give clients that shows: • 2023: Year income was earned • Jan-Apr 2024: 2023 tax filing season • Apr 15, 2024: Deadline for 2023 tax returns • Apr 16-Dec 31, 2024: Late filing period for 2023 returns • 2024: Year income is currently being earned • Jan-Apr 2025: When you'll file taxes for 2024 income Having something visual really helps clients understand the offset between earning years and filing seasons!

Great question! I've been doing taxes for about 8 years now and still see this confusion all the time. Here's how I explain it to clients: "We're currently in the 2023 tax filing season" - this is usually what they want to know. We're filing returns for income earned in 2023, with a deadline of April 15, 2024. But I always follow up with: "Is there something specific you're trying to figure out?" Because sometimes they're asking about: - Whether they missed a deadline (2023 returns) - What year to put on forms they're filling out now (2024) - When their next tax return will be due (2024 taxes due April 2025) The key is not assuming what they mean by "tax year." I've found that about half the time, they're really asking "Am I late filing something?" rather than wanting a technical explanation of tax years vs. filing seasons. One phrase that works well: "Right now we're filing 2023 tax returns, but if you're earning money today, that goes on next year's return." Keeps it simple but covers both scenarios!

Same situation here! I'm also a PATH Act filer with cycle code 20250704 and my account transcript is blank. From what I've learned, this is totally normal for early February. The cycle code just means your return was processed on 2/4/25, but the PATH Act requires them to hold EITC/ACTC refunds until mid-February regardless. The blank account transcript should update once the hold period ends and they actually issue the refund. Hang in there - we're all in the same waiting boat! 🚤

Hey! I'm in the exact same situation - PATH Act filer with cycle code 20250704 and a completely blank account transcript. I was starting to panic thinking something went wrong with my return, but reading through these comments is making me feel so much better! It sounds like this is totally normal for us PATH filers this early in February. The waiting is torture though 😭 Has anyone found WMR to be updating at all or is it still just stuck on "received and processing" for everyone?

Has anyone had the mortgage company send incorrect information on the 1098? My lender somehow included fees that aren't actually interest in box 1 and I'm not sure how to report that correctly.

Great question Olivia! You're absolutely right to double-check this. The key thing to remember is that rental property mortgage interest and personal residence mortgage interest are completely separate deductions that go on different forms. For your rental property, the mortgage interest should be entered in the rental income/expense section of FreeTaxUSA, which will put it on Schedule E as a business expense against your rental income. The homeowner mortgage interest deduction section you mentioned is for your PRIMARY RESIDENCE only, and that goes on Schedule A as an itemized deduction. So if you only have a rental property (no mortgage on your personal home), you should NOT be filling out the homeowner deduction section at all. But if you have mortgages on both your rental AND your personal residence, then yes - you'd enter both, but in their respective sections. FreeTaxUSA should handle this correctly as long as you're entering the information in the right places. Just make sure you're not entering your rental property mortgage interest in both sections!

I received a CP2000 notice on March 12th that was dated February 24th. The response deadline was March 26th, giving me just two weeks to respond. I verified it on my transcript first, which showed the notice had been generated on February 22nd. If I had waited for the mail, I might have missed the deadline entirely. The transcript showed the tax year and basic issue, but I needed to call to get the full details.

Military moves are brutal for tax issues! I've been through multiple PCS moves and the mail forwarding system is hit-or-miss at best. Here's what I've learned works: 1. **Online transcript is your lifeline** - Like others said, create that IRS.gov account ASAP if you don't have one. The account transcript usually shows notice codes and basic info before the physical letter arrives. 2. **Document everything** - Screenshot your transcript, note the notice number and date. This becomes crucial if you need to prove timeline issues later. 3. **Military-specific help** - Don't forget about the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They have special procedures for active duty military dealing with notice issues. I used them during a deployment when I couldn't respond to a CP2000 in time. 4. **Address updates** - Make sure your IRS address is current through your online account or by filing Form 8822. I learned this the hard way when notices kept going to an address from 3 moves ago. The waiting game is the worst part, but at least with the transcript you can get ahead of whatever's coming. Good luck with your situation!