Has anyone had their bank account double-charged when using IRS Direct Pay? My payment has been "processing" for 3 weeks but I just noticed they took the money TWICE from my account! Both charges have the same confirmation number. Is this normal?

I can relate to your concern! I went through the same thing about 6 months ago with a $1,200 payment that stayed on "processing" for nearly a month. Like others mentioned, the IRS systems are just incredibly slow to update their status displays. What really helped put my mind at ease was checking my account transcript online (as Ruby mentioned above) - my payment showed up there about 10 days before the Direct Pay status finally changed to "completed." The transcript is really the authoritative source for what's actually been applied to your account. Since you have your confirmation number and the money left your bank account, you're almost certainly fine. The IRS receives thousands of these payments daily and their processing pipeline just moves slowly. I'd only start worrying if it hits the 30-day mark and still shows processing - at that point it might be worth making a call to double-check. Keep those screenshots and confirmation emails safe though - they're your proof of timely payment if any questions ever come up!

5 One specific thing to consider: if you're moving to Ottawa, find someone who understands Ontario provincial tax alongside federal Canadian tax. I made the mistake of using a US-based "international" accountant who didn't fully understand provincial differences and ended up having to file amendments. Also, don't forget about the exit tax implications when you leave the US. Depending on your assets, there could be deemed disposition rules that apply. My accountant caught this and saved me a significant amount by planning the timing of my move and certain asset sales.

11 Having gone through this exact situation (moving from California to British Columbia), my advice is to interview at least 3 different cross-border specialists before deciding. Ask these specific questions: 1. How do they handle FBAR and FATCA reporting requirements? 2. What strategies do they recommend for RRSPs and 401(k)s in a cross-border situation? 3. What's their experience with the foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credits? 4. How do they stay current with changes to the US-Canada tax treaty? I ended up going with a smaller firm that specializes exclusively in US-Canada situations rather than a big international firm that does all countries. The specialized knowledge made a huge difference.

Make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit for your amendment! My roommate (also J1) had a similar situation and the IRS claimed they never received her amended return even though she had tracking confirmation. She had to resubmit everything, which delayed her refund by another 3 months. I recommend sending it certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery. Also make copies of all documents before sending. The processing time for amended returns for non-residents is super slow right now - like 6-8 months according to what the IRS told her.

Has anyone tried contacting their university's international student office about this? When I had a similar issue (H1B visa), the international office at my former university had tax specialists who helped international students/scholars file amendments for free. They even had a direct line to an IRS representative who specialized in non-resident returns.

Don't forget that if you have stock losses from previous years that you haven't fully used up yet, those get applied first before your current year losses. I had about $7k in carryover losses from 2023 that I'm still working through. The IRS doesn't forget about these, you need to keep track and report them correctly each year.

Great advice from everyone here! Just to add one more thing - make sure you keep detailed records of all your stock transactions, especially the dates and amounts. The IRS requires you to report the actual purchase date, sale date, and both the cost basis and sale price for each transaction on Form 8949. If you're using multiple brokerages like some folks mentioned, you'll need to gather 1099-B forms from each one. Sometimes the cost basis isn't reported correctly (especially for older purchases), so having your own records helps avoid headaches later. I learned this when I got audited a few years back - having organized records made the whole process much smoother. Also, don't stress too much about the timing. As others said, claiming the loss now is usually the right move since you get the tax benefit immediately and any unused portion carries forward automatically.

Has anyone here actually been audited because of a similar living situation? I'm wondering if this is something the IRS actively looks for or if we're all being paranoid.

This is such a common situation these days with housing costs being what they are! I went through something very similar about 3 years ago when my ex and I had to share our old house again for financial reasons. One thing that really helped us was establishing a clear "household expense sharing agreement" right from the start. We literally split everything 50/50 and kept receipts for EVERYTHING - utilities, groceries, household supplies, even toilet paper. It sounds tedious but it made tax time so much cleaner. Since you mentioned you maintain completely separate finances, I'd suggest opening a joint checking account specifically for shared household expenses only. Each of you contributes exactly half each month, and all shared bills come from that account. This creates a crystal clear paper trail that shows you're truly splitting costs equally, which supports your single filing status. Also, definitely keep that alternating dependent claim arrangement from your divorce decree. The IRS respects those agreements as long as the non-claiming parent signs Form 8332 each year. Having that consistency actually works in your favor because it shows you're following an established legal arrangement, not trying to game the system.