Have you considered the option of renouncing just before the 8-year mark? If you haven't hit that threshold yet, the exit tax situation is considerably simpler. It's worth looking at exactly where you are in that timeline.

I went through a similar situation about 3 years ago when I moved to Dubai (also 0% crypto tax). The key thing to understand is that as long as you maintain your green card, you're stuck with US tax obligations regardless of any tax treaty benefits. What really caught me off guard was the timing aspect - if you're planning to sell during a bull market, you need to factor in estimated quarterly payments to the IRS even while living abroad. I made the mistake of thinking I could just settle up at year-end and got hit with underpayment penalties. Also, don't overlook state tax implications if you haven't properly established non-residency from your previous state. Some states (looking at you, California) are notoriously aggressive about claiming you still owe state taxes even after moving internationally. My advice: get professional help BEFORE you make any moves. The exit tax calculations are complex, and there are strategies around timing your departure and asset sales that can save you significant money. I wish I'd consulted a specialist earlier instead of trying to figure it out myself.

Ugh I got audited last year and this exact issue came up. My advice is to take photos of ALL receipts where you claimed business expenses and store them digitally by date. I had to go through hundreds of receipts during my audit and the ones I couldn't find or that were too faded to read were automatically disallowed as deductions.

Great thread! I'm dealing with this exact same situation with my freelance graphic design work. One thing I learned from my accountant is that you should also keep a simple business expense log alongside your receipts. Just a spreadsheet with columns for date, vendor, total amount, business portion, and business purpose. This way if you ever get audited, you're not just relying on highlighted receipts - you have a clear paper trail showing your thought process for each deduction. The IRS loves documentation that shows you were being deliberate and organized rather than just guessing. Also, don't forget that you can deduct the business portion of things like gas when you're making those mixed shopping trips! If you drove to Target specifically to buy business supplies but also grabbed personal items while there, you can still claim the mileage as a business expense.

The whole system is broken fr. They expect us to wait months while bills pile up smh

Congrats on getting through to an agent! That's half the battle right there. From my experience, once they actually remove the freeze code, you're usually looking at 1-3 weeks for the refund to hit your account. The timing really depends on which freeze code you had and how backed up their processing is. I'd suggest checking your transcript every Friday morning to see if the 846 code (refund release) shows up. That's when you'll know it's officially on its way. Hang in there - you're almost at the finish line after waiting since February!

If your looking to actually understand whats happening instead of guessing, use taxr.ai - seriously the $1 tool saved me hours of research and stress. Just upload your transcript and it breaks everything down.

I had the exact same situation last year! Code 570 with Head of Household status and EIC. The good news is this is pretty routine - the IRS just needs to verify your filing status and EIC eligibility since those are common areas they review. Your transcript looks normal otherwise. The fact that your withholding (806) and EIC (768) credits are dated 4/15 means they've been processed and are just waiting for the 570 hold to lift. Most people see a 571 code (release) within 2-3 weeks. Don't stress too much, your refund is probably just fine! Keep checking your transcript weekly for updates.

Has anyone used FreeTaxUSA? I switched from TurboTax a couple years ago because of the ridiculous price increases. It only costs like $15 for state filing (federal is free) even with somewhat complex returns. I've been pretty happy with it for my moderately complex situation with some investment income and a small business.

I've been in a similar situation with H&R Block - the inconsistent quality and slow error corrections are really frustrating. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm leaning toward trying the TurboTax + AI review combination for this year. One thing I'm curious about though - for those who've made the switch from H&R Block to self-filing, how do you handle the confidence factor? I always worry I'm going to miss something important or make a mistake that triggers an audit. The errors from H&R Block were annoying, but at least I felt like someone else was responsible if something went wrong. Also, has anyone dealt with estimated quarterly payments through these online platforms? That's been another headache with H&R Block - they never seem to calculate them correctly for my situation.