Just want to warn everyone - be super careful about claiming ESA expenses. My friend tried deducting her emotional support cat expenses last year and got audited. The IRS made her pay back all the deductions plus penalties. Unless your situation clearly qualifies under the service animal rules, it's probably not worth the risk.

Thanks for sharing this question - it's one that comes up a lot and the answers here are really helpful. I went through something similar with my therapy dog last year. Just to add another perspective: even if you can't deduct the ESA expenses directly, don't forget that you can still deduct your therapy sessions and any other mental health treatment costs (assuming you itemize and meet the 7.5% AGI threshold). The therapy that led to your ESA prescription is definitely a legitimate medical expense. Also, keep really detailed records of everything - receipts, vet bills, your therapist's documentation, etc. Even if you don't claim the ESA expenses this year, tax laws can change, and having good documentation ready is always smart. The IRS appreciates thorough record-keeping if you ever do get questioned about any medical deductions. Hope Milo continues to help with your anxiety and depression - ESAs can make such a difference even if the tax benefits aren't there!

I completely understand your frustration, and you're definitely not alone in this struggle. Based on what others have shared here, contacting your representative seems like a legitimate option worth trying, especially given your financial hardship situation. From what I've gathered, the key factors for success appear to be: - Documenting your specific hardship with actual bills/notices - Ensuring your amended return is well beyond normal processing times - Having attempted other avenues first (like calling the IRS directly) The experiences shared here are encouraging - several people got results within 2-4 weeks after their representative intervened. The privacy release form seems to be standard, and the congressional liaison offices apparently have special channels for these situations. Given your childcare costs, bills, and car repair needs, this sounds like exactly the type of genuine hardship case that would qualify for assistance. The worst they can say is no, but it seems like many people have had positive outcomes. I'd say it's worth a shot - you're already in a difficult position, so why not try every available option? Good luck, and I hope you get the resolution you need soon!

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the financial stress while waiting for an amended return is absolutely brutal. Based on all the experiences shared here, it definitely sounds like contacting your representative is worth pursuing, especially since you have documented hardships like childcare costs and needed car repairs. A few practical tips from what I've gathered: make sure you have all your hardship documentation ready (bills, notices, etc.) and be prepared to fill out that privacy release form quickly. It sounds like the congressional offices are pretty experienced with these IRS cases, so they should be able to guide you through the process. One thing that stood out to me is that multiple people mentioned the timeline being around 2-4 weeks after the representative intervenes, which is much better than the months people wait otherwise. Given that you're already in a tough spot financially, it really seems like you have nothing to lose by trying this route. I hope you get some relief soon - this whole system shouldn't put people in impossible situations like this. Keep us updated on how it goes!

Has anyone gone through probate in both countries? My mom just passed with assets in both UK and US (we're all dual citizens too), and I'm getting conflicting advice about which country's probate process takes precedence. The solicitor in the UK is saying one thing, and the attorney here is saying another.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Thais. Going through this process while grieving is incredibly difficult. I wanted to add something that might be helpful regarding timing - make sure you understand the deadlines for various filings. While the inheritance itself isn't taxable income to you, there are specific timeframes for some of the international reporting requirements that others have mentioned. For FBAR filing, the deadline is typically April 15th (with an automatic extension to October 15th), but this applies to the tax year when you had the reportable foreign accounts. Form 8938 has different thresholds and deadlines that align with your regular tax return. Also, since you mentioned the house is currently being sold by the estate, keep detailed records of all expenses related to the sale (legal fees, real estate commissions, etc.). These can potentially be deducted from the estate value and may affect your stepped-up basis calculation if there are any remaining assets after the sale. Given the complexity of dual-country estates and the substantial amount involved, I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who has experience with UK-US tax issues. The peace of mind is worth the cost, especially when dealing with amounts in the hundreds of thousands.

Great question about W4 withholding with a non-resident spouse! I went through this exact situation last year when my husband had an ITIN while waiting for his green card. Your calculation of $126 per paycheck sounds reasonable, and yes, that amount would go on line 4(c) of your W4. The key thing to remember is that you're essentially covering the tax liability for both your income and your wife's cash income through your withholding. A few additional tips from my experience: 1. Keep meticulous records of your wife's cash income (sounds like you're already doing this with your spreadsheet) - you'll need quarterly totals for accurate tax planning. 2. Consider making estimated quarterly payments instead of (or in addition to) increased withholding. Sometimes this gives you more control, especially if your wife's income varies significantly. 3. Once you know your wife's total annual income, you can use the IRS withholding calculator mid-year to see if you need to adjust your W4 again. 4. When her green card comes through, her tax status won't change dramatically for withholding purposes, but definitely recalculate everything since you'll have more certainty about the full year's income by then. The fact that you got a federal refund but owed state taxes suggests your federal withholding might have been close to right, so your new calculation should help balance things out better for 2025!

This is such a comprehensive thread - lots of great advice here! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my spouse has an ITIN and works as an independent contractor. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet: if your wife's income is from self-employment (which it sounds like it might be since she's paid in cash), don't forget about self-employment taxes. You'll need to account for both the income tax AND the additional 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare taxes when calculating your withholding needs. The $126 per paycheck you calculated might need to be higher if you haven't factored in the SE tax portion. You can use Schedule SE to estimate this - it's about 14.1% of net self-employment income after the deduction. Also, since you mentioned her income has increased recently, make sure you're using realistic projections for the full year, not just extrapolating from recent higher amounts if her work is seasonal or project-based. The combination of increased withholding on your W4 plus quarterly estimated payments (as others suggested) is definitely the way to go for variable self-employment income!

Has anyone used FreeTaxUSA for reporting crypto from gambling sites? Their interface is confusing me for this specific situation and I can't figure out where to put the initial cost basis.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work as a tax preparer and see situations like this more often than you'd think. The key thing everyone's getting right is that you have two completely separate tax events happening: 1) Gambling activity: Your gift card purchases were your "wager" and the ETH withdrawal was your "winnings." This gets reported as gambling income. 2) Crypto holding: From the moment you received that ETH, you're holding a crypto asset with a cost basis equal to its fair market value at the time of receipt. That $138 loss is probably correct if ETH dropped after you received it. One tip - make sure your tax software isn't double-counting anything. Sometimes it tries to treat the gift card purchase as a crypto purchase, which would mess up your numbers. The gift cards should only appear as part of your gambling activity calculation, not in the crypto section at all. Also, keep really good records because the IRS is definitely paying attention to crypto gambling situations now. Transaction hashes, withdrawal confirmations, and price documentation for the exact moment you received the ETH are all important to have on hand.