Slightly different opinion here - I've been sending tax docs through email for years with no issues. Just password protect the PDFs with something complex and send the password in a separate email or text. Not ideal but it works fine for most small accounting firms. They're not all equipped with fancy secure portals.

Your accountant is being lazy and negligent. Period. I'd find a new one immediately. In 2025, there's absolutely NO excuse for not having secure document transfer. Even the smallest accounting firms can use free secure options like password-protected zip files at minimum. W-2s, 1099s, and other tax docs have everything an identity thief needs. Would you mail photocopies of these documents on a postcard? That's essentially what regular email is - viewable by anyone along the way.

The residency test is indeed a major hurdle that many people overlook. Since your parents are in Thailand, you're unfortunately correct that you likely can't claim them as dependents due to the residency requirement. However, don't give up entirely on tax relief. As Mateo mentioned, you might still be able to deduct medical expenses if you pay providers directly. This means instead of sending money to your parents who then pay the doctors, you would need to pay the Thai medical facilities directly from your US bank account. Keep detailed records of these direct payments. Another option to explore is whether any of the medical care qualifies as qualified medical expenses that you could pay with a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you have one. While the dependency rules are strict, HSA rules for medical expenses can sometimes be more flexible. I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international tax situations before your next filing. The rules around foreign medical expenses and dependencies are complex and change frequently, so getting expert guidance could save you from costly mistakes.

I've been following this discussion and wanted to share some additional considerations for your situation. Given that Thailand doesn't meet the residency test for claiming dependents, you might want to explore whether restructuring how you provide support could help. One approach is setting up direct payment arrangements with the medical providers and caregiving services in Thailand. This creates a clearer paper trail and potentially stronger documentation for any deductions you might be able to claim. You could also consider whether any portion of the expenses might qualify under other tax provisions - for instance, if you're providing financial support that could be characterized differently. Another angle to consider: if your parents have any US-sourced income or if there are ways to establish a stronger connection to US tax obligations, this might open up different options. Some taxpayers in similar situations have found success by having their parents file US tax returns even when not strictly required, which can sometimes help establish the relationship needed for dependency claims. The key is comprehensive documentation regardless of which approach you take. Keep records of all transfers, medical bills, provider contracts, and any correspondence with medical facilities. Even if current tax law doesn't provide the relief you're hoping for, tax regulations do change, and having thorough documentation will position you well for any future opportunities.

I completely understand your stress about this! I went through something very similar last year when my preparer accidentally entered 1985 instead of 1986 for my birth year. I was panicking because I had never dealt with a tax mistake before and didn't know what to expect. But honestly, it ended up being totally fine - my return processed normally in about 20 days and I got my full refund without any issues or correspondence from the IRS. What really helped ease my mind was learning that the IRS processes millions of returns with minor errors like this every single year, and their computer systems are specifically built to handle these common mistakes. Your SSN is really the key piece they use to match everything up with your file, so as long as that's correct (which you said it is), the wrong DOB will likely just get corrected behind the scenes. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to let this ruin your peace of mind - based on everything I've experienced and learned, you should be perfectly fine and get your refund on schedule!

I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! My preparer somehow entered 1991 instead of 1992 for my birth year, and I was absolutely panicking when I discovered it after the return had already been accepted. I kept refreshing Where's My Refund obsessively, convinced it would get rejected or delayed. But you know what? My refund arrived in exactly 18 days - actually faster than some years when everything was perfect! The IRS really does have sophisticated systems that cross-reference your SSN with their master database. Since your SSN and other key info are correct, that wrong DOB will likely just be noted and corrected internally without affecting your timeline at all. I totally get the anxiety, especially when you're counting on that refund for upcoming expenses, but try to take a deep breath. From everything I've learned and experienced, these minor data entry errors are incredibly routine for the IRS to handle. Just keep monitoring your refund status and resist the urge to do anything drastic like filing amendments unless they specifically ask for it. You're going to be fine!

I can definitely help clear this up! VIS and DEN in Box 14 are standard employer codes for vision and dental insurance premiums. Since these were likely deducted from your paychecks on a pre-tax basis (which is typical for employer-sponsored vision and dental plans), you should select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both codes in TurboTax. The good news is that this categorization won't affect your refund amount since the tax savings already happened when your employer calculated your taxable wages throughout the year. TurboTax just needs to know what these codes represent for proper documentation and to ensure everything matches up with IRS records. Don't stress about this being the last step - you're making the right choice by taking the time to categorize them correctly rather than picking something random. Select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both VIS and DEN, and you'll be all set to submit your return!

I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago! Those VIS and DEN codes in Box 14 had me completely stumped too. After doing some research and talking to my HR department, I can confirm what others have said - these are just standard codes for vision and dental insurance premiums that were deducted from your pay. You should definitely select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both VIS and DEN in TurboTax. Since these were almost certainly pre-tax deductions (which is how most employer vision and dental plans work), they've already reduced your taxable income shown in Box 1 of your W-2. The categorization is mainly for record-keeping purposes and won't change your refund amount. I know it feels like a big decision when you're staring at all those dropdown options, but this is actually pretty routine stuff that millions of people deal with every tax season. Don't give in to the temptation to pick something random - you're so close to finishing! Take the extra 30 seconds to select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both codes and you'll be all set. You've got this!

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This is super helpful. I'm feeling much more confident about handling this now. One quick follow-up question - since I only started with Amazon Vine in September last year, would it make sense to start making quarterly estimated payments now for this year's taxes, or should I wait until I have a better sense of how much I'll receive in products this year? Also, for those who mentioned deducting business expenses - I assume I need to keep receipts for everything, right? Like if I buy a new camera specifically for taking better product photos for my reviews, that would be deductible?

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I've been dealing with Amazon Vine taxes for three years now and one thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything throughout the year. I log each product I receive with its fair market value (from the email Amazon sends), the date received, and what category it falls into. This makes tax time SO much easier because you're not scrambling to figure out what that $3,200 on your 1099-NEC actually represents. Plus, it helps you estimate your quarterly payments more accurately as the year goes on. One tip that saved me money: if you return any Vine products to Amazon (which you're allowed to do), make sure to track those too. The returned items shouldn't be included in your taxable income, but Amazon sometimes includes them in your 1099-NEC anyway. Having documentation of returns can help you adjust your reported income correctly. Also, don't forget that if you donate any Vine products to charity, you can potentially deduct their fair market value as a charitable contribution (separate from your business deductions). Just make sure to get proper documentation from the charity!