I was in almost the exact situation last year! We decided to get married in December and it saved us about $3,800 in taxes by filing jointly. The higher standard deduction and better tax brackets made a huge difference with one income. Plus with the house purchase, we were able to deduct mortgage interest which was another bonus. Just my real-world experience!

Brooklyn, based on your situation, getting married before the end of the year would almost certainly benefit you tax-wise! With your boyfriend earning $95k as the sole income and you staying home with 3 kids, you'd likely see significant savings by filing married jointly. Here's why: You'd get the higher married standard deduction ($27,700 vs $13,850 for single), better tax brackets that favor married couples with one income, and potentially maximize your child tax credits. The new home purchase adds another layer of potential benefits through mortgage interest deduction. The key thing everyone's mentioned is true - if you marry anytime in December, you're considered married for the entire 2024 tax year. So even a December 31st wedding counts! From what others have shared here, people in similar situations have saved $3,000-4,000 by making this switch. Since you mentioned waiting to hear back from a tax professional, you might want to try one of the tools others recommended to get a quick analysis of your specific numbers while you wait. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

Just my two cents - the W-4 calculator on the IRS website is total garbage for two-income households!!! I tried using it twice and still ended up owing. What finally worked for me was putting "married but withhold at higher single rate" on both our W-4s AND adding additional withholding. Basically the IRS assumes your household has just one income when you select "married" which is so outdated. U might also wanna check if either of ur employers has a tax benefit program. My company offers free tax planning sessions with a CPA twice a year and it helped us a ton with this exact problem.

I completely understand your stress - being hit with a big tax bill when you're expecting your first child is really tough! Looking at your numbers, this is definitely a classic dual-income household underwithholding issue. Your combined income of $214k puts you in a higher tax bracket, but each employer is withholding as if their paycheck is your only income. The math works out roughly like this: you owed about $29,900 in total tax but only had $24,500 withheld, so you're short about $5,400. A few immediate suggestions: 1. Don't file separately - it almost never helps married couples and would likely make things worse 2. The extension idea is smart, but remember you still need to pay by the April deadline to avoid penalties 3. For next year, you'll need to increase withholding significantly - probably an additional $400-500 per month total between both paychecks The good news is that having a baby will help with the Child Tax Credit ($2,000), and if you'll need childcare, there's the dependent care credit too. But you'll still need to fix the underlying withholding issue. Consider maxing out traditional 401k contributions instead of Roth - at your income level, the immediate tax deduction could save you over $1,000 in current taxes. You can always convert to Roth later if it makes sense. Hang in there - this is fixable!

Does anyone know if we have to file Form 8843 electronically or if it has to be mailed in? I've been using TurboTax for my regular returns but I'm not sure if they support attachments for the statement required for line 12.

I just went through this process myself as a 6th year F-1 student. After reading all the helpful advice here, I wanted to add that when drafting your statement, it's important to be very specific about your ties to your home country rather than just making general statements. For example, instead of just saying "I have family back home," I wrote something like "My parents and two siblings reside in [home country], where I maintain close relationships and visit annually during academic breaks." I also mentioned specific details like maintaining a bank account there, owning property jointly with family members, and having professional licensing that's only valid in my home country. The key is demonstrating that your life is genuinely centered in your home country despite your temporary presence in the US for education. I also made sure to mention my specific graduation timeline and concrete post-graduation plans (job offer, research position, etc.) to show that my stay in the US has a definite end date. My return was accepted without issues, so being detailed and specific in the statement definitely seems to work well.

If you're still having trouble with ID.me recovery, you can also try calling the IRS directly at 1-800-908-9946. They can sometimes help you access your account information over the phone if you verify your identity with them. It's usually a long wait but might be worth it if the other methods aren't working for you.

Had this exact same problem last year! Here's what finally worked for me: 1) Clear your browser cache completely, 2) Try using a different browser or incognito mode, 3) Make sure you're using the exact same device/browser you originally signed up with if possible. ID.me is really picky about device recognition. Also if you have multiple email addresses, double check you're using the right one - I was trying to recover with the wrong email for weeks! 🤦‍♀️

Has anyone here actually read the actual Australia-USA tax treaty text? I did (don't recommend unless you enjoy bureaucratic torture) and found Article 7 and Article 22 most relevant to your situation. The treaty basically says business profits are taxable primarily where you're a resident (Australia in your case), BUT if you have a "permanent establishment" in the US (like an office), the US can tax profits attributable to that establishment. Then Australia gives you credit for US tax paid. The GST issue is separate from the treaty though - that's purely Australian domestic law. Once you hit that $75k threshold from worldwide turnover, you're in the GST system for Australian sales only.

I've been through a similar situation with dual Australia-US income, and here's what I learned after consulting with a tax specialist who focuses on the Australia-USA treaty: The key thing to understand is that as an Australian tax resident, you're caught in Australia's worldwide taxation net. This means: 1. Yes, you must declare ALL income (including your $25k USD) to the ATO 2. Your GST registration is triggered by worldwide business turnover, so you'll need to register once you hit $75k combined 3. You cannot choose to be a US tax resident just for tax purposes - residency rules are strict and based on where you actually live and have ties However, the treaty does protect you from true double taxation through the foreign income tax offset system. You'll file in both countries but get credit in Australia for legitimate US taxes paid. One important note about permanent establishment that @Mei Lin mentioned - for consulting work, this usually requires a fixed place of business or staying more than 183 days. Working from clients' offices or coworking spaces temporarily typically doesn't create a PE. My advice: keep meticulous records of where each dollar was earned and what expenses relate to each jurisdiction. The ATO is getting increasingly sophisticated about tracking international income flows, especially with US reporting agreements in place. Consider getting professional advice specific to your situation - the treaty has many nuances that can significantly impact your tax liability.