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 Basically the IRS assumes your household has just one income when you select "married" which is so outdated.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!

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! 🤦‍♀️

Since nobody mentioned this yet - you should seriously consider whether your LLC is being treated as a corporation or disregarded entity for US tax purposes. If you never filed Form 8832 to elect corporate treatment, a single-member foreign-owned LLC is by default treated as a disregarded entity. This distinction matters because filing requirements are different. A disregarded entity owned by a foreign person still needs to file Form 5472, but attached to a pro forma Form 1120 (not a full tax return). Understanding this might help you file the correct forms now.

I went through almost the exact same situation with my Delaware LLC that I abandoned after formation. The stress and panic you're feeling is completely understandable, but there is hope! Here's what I learned from my experience: Yes, you do need to file Form 5472 and a pro forma Form 1120 for each year, even with zero activity. The key is acting quickly now and putting together a strong reasonable cause statement. For your reasonable cause letter, emphasize these points: 1) You're a non-US resident who was genuinely unaware of the filing requirements, 2) The LLC had absolutely no business activity or transactions, 3) You're coming forward voluntarily to correct the situation, and 4) This was an honest mistake, not willful non-compliance. I filed my delinquent returns with detailed reasonable cause statements and requested penalty abatement. While I can't guarantee your outcome will be the same, the IRS did accept my reasonable cause and waived most of the penalties. The fact that your LLC truly had no activity works strongly in your favor. Don't let the $25,000 penalty amount scare you into paralysis - that's the maximum statutory penalty, but the IRS has discretion to reduce or waive penalties when there's reasonable cause. Get those returns filed ASAP with solid documentation of your circumstances.

Just wanted to add something about the deductions part of your question. I work between Australia and the US too, and you're right that the IRS is generally more flexible with deductions than the ATO. Unfortunately, you have to follow the ATO rules for ALL your income as an Australian tax resident. So those generous US deductions you might be familiar with (like home office or certain meal expenses) may not be allowed under Australian rules. What I do is keep separate accounting for my US income and expenses based on both countries' rules. I pay US tax based on US rules, then declare the net US income in Australia. Then I claim the foreign income tax offset for the US tax paid. It's a bit of a headache but keeps everything clean.

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.

Has anyone tried using backup withholding as a business expense deduction? I had to pay about $3,000 in backup withholding last year for a similar situation, and my accountant said we could deduct it as a business expense since it was essentially part of the contractor payment.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago and it was absolutely stressful! What really helped me was understanding that the IRS isn't necessarily trying to punish you - they just want proper tax compliance. Since you were honest about reporting the payments, that actually works in your favor. Here's what I'd recommend based on my experience: First, document EVERYTHING you did to try to get those W-9s - emails, letters, phone calls, anything that shows you made good faith efforts. Second, definitely pursue the First Time Penalty Abatement that others mentioned - it can save you thousands in penalties. Third, consider hiring a tax professional who specializes in business tax issues, especially if the amounts are substantial. One thing that surprised me was that the IRS was actually pretty reasonable when I explained my situation properly. They understood I was a new business owner who made an honest mistake while trying to comply with tax laws. The key is communicating with them proactively rather than ignoring the notices. You've got this - it feels overwhelming now but there are definitely paths forward!