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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls ā which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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StarStrider
has anyone used the free foreign dependents worksheet the IRS has? i downloaded it and it really helped me figure out if my daughter in mexico qualified. kinda complicated at first but breaks down all the tests u need to pass.
Where did you find this worksheet? I've been looking all over the IRS website and can't seem to locate anything specifically for foreign dependents. Would really appreciate a link if you have one!
StarStrider
ā¢i found it by googling "irs publication 501 dependents" which has all the rules and tests. the worksheet isnt specifically for foreign dependents but it works for any dependent situation and walks u through each test step by step. sorry i should have been more clear! the main thing is it helps u calculate if ur providing more than half their support which is super important for foreign kids. page 16 has the worksheet i used.
Sofia Torres
Just FYI, I claimed my kid living in Japan with my ex and got audited last year. Had to prove I provided more than 50% of his total support. Make sure you have: - Receipts for all money transfers - School tuition receipts if you pay them - A signed statement from the other parent about what they contribute (if possible) - Bills you pay directly (medical, etc) Without good records it's really hard to defend your claim when the IRS comes asking!
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One thing no one's mentioned yet is that you need to check if your plans are actually separate or if they're part of the same "plan" for IRS purposes. My company offers what they call separate plans but they're actually considered a single plan with different components for IRS contribution limit purposes. I found this out the hard way when I overcontributed last year and had to deal with removing excess contributions and the associated earnings (what a nightmare). The plan administrator should be able to tell you definitively how the IRS views your specific plans.
Max Reyes
ā¢Thanks for pointing this out. Did you have to pay any penalties for overcontributing? And how complicated was the process to remove the excess?
I didn't have to pay penalties because I caught the overcontribution before filing my taxes and had the excess removed. The process wasn't simple though. I had to contact the plan administrator and request a "return of excess contributions." They had to calculate not just the excess amount but also any earnings attributed to that excess. The returned excess contributions were added to my taxable income for the year they were distributed, not the year I contributed them. The earnings on the excess were taxable in the year they were distributed. The plan administrator sent me a 1099-R showing the distribution with a special code indicating it was a return of excess contributions. It was definitely a headache I don't want to repeat!
Kayla Morgan
OP, in case you're still wondering - the answer is in IRS Publication 571 and the related Code Section 415(c). The limit is PER EMPLOYER, not per plan. However, there's a twist with 403(b) plans that might be causing the confusion. For 403(b) plans, there's something called the "15-year rule" which allows for additional catch-up contributions if you've worked for the qualifying employer for at least 15 years. There's also the age 50+ catch-up contribution that's separate from the main limit. Additionally, 457(b) plans have entirely separate limits from 401(k)/403(b) plans, so if one of your plans is a 457(b), that could explain why people are saying you can exceed the regular limit.
James Maki
ā¢This is the correct answer! I work in benefits administration for a large university. The confusion usually comes from people misunderstanding the relationship between different plan types. The 415(c) limit (which was $58,000 in 2021 and is now $69,000 for 2024) applies across all qualified plans of the same employer EXCEPT for 457(b) plans, which have their own separate limit.
Kayla Morgan
ā¢Thanks for confirming! It's amazing how much misinformation circulates about retirement plan limits. Even financial advisors sometimes get the details wrong about these specialized situations. One more thing I should mention to the OP - if your employer has a 457(b) plan available (which many educational and non-profit organizations do), that's probably what people are referring to when they say you can contribute "double" the limit. You could potentially max out both your 403(b) and a 457(b) in the same year.
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Jayden Reed
My mom used to do this too! It's a weird control thing for some parents. Stand your firm ground - you're an adult. I just filed my own taxes using TurboTax and it was super easy, especially with income that's just W-2 wages. Took me like 30 minutes tops.
Nora Brooks
ā¢This!! With $24k in just W-2 income, your taxes should be ridiculously simple to file yourself. Most tax software is free or very cheap for basic returns. Take control of your financial independence!
Eli Wang
One thing nobody's mentioned - check if your parents are paying the accountant. If they're footing the bill, the accountant might consider them the primary client. Doesn't make sharing your info right, but might explain why it's happening. Might be time to just get your own accountant or file yourself so there's no confusion about who the client is.
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There's actually a few qualifying exceptions that might help you avoid that 10% penalty even with Code J. Like if you used the money for qualified higher education expenses, or if you had unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your AGI, or if you're separated from service and 55 or older. Worth checking if any apply to your situation!
Lucy Lam
ā¢Does the "separated from service and 55 or older" exception still apply if you quit voluntarily vs being laid off? My dad is dealing with this exact situation right now.
Yes, the "separated from service and 55 or older" exception applies whether you quit voluntarily, were laid off, or retired. The key requirements are that you must be at least 55 in the year you leave the job (not when you take the distribution), and the distribution must come from that employer's retirement plan, not an IRA you rolled the money into. For your dad's situation, as long as he was 55+ when he separated from the employer (regardless of reason) and is taking money directly from that employer's plan, he should qualify for the exception to the 10% penalty.
Aidan Hudson
Just a tip - if you already filed without including the 1099-R or without the proper penalty, you'll need to file an amended return. The IRS will definitely catch this since they get a copy of the 1099-R too, and you'll end up with penalties and interest if you don't fix it yourself.
Zoe Wang
ā¢How long do you have to amend before they start adding penalties? I just realized I messed up something similar on my taxes from last year!
Rudy Cenizo
Just FYI - the IRS recently announced a crypto compliance initiative. They're sending letters to thousands of taxpayers they suspect haven't properly reported crypto transactions. They're using blockchain analysis tools to identify potential non-compliance, even for smaller amounts. A friend of mine got one of these letters for only about $3k in unreported gains from 2020. The penalties and interest ended up nearly doubling what he would have paid if he'd just reported it originally. Better to just report it properly now than deal with the headache later. Schedule D and Form 8949 aren't that complicated for a small number of transactions.
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Melissa Lin
ā¢Thanks for this info - I had no idea they were doing targeted letters like that. Did your friend actually get audited or just receive a letter? And do you know if he was using Coinbase specifically or some other exchange?
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Rudy Cenizo
ā¢He didn't get a full audit, just a CP2000 notice that specified his crypto transactions. It listed specific dates and amounts that matched his Coinbase activity, so they definitely had his trading data. He was using both Coinbase and Kraken, but the letter only mentioned the Coinbase transactions. He tried ignoring it at first (bad move), which is why the penalties stacked up. Once he responded and paid, the matter was resolved. The scary part was how specific their information was - they knew exactly which coins he'd traded and when.
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Natalie Khan
Friendly reminder that wash sale rules don't technically apply to crypto (yet) since the IRS classifies crypto as property, not securities. This is actually one advantage for crypto traders. If you have any losses, you can sell and rebuy immediately to harvest the tax loss without waiting 30 days like you would with stocks. Could help offset those gains. Just make sure you're using crypto tax software that handles this correctly, as many general tax programs incorrectly apply wash sale rules to crypto.
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Daryl Bright
ā¢This is absolutely correct but be aware the rules might change soon. There's proposed legislation that would apply wash sale rules to crypto starting in 2023. I've been taking advantage of this loophole while I can!
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