I think this could actually be a good situation to use the new Form W-9 (Rev. October 2024) since they updated it specifically to address confusion with disregarded entities. The new form has clearer instructions for this exact scenario and a dedicated spot to put "For tax filing purposes only" next to the corporate parent name. You should be able to download it from the IRS website. The new form makes it much more obvious to clients why you're listing both names.

I've been dealing with this exact same situation for the past two years! What finally worked for me was creating a standardized "W-9 Explanation Sheet" that I attach to every W-9 I send out. It includes a simple diagram showing our corporate structure and a brief explanation that says something like: "Our LLC (Valleyview Services) is a disregarded entity for federal tax purposes, meaning the IRS treats it as part of our parent corporation (Mountain Ridge Enterprises) for tax reporting. This is why Line 1 shows our parent company name and we use their EIN - it's required by IRS regulations, not a mistake." I also include a reference to the specific IRS Publication 1635 section that covers this. Since I started doing this about 6 months ago, I've had maybe 2-3 follow-up questions total instead of the constant back-and-forth I used to get. Most clients just file it away and move on once they understand it's an IRS requirement, not our choice. The key is being proactive about the explanation rather than waiting for them to question it. It's saved me probably 10+ hours of phone calls and emails per month.

Has anyone actually tried getting a professional appraisal for tax purposes when donating business furniture? My tax guy said I needed one for my office stuff since it was worth over $5,000 total, but when I called around, appraisers wanted $400+ which seemed to defeat the purpose.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the timing consideration for your coaching business. Since you're relocating in a few months, you might want to factor in when you'll actually need the tax deduction. If you're having a particularly high-income year, the charitable deduction might be more valuable this tax year. But if you're expecting lower income due to the relocation disruption, you might benefit more from the immediate cash from selling. Also, don't forget about the moving expense implications. If you're moving for business reasons, some of your relocation costs might be deductible, which could affect your overall tax strategy. Given that you fully expensed everything under Section 179 in 2022 (making any sale proceeds ordinary income), I'd lean toward donation unless you desperately need the cash flow right now. The tax benefit will likely be better than paying taxes on whatever you'd get from selling 3-year-old furniture.

Another approach - if you have any tax documents from that bank (like foreign equivalents of 1099-INT), sometimes the account numbers are listed there. Worth checking any tax documents the bank may have sent you over the years.

Great point about checking tax documents! I'd also suggest looking at any wire transfer receipts or international money transfer records you might have. When I was dealing with overseas accounts, I found that Western Union and bank wire transfer receipts often included the full destination account numbers, even when the bank wouldn't provide them directly. Also, if you used any financial apps or services to manage these accounts (like currency conversion apps or international banking apps), they sometimes store account details in your transaction history that you can access even after the accounts are closed or restricted. The key thing is to keep detailed records of every attempt you make to get the full account numbers. Take screenshots of online banking error messages, save emails from customer service, and document phone call dates and reference numbers. This paper trail will be invaluable if the IRS ever questions your filing.

Has anyone dealt with selling vacant land in another state? I'm about to sell my vacant lot in Florida (I live in Ohio) and wondering if I'll get hit with both states' taxes or just Florida?

Just to add another perspective - I've owned vacant land in two different states for about 3 years now and have never had to file nonresident returns. The key is really whether you're generating income from the property. However, I'd strongly recommend keeping detailed records of everything - property taxes paid, any maintenance or improvements, even travel expenses to visit the property if you're treating it as an investment. One thing that caught me off guard was that some counties will reassess property values more frequently for out-of-state owners, so your property tax bills might increase faster than expected. Also, make sure you're receiving all tax notices directly - don't rely on previous owners or real estate agents to forward important documents. I almost missed a supplemental tax bill that way. If you do decide to develop or sell the land eventually, having organized records from day one will save you a lot of headaches when calculating your cost basis and deductions.

Just a heads up that you should check with your international student office at your university. Many universities have tax specialists who help international students with exactly these kinds of issues. When I had a similar problem, our ISO even contacted my employer directly to explain the tax exemptions for F-1 students. They might have template letters specifically addressing FICA exemptions that you can use, which sometimes carry more weight than just you asking on your own. Plus, they've probably dealt with dozens of similar cases and know exactly what language works best with reluctant employers.

I went through this exact same situation last year with my F-1 CPT status! Your employer is definitely wrong about not being able to "back date a tax change" - this isn't about changing tax policy, it's about correcting an error they made. Here's what worked for me: I documented everything in writing (emails to payroll, their responses, copies of my pay stubs showing the incorrect FICA withholding). Then I escalated to their HR manager with a formal written request citing IRS Publication 519 and explicitly mentioning that they need to file Form 941-X to correct the error. The key phrase I used was "incorrect tax withholding correction" rather than asking them to "refund" money - it frames it as fixing their mistake rather than doing you a favor. I also mentioned that the IRS requires employers to correct withholding errors when they're made aware of them. It took about 6 weeks total, but I got back $1,847 in incorrectly withheld FICA taxes. Don't let them brush you off - $2,300 is a lot of money and you're legally entitled to it!