I've been in tax for about 4 years now and can confirm everything others have said about the hours being standard. What I wish someone had told me when I was starting is to really pay attention to the firm's client mix and how that affects your workload distribution. Some firms front-load most of their work in January-February because they have a lot of individual clients who get their documents early. Others are slammed right up until the deadline because they handle a lot of business returns or have clients who are slow with their paperwork. The timing can make a huge difference in how brutal those long weeks feel. At $62,500 for a mid-size firm, you're in the right ballpark, but I'd definitely push for clarity on the bonus structure. My first firm was vague about bonuses and I ended up with a measly $1,200 after working 320+ hours of overtime during tax season. My current firm is upfront about their bonus formula (10% of base salary if you hit utilization targets during busy season) and it makes the long hours feel more worthwhile. One last tip - ask about their technology and software setup. Firms with outdated systems will have you working even longer hours just because everything takes forever. Good firms invest in efficiency tools that actually help you get through the workload faster.

That salary range sounds about right for a mid-sized firm, though those hours are definitely brutal. I've been doing tax work for about 6 years and can tell you that while the long busy season hours are unfortunately standard, there's a lot of variation in how firms handle compensation and work-life balance. A few red flags to watch for: If they're being vague about bonuses or comp time, that usually means there isn't much. Good firms are transparent about their busy season compensation structure upfront. Also, pay attention to their turnover rate - if they're constantly hiring, it might mean people burn out quickly. One thing that's helped me survive busy seasons is being really strategic about efficiency. The firms that invest in good technology and processes make those long hours much more bearable than places where you're fighting outdated software all day. Before you decide, I'd definitely ask to speak with someone who went through last tax season there. Not a manager - an actual staff member who can tell you what February and March really looked like day-to-day. Their response (and whether the firm is willing to connect you) will tell you a lot about what you're signing up for. The experience can be valuable for your career, but make sure you're getting fair compensation for those sacrifice months!

Hey Avery! I totally understand the stress - filling out your first W4 can feel really overwhelming when you have no idea what any of it means! But honestly, you're in the easiest possible situation as a high school student with just one part-time job. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was in your shoes: for your situation, you literally only need to worry about Step 1. Fill in your name, address, Social Security number, and check "Single" for filing status (yes, even though your parents claim you as a dependent - that's completely separate). Then skip Steps 2, 3, and 4 entirely, and just sign and date it in Step 5. That's it! The system will automatically calculate the right withholding based on your income level. Since you're probably not going to earn enough to owe much (if any) federal income tax anyway, keeping it simple is definitely the way to go. Don't stress about making it perfect - you can always submit a new W4 later if your situation changes. Focus on being excited about your new job instead! And definitely save screenshots of what you submit, just in case there are any system glitches. You've got this! 🙌

Hey Avery! I completely understand the panic - I was in the exact same situation last year when I got my first job at a local restaurant. The W4 form looked like it was written in a foreign language! Here's the super simple version for your situation as a high school student with one part-time job: **Step 1**: Fill in your personal info (name, address, SSN) and select "Single" for filing status. Don't worry - selecting "Single" doesn't affect your parents claiming you as a dependent on their taxes. **Steps 2-4**: Leave these completely blank or skip them entirely. These sections are for people with multiple jobs, dependents, or specific deduction situations that don't apply to you. **Step 5**: Sign and date it. That's literally all you need to do! The system will handle the rest automatically based on your pay level. Quick tip: Since you're working part-time and probably won't earn more than around $12,950 this year, you might even qualify to write "EXEMPT" in the space below Step 4(c) to avoid having any federal taxes withheld. But if you're unsure, just leave it blank - you'll get any overpaid taxes back as a refund when you file next year anyway. Don't stress about perfection - you can always submit a new W4 if you need to change anything later. Good luck with your new job! 🎉

I went through a very similar situation with my MPF withdrawal in 2022 when I moved from Hong Kong to the US. Based on my experience and what my tax advisor told me, here are a few key points: The timing of when you received the funds (January 2024) is what matters for tax purposes, not when you applied or when your employer made their final contribution. So this will be reported on your 2024 tax return. One thing I wish I had known earlier - make sure you get a detailed breakdown from your MPF provider showing your personal contributions vs. employer contributions vs. investment gains. The portion that came from your own mandatory contributions (money that was already taxed in Hong Kong) might be eligible for some relief, though the rules are complex. Also, don't forget about the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) requirements if your Hong Kong accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the year. The MPF account itself might need to be reported even if it's now closed. I'd strongly recommend getting professional help from someone who specializes in US expat taxes, especially for your first year filing as a US resident. The interaction between Hong Kong taxes you may have paid and US tax obligations can get tricky.

One important thing to keep in mind is the timing of your tax residency status change. Since you moved to the US in December 2023, you'll want to confirm whether you were considered a US tax resident for any part of 2023 (which could affect reporting requirements for that year) versus starting fresh as a US resident in 2024 when you actually received the MPF funds. The substantial presence test or green card test will determine your exact tax residency start date. If you were already a US tax resident in December 2023 when your employer made that final contribution, it could potentially affect how you report things, even though you didn't receive the money until January 2024. Also, since Hong Kong doesn't tax MPF withdrawals when you permanently leave, you won't be able to claim any foreign tax credits to offset the US tax liability on this distribution. This makes it even more important to properly categorize which portions of your withdrawal might qualify for different tax treatment. I'd definitely echo the advice about getting professional help for your first year - the intersection of changing tax residency, foreign retirement account distributions, and potential FBAR reporting requirements creates a lot of complexity that's worth getting right from the start.

Another thing to consider is challenging your property tax assessment if you think your home is overvalued. I did this last year and got my assessment reduced by almost $40k, which saved me about $800 annually in property taxes. The process varies by county but usually involves showing comparable sales in your area that indicate your home is assessed too high. Many counties have a specific window each year when you can appeal.

Great question about property tax appeals! I handled mine myself and it was actually pretty straightforward. Most counties have forms available online and the process is designed for homeowners to navigate without an attorney. I gathered comparable sales data from Zillow and the county assessor's website, took photos showing any property condition issues, and filled out the appeal form. The hearing was informal - just me presenting my case to a review board. The key was having solid comparable properties that sold recently for less than my assessed value. I'd recommend trying it yourself first since there's usually no fee to file an appeal. You can always hire a property tax consultant later if you're not comfortable with the process. Many of them work on contingency anyway, so they only get paid if they successfully reduce your assessment.

I'm getting the exact same Transaction 107461598510 error! Been trying since about 5am this morning and it's so frustrating. I'm also a PATH Act filer with EITC for my son and was really hoping to see some progress today after waiting through that whole restriction period. Yesterday I could check my transcripts fine and saw code 570, but now I can't get past that Treasury error screen no matter what I try - different browsers, mobile, cleared cache, nothing works. It's actually really comforting to know this is happening to so many of us and it's just system overload rather than something wrong with our returns. Definitely going to try that 1-3am trick everyone's mentioning - hopefully the servers will be less overwhelmed during those hours. This waiting game is killing me when I'm counting on that refund money! Thanks for posting this thread, at least we know we're not alone in this mess! 😩

Wow, reading through all these comments makes me feel so much better! I've been getting that same Transaction 107461598510 error since around 4:30am and was starting to panic that something was wrong with my return. I'm also a PATH Act filer with EITC for my 3 kids and was really hoping to see some movement today after that long wait. Yesterday my transcripts showed processing fine, but today - nothing but error screens! It's actually kind of funny (in a frustrating way) that the IRS lifts the PATH restrictions and then their entire system crashes from everyone rushing to check at once 😅 Classic government efficiency right there! Definitely going to try that 1-3am window tonight that everyone's suggesting. Thanks for posting this thread OP - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread issue and not something specific to our accounts. Hopefully we'll all get through soon and can finally see what's happening with our refunds! This whole situation is stressing me out when I really need that money for rent 🤞