Honestly all the chains are expensive imo. H&R Block charged me $320 last year for what I later found out was a pretty basic return. Try looking for an "enrolled agent" in your area - they're tax specialists who usually charge way less than CPAs or the big chains.

Great suggestions everyone! I'm definitely going to look into both the enrolled agent route and credit union options - hadn't considered either of those before posting. For anyone else reading this thread, I ended up calling around to a few places after reading these comments. What I found was that the chains really do vary a lot in pricing even within the same company - the H&R Block near my work quoted me $280 while one across town said $195 for basically the same services. Location seems to matter more than I expected. Also wanted to mention that several of the independent preparers I contacted were willing to give me a rough estimate over the phone once I described my situation (investment income, job change, etc.), which was way more helpful than the chains that just gave generic "starting at $X" pricing. Definitely worth making a few calls before deciding!

One thing to watch out for with bonuses and stock - your employer might not withhold enough taxes. My company withholds only 22% federal on bonuses and RSUs regardless of your actual tax bracket. Had to learn the hard way when I owed a ton at tax time. Consider making estimated tax payments if your withholding seems too low.

Great question! As others have mentioned, your tax bracket is determined by your total taxable income, not just base salary. So your $230k puts you in the 35% marginal bracket for 2025. One important consideration that hasn't been fully addressed yet - timing matters a lot with RSUs and bonuses. If your RSUs vest throughout the year and your bonus comes at year-end, you might want to look into adjusting your W-4 withholding allowances earlier in the year to account for the higher tax burden coming later. Also, with that income level, you'll want to make sure you're not subject to underpayment penalties. The IRS requires you to pay either 90% of this year's tax liability or 110% of last year's (since you're over $150k AGI) through withholding and estimated payments. Given the complexity with multiple income sources, it might be worth consulting with a tax professional to set up a withholding strategy that works for your specific situation.

yall need to stop refreshing WMR every 5 mins and just wait 💅 its coming

Code 290 is definitely a good sign! It means they've processed your amended return and made adjustments. The 10/28 as-of date usually indicates when they expect to complete processing. From what I've seen, most people get their 846 refund code within 2-4 weeks after the 290 appears. And yeah, amended returns typically come as paper checks for security reasons, though I've heard some people are getting direct deposits now. Keep checking your transcripts - you should see movement soon!

Make sure you're using the right filing address! This bit me last year when I was in your situation. The IRS has different mailing addresses depending on if you're enclosing a payment or not, and they also vary by state. I sent mine to the wrong place and it delayed my refund by TWO MONTHS! 😡 Check this page for the right address: https://www.irs.gov/filing/where-to-file-paper-tax-returns-with-or-without-a-payment

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My husband is from Germany and only visits the US a few times a year. We've been paper filing for the past two years and it's definitely annoying, but it becomes routine after the first time. One thing I learned that might help you - when you mail your return, include a brief cover letter explaining your situation (married filing separately with non-resident alien spouse who doesn't have SSN/ITIN). This helps the IRS processors understand why you're paper filing and can speed up the review process. Also, definitely send it certified mail with tracking like others mentioned. Last year my return took about 7 weeks to process, which isn't too bad considering they have to manually review it. If you're planning to move to the UK eventually anyway, it might not be worth the hassle of getting your husband an ITIN. But if you'll be filing US taxes for several more years, it could be worth considering since it would let you go back to e-filing. Good luck with your first paper filing! It's not as scary as it seems once you get everything organized.

Something nobody mentioned - depending on what kind of settlement this was, it might not even be taxable income! I had a personal injury settlement and didn't have to pay taxes on it at all. What was your class action for?

I went through something similar with a consumer protection class action settlement last year. One thing that helped me was looking at the settlement notice that was posted on the court's website - it usually has the full fee arrangement spelled out. In my case, the attorneys took 33% plus expenses, which wasn't clearly shown on my 1099-MISC either. I ended up having to calculate it myself based on the settlement notice. Make sure when you report the attorney fees as a deduction that you have documentation to back it up in case the IRS asks questions later. Also, keep in mind that if this was a punitive damages settlement (like for a data breach or consumer fraud), it's definitely taxable income. But if any portion was for actual damages or reimbursement of losses you incurred, that part might not be taxable. The settlement paperwork should specify what each portion represents.