Has anyone here actually had problems filing with printed copies of W-2s instead of originals? I'm curious because I've been doing that for years (I always scan my W-2s and print copies to file) and never had an issue. I don't think the IRS actually cares as long as all the information is legible.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! I'm working in Japan and had to file by mail for the first time. One thing I learned that might help - when you print out the photos of your W-2s, make sure they're printed at full size and as high quality as possible. If the photos are blurry or the text is too small to read clearly, that could cause processing delays. Also, I'd suggest including a cover letter explaining your situation briefly - something like "I am currently working overseas and only have access to digital copies of my W-2 forms. I have completed Form 4852 as a substitute and am including printed copies of the original W-2 photographs for verification." Keep it simple and professional. One more tip - double-check that all the information from your W-2 photos matches exactly what you entered on Form 4852. Even small discrepancies in dollar amounts or employer info could trigger questions from the IRS. Good luck with your filing!

Form 926 is literally the worst! I had to file one last year when I transferred some crypto to a foreign exchange and the form is insanely complicated. Took me forever to figure out.

Great question! Based on the information you've provided, you should be in the clear regarding Form 926. With only a 0.00003% ownership stake in the PTP, you're well below the 5% threshold that would trigger Form 926 filing requirements for partnership-mediated transfers to foreign corporations. The key thing to understand is that Form 926 requirements for transfers through partnerships have specific ownership thresholds precisely to avoid burdening small investors like yourself with complex reporting requirements. The partnership itself handles the heavy lifting on foreign reporting at the entity level. However, I'd echo what others have mentioned - do keep an eye on your K-1 supplemental information for any PFIC reporting requirements (Form 8621). These can apply regardless of ownership percentage and are easy to miss if you're not specifically looking for them. PTPs sometimes invest in foreign funds that qualify as PFICs, and the reporting requirements are completely separate from Form 926. Your instinct to double-check is smart though - foreign reporting penalties can be steep, so it's always better to be cautious when you're unsure!

Just to add to what others have said - as a self-employed barber, make sure you're also tracking and deducting other common expenses beyond just equipment! Things like: - Booth rental if you pay one - Hair products and supplies - Laundry/cleaning of work clothes - Business cards or any advertising - Continuing education or license renewals - Portion of cell phone used for business - Mileage if you travel between locations These all go on Schedule C as well and can really reduce your tax bill. I've been a stylist for 10 years and these deductions make a huge difference!

I had a very similar situation when I transitioned from W-2 employee to independent contractor mid-year! The key insight that helped me was understanding that TurboTax was trying to allocate my Section 179 deductions across multiple "business activities" when really I only had one active business. Since all your equipment purchases happened after you moved to Michigan and started your own barbering business, you should allocate 100% of that $1,800 to your self-employment activity (Schedule C + Form 4562). The Form 2106 should show $0 for Section 179 deductions since that's for unreimbursed employee expenses, which doesn't apply to your current situation. In TurboTax, go to the business expenses section and make sure you're categorizing all your equipment (clippers, scissors, chair, supplies) under your self-employment income, not as unreimbursed employee expenses. This should resolve both error messages you're seeing. Also, keep detailed records of when you purchased each item and how it's used 100% for business - the IRS loves good documentation for Section 179 deductions, especially for equipment that could potentially have personal use.

Great to see you got it resolved! For anyone else still struggling with IND-032-04 errors, here's a quick checklist based on what worked in this thread: 1. Check your account transcript (not just return transcript) for any IRS adjustments made after filing 2. Use whole dollar amounts only (no cents) when entering AGI 3. Verify you're using line 11 from Form 1040 for AGI 4. Double-check name formatting matches exactly how it appeared on last year's return 5. Try the $0 workaround for spouse AGI if other methods fail The account transcript tip seems to be the most overlooked solution - adjustments made months after filing can change your AGI in the IRS system without updating your original documents. Always worth checking before trying more complex troubleshooting methods.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and was about to give up on e-filing. The account transcript tip is brilliant - I had no idea there was a difference between return transcript and account transcript. I just checked my account transcript and sure enough, there was a small adjustment made in September that I completely forgot about. It changed our AGI by $89. Going to try using that adjusted number now instead of what's on my original return. It's really frustrating that the IRS doesn't send any notification when they make these post-filing adjustments that affect future e-filing. You'd think they'd at least send a letter or update your online account with a notice that your AGI for verification purposes has changed. Will report back if this fixes my IND-032-04 error!

If you're still having problems, try filing with a different tax software. I switched from TaxAct to FreeTaxUSA after having similar rejection issues and it worked immediately. Sometimes different tax programs handle the verification process slightly differently.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! After getting rejected multiple times with IND-031-04, I discovered the issue was that the IRS had made an automatic adjustment to my return that I never knew about. Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line (though I'm not a practitioner, they sometimes transfer regular taxpayers). The agent told me that when you get remarried, sometimes the IRS systems take time to sync up all the name/SSN changes, which can cause verification issues even when your AGI is correct. In your case, since you mentioned getting remarried, try using your maiden name exactly as it appeared on last year's return when entering your information, even if you've legally changed it since then. The IRS verification system might still be looking for the old name-SSN combination. Also, double-check that you're not accidentally including any estimated tax payments or withholding amounts in your AGI figure - it should be just the bottom line AGI from last year's Form 1040, line 11. If none of that works, definitely get that transcript. It's frustrating but it's the only way to see exactly what the IRS has on file versus what you think you filed.