ppl need to chill fr, the IRS moves slower than a sloth eating molasses 🦥

Don't worry, you're totally normal! As a first-time filer myself last year, I was checking every single day too. Generally takes 1-3 weeks after acceptance for transcripts to show up. Since you just filed last week, you're still well within the normal timeframe. The IRS system updates in batches, usually Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday mornings, so try checking then instead of refreshing constantly (learned that the hard way 😅). You'll drive yourself crazy otherwise!

Can anyone confirm if we're supposed to check box 13b on Schedule A of Form 8936? The instructions are unclear but that box specifically asks if you transferred the credit to the dealer.

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This has been incredibly helpful. I was definitely overthinking this situation. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the consensus is: 1. Complete Form 8936 showing I qualify for the credit 2. Check box 13b on Schedule A indicating I transferred to dealer 3. Enter $0 on Schedule 3 Line 6f with "TRANSFERRED" notation 4. Attach a statement referencing IRC Section 30D(g) with my dealer documentation I really appreciate the specific IRC section references and sample statement language from @Hugh Intensity - that gives me confidence I'm documenting this properly. And @Melissa Lin, thanks for confirming about box 13b, I was definitely unsure about that checkbox. It's frustrating that the IRS instructions don't make this clearer, but at least there seems to be a consistent approach that works. I'll go with this method and keep all my documentation organized in case there are any follow-up questions. You've all saved me from either underpaying my taxes or spending hours on hold trying to reach the IRS directly!

Has anyone tried reporting this kind of thing using TurboTax or H&R Block software? I'm in a similar situation and wondering which tax software handles gambling income/losses through proxy betting the best.

I went through something very similar last year and can share what worked for me. The key thing to understand is that the IRS focuses on economic substance - who actually owned the money and bore the risk of the bets. Here's what I did that helped: 1. Created a detailed log showing every transfer to friends with dates, amounts, and purposes 2. Screenshots of all text conversations coordinating bets 3. Bank/payment app statements showing the money flow 4. Written statements from my friends confirming they were placing bets on my behalf with my money For the W-2G issue, my friend and I worked with a CPA to handle it properly. My friend reported the W-2G income on his return, then we documented the transfer to me as the beneficial owner. I reported the same amount as gambling income on my return with supporting documentation. The most important thing is having a clear paper trail. The IRS auditor I eventually spoke with said they see this situation more often than you'd think, and as long as you can prove the money was yours and you're honestly reporting everything, they're not concerned with platform terms of service violations. One tip: calculate whether itemizing actually saves you money before going that route. In my case, I had enough other deductions to make itemizing worthwhile, but if gambling losses are your only major deduction, the standard deduction might be better financially.

Has anyone just manually entered their crypto transactions into TurboTax? I only have about 40 trades for the year so wondering if that's easier than dealing with all these third-party services.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! What worked for me was using FreeTaxUSA instead of TurboTax - it has better support for importing crypto transactions directly from CSV files. I was able to upload my crypto.com transaction history with minimal formatting issues. If you're set on using TurboTax though, I found that cleaning up the crypto.com CSV file first made a huge difference. Remove any duplicate entries, make sure all dates are in MM/DD/YYYY format, and verify that buy/sell amounts match up properly. Sometimes crypto.com includes partial fills as separate transactions which can mess up the import. For the cost basis calculation differences between platforms, double-check how they're handling your staking rewards and any crypto-to-crypto trades. Those are usually where the biggest discrepancies come from.

Has anyone dealt with property taxes paid to foreign governments? Can those be deducted on US taxes? I'm in a similar situation with my parents buying in Ecuador.

This is such a complex situation! Your parents definitely need to be prepared for ongoing US tax obligations. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the potential impact on their state tax situation. Depending on which state they currently live in, they may need to officially establish tax residency elsewhere before moving to avoid continued state tax obligations. Also, since they're planning to split time between countries, they should be very careful about the substantial presence test. Even though they're US citizens (so it doesn't affect their filing requirement), it could impact how certain deductions and credits are calculated. I'd strongly recommend they consult with a tax professional who specializes in expat taxes BEFORE making the purchase. The timing of when they buy, when they move, and how they structure their finances could significantly impact their tax burden. Getting advice upfront could save them thousands in taxes and penalties down the road.