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One thing nobody's mentioned is that being eligible for the American Opportunity Credit doesn't guarantee you'll get the refundable portion. The AOTC has two parts - up to $1,500 is non-refundable (only reduces tax you owe) and up to $1,000 is refundable (you get it even if you owe no tax). To get the refundable part, you need to meet additional requirements like not filing as MFS and having earned income. Make sure you have some income from a job to qualify for the refundable portion. Grants and loans don't count as earned income!
This is really helpful info. I had about $8,200 in income from my part-time job last year, so I should qualify for the refundable portion, right? I'm filing as single.
Yes, with $8,200 in earned income and filing as single, you should qualify for the refundable portion of the AOTC assuming you meet all the other requirements. Since you're not claimed as a dependent, paid qualified education expenses, and were enrolled at least part-time for one academic period, you're on the right track. Just make sure you complete Form 8863 correctly to claim the credit. The refundable portion will be calculated automatically and can be up to $1,000, which is 40% of your eligible credit. It's definitely worth claiming since that money comes back to you even if you don't owe any taxes!
Warning - be careful claiming the refundable portion of the AOTC! It's one of the most audited tax credits. Make sure your 1098-T supports your claim and you have records of ALL your qualified education expenses. I got audited last year over this and had to provide every receipt for books and supplies.
I've heard this too. Any tips for organizing the documentation? My school's financial aid office is horrible and I'm worried they reported things incorrectly on my 1098-T.
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my sister got a weird letter too last month abt some audit thing but when she called turns out it was for someone with a similar name!!! the irs mixed up her with another person who had like 1 letter different in their last name. maybe check if all ur personal info on the letter is 100% correct
This happened to me too! They had my address right but the last 4 digits of the SSN were wrong. I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't double-checked everything. Definitely look at all the identifying info carefully.
Whatever you do, DON'T ignore the letter. The IRS will assume their position is correct if you don't respond by the deadline on the notice. Even if you think it's a mistake or doesn't apply to you, you need to respond. Also, check if it's actually from the IRS - there are a lot of scams out there. A real IRS letter will have a notice number and info about your rights as a taxpayer. If you're not sure, you can always call the main IRS number (not necessarily the one on the letter) to verify it's legitimate.
This is so important - ignoring IRS notices is the worst thing you can do. My dad thought a letter was a scam and ignored it... ended up with a $2,500 tax bill that grew to over $4,000 with penalties and interest before he finally dealt with it. The IRS doesn't just "forget" about these things!
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One thing to consider is the timing of when you sell or transfer. If you sell in December 2025, you'll owe taxes by April 2026. If you sell in January 2026, you'd push the tax payment to April 2027. Might help with cash flow if you need time to adjust to US taxes. Also, don't forget currency exchange rates factor into your capital gains calculations. The IRS wants everything reported in USD, so if the euro has moved significantly since you purchased the funds, that alone could create taxable gains or losses even if the fund itself hasn't changed much in euro value.
Does that mean we calculate the original purchase price using the exchange rate from when we bought it years ago? How would anyone track that?
Yes, you need to convert the original purchase price using the exchange rate from the date you bought the investment, and then convert the sale proceeds using the exchange rate on the date of sale. Most people track this by keeping their original investment statements and looking up historical exchange rates online (the IRS accepts several official sources for historical rates). Some tax software and investment tracking apps can handle this calculation if you input the purchase dates and amounts in the original currency. Your broker might also provide this information on your annual tax statements, but foreign brokers often don't format their documents to US tax standards.
Whatever you do, make sure you file an FBAR form if your foreign accounts total over $10,000 at any point during the year. The penalties for not filing are ridiculous - like $10,000 per violation even if accidental! Also look into Form 8938 requirements which is separate from FBAR but also mandatory for foreign accounts.
i messed this up my first year as a tax resident and got hit with a penalty. ended up doing the streamlined filing procedures to get back on track. dont risk it, the foreign account reporting is the one thing IRS seems to really care about enforcing!
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I'm a treasurer at a nonprofit preschool and we actually issued special receipts for families who continued paying during our COVID closure. The IRS rules say that if you make a payment that's partly for goods/services and partly a contribution, the nonprofit should provide written acknowledgment that specifies the value of what was provided. In our case, we calculated the value of Zoom sessions at about 15% of normal tuition and documented the remaining 85% as potentially tax-deductible contributions. But parents need to check with their own tax advisors because everyone's situation is different!
That's super helpful! Do you have any sample language I could show my preschool? They're a small operation and probably haven't dealt with this specific situation before. I'd love to give them a template they could use.
Sure! The language we used was something like: "Thank you for your payment of $X during our closure period from [dates]. During this time, XYZ Preschool provided limited virtual services valued at $Y. The difference of $Z may be considered a charitable contribution. Please consult your tax advisor regarding deductibility." Make sure it includes the preschool's official name, EIN (tax ID number), address, and the date range. The more specific they can be about the limited services provided and their approximate value, the better. Remember they need to be honest about the value of what they provided - they can't just say the Zoom sessions were worth $1 if similar virtual programs would cost significantly more.
Has anyone successfully claimed the Child and Dependent Care Credit for these pandemic preschool payments instead of trying for the charitable deduction route? My tax software is suggesting this might be a better option for us.
We did this! Our accountant said it was much cleaner to claim the dependent care credit rather than trying to split hairs on what portion was charitable. As long as both spouses were working (or looking for work), payments to the preschool can qualify even if your child wasn't physically attending. The dependent care credit got expanded for 2021 taxes too.
Ravi Sharma
One thing nobody has mentioned yet - you might want to consider wiring the money instead of physically carrying that much cash. I did a similar transaction last year, and even with all the proper paperwork, carrying $20K+ in cash was incredibly stressful and risky. If your aunt can wire the money to your US account, you avoid the FinCEN 105 requirement (though the bank will still file a report for large deposits). Plus you eliminate the risk of theft, loss, or having the money temporarily held by customs while they verify everything.
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Paolo Ricci
•I actually looked into wiring the money, but there are some complications. The banking system in Nicaragua isn't well connected internationally, and my aunt doesn't have a bank that can easily wire to the US. Plus the fees were crazy high - like 8% of the total amount. That's why I'm considering just bringing cash, even with the extra paperwork.
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Ravi Sharma
•That makes sense - some countries definitely have banking limitations. If cash is your only reasonable option, then definitely follow all the advice about proper documentation. Make sure to keep the cash secure during travel too - consider a money belt or other secure option rather than just keeping it in your luggage. One other tip - once you're back in the US, don't be surprised if your bank asks a lot of questions when you deposit the cash. Banks have their own reporting requirements for large cash transactions, and they might request some of the same documentation you prepared for customs. Just be transparent about everything.
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Freya Thomsen
Has anyone here actually gone through secondary screening at customs with large amounts of cash? I'm curious what the experience is like in practice, not just the theoretical requirements.
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Omar Zaki
•I brought back around $18k from selling my deceased mother's home in Mexico last year. They took me to a separate room, had me fill out the FinCEN form, and then questioned me for about 45 minutes about the source of the funds. They called the number I provided for the real estate agent in Mexico to verify parts of my story. They also took pictures of all the documentation I brought (deed of sale, my mother's death certificate, etc). It was intense but professional. The key was having solid documentation - I saw someone else there with a similar amount who couldn't properly explain where it came from, and they were having a much harder time.
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