Do you include car washes as a deductible expense? I've heard mixed things about whether the IRS considers that maintenance or a personal expense since you'd presumably wash your car anyway.

Car washes are definitely deductible as a maintenance expense for delivery drivers! When you're using your vehicle for business, keeping it clean is part of maintaining your professional image and service quality. Just like other expenses, you'd deduct the business percentage based on your business vs. personal mileage ratio. I keep all my car wash receipts and even have a monthly subscription to a local wash service that I deduct at my business use percentage (which is about 78% for me). The key is being reasonable - weekly washes might be justified, but daily washes might raise flags with the IRS.

What app do you use for automatically tracking miles? I've tried a couple but they either drain my battery or miss trips.

Regarding state taxes - is there any documentation I should keep to prove I was living abroad if my permanent address is still in the US? I'm worried my home state (California) will try to tax me even though I've been in Europe for most of the year.

For state tax residence documentation, keep copies of rental agreements, utility bills in your name from your foreign residence, entry/exit stamps in your passport, and airline tickets. California is particularly aggressive about claiming residents, so you'll want solid proof you've established a temporary residence elsewhere. If you're maintaining any California ties (driver's license, voter registration, bank accounts, etc.), document when those will be changed to your new location. Some digital nomads even take the step of establishing residency in a no-income-tax state before leaving the US, though that requires more planning and legitimate ties to that state.

I've used FreeTaxUSA for the past 2 years as a self-employed person living in Germany. They support all the forms you'd need including Schedule C, Form 2555 for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Form 1116 for Foreign Tax Credit, etc. Much cheaper than TurboTax and has worked great for my situation.

Wait really? I did make quarterly estimated state tax payments throughout 2023 for my side business. So I can count both those AND the balance I paid in April 2023 for my 2022 taxes? That might actually push me over the standard deduction threshold!

Yes, absolutely! Any state income taxes you actually paid during calendar year 2023 can be included on your 2023 federal Schedule A. This includes both the balance due from your 2022 return that you paid in 2023 AND any estimated payments you made during 2023 for your 2023 taxes. Just be aware there's a $10,000 cap on the total state and local tax deduction (SALT cap), which includes income taxes, property taxes, etc. But for most people, this helps push their total itemized deductions above the standard deduction threshold.

Totally agree! I've been using H&R Block for years and they never explain this clearly. I've probably left thousands of dollars on the table over the years by taking the standard deduction when I might have benefited from itemizing. The tax prep industry benefits from keeping things confusing.

Thanks for agreeing with me on this! I feel like there should be some kind of requirement for tax software to actively check if itemizing would benefit you rather than just presenting it as an option. I'm definitely going to be more careful this year and run the numbers both ways. Between mortgage interest, charitable donations, and now understanding I can include state taxes paid, I might actually be better off itemizing for the first time.

When is the deadline for F1 students to file taxes? Is it the same April 15 date as everyone else? I'm worried I might be late already.

Yes, F1 students have the same tax filing deadline as US citizens - April 15, 2025 for the 2024 tax year. However, even if you don't owe taxes, all F1 visa holders must file Form 8843 by the deadline. If you need more time, you can request an extension until October 15 by filing Form 4868, but remember that an extension only gives you more time to file the paperwork - if you owe any taxes, you still need to pay the estimated amount by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest.

Is there a way to check if you're considered a resident or nonresident alien without going through the entire tax filing process? I've been here for 4 years on F1 and never filed before (yikes, I know).

Yes, I've been checking "Where's My Refund" for months for my 2022 return. It just says "Your tax return is still being processed" with no other information. I did move in late 2022, but I updated my address with USPS. Do I need to update my address directly with the IRS too?

Yes, you absolutely need to update your address directly with the IRS. The USPS mail forwarding doesn't automatically notify the IRS of your new address. This could definitely explain why you might have missed important letters about your 2022 return! You can update your address with the IRS by submitting Form 8822 (Change of Address). In the meantime, I'd recommend using one of the methods others suggested to contact the IRS directly about your 2022 return - especially now that we know you moved, there's a good chance they've been sending verification requests or other important notices to your old address.

Yes! I received my very delayed 2022 refund about 3 weeks after filing my 2023 taxes. The two systems operate independently so one doesn't affect the other. My 2022 return had some issues with education credits that needed manual review, but they eventually sorted it out without me having to call.