Wait really? I filed my 2021 taxes late last year and I don't think that unemployment exclusion was applied. Can I still amend my return to get that money back?

You can definitely still amend your 2021 return to claim the unemployment compensation exclusion if you qualify! You'll need to file Form 1040-X (Amended Return). You generally have 3 years from the original due date to file an amendment, so for 2021 taxes, you have until April 15, 2025. Keep in mind that the exclusion only applies if your modified AGI was less than $150,000. If you qualify, it's absolutely worth doing since it could mean a significant refund depending on how much unemployment you received in 2021.

Any idea how much a tax professional typically charges for a prior year return? I need to file 2021 too but I'm worried about the cost.

Thanks for mentioning this! I'll definitely check with my university's international student office. Do these programs typically help with state taxes too or just federal?

Most university programs assist with both federal and state tax returns for international students. The university-provided tax software typically covers both, and VITA volunteers are generally trained on both federal and state requirements for your specific location. The state tax situation for international students can actually be more complicated than federal in some cases, as states have different rules about residency for tax purposes. Some states follow the federal determination (nonresident alien status) while others might consider you a resident for state tax purposes even when you're a nonresident for federal. Definitely take advantage of whatever resources your university offers to navigate both!

Sprintax overcharged me last year. Found out later that my situation was simple enough that I could have filed for free with the IRS forms. Just be careful with those specialized softwares.

Would that cause problems though? The payroll service will be reporting these payments separately to the IRS, right? I'm worried about entering them as estimated payments when they were actually employment tax payments specifically for Schedule H.

You're right to be concerned. I should have been more specific. In most tax software, there's a difference between "estimated tax payments" (which are for income tax) and "other payments" which can include employment taxes. Look for a section called "Other Federal Tax Payments" or similar, which is separate from your regular estimated tax payments. This is where you can specify that these were payments for household employment taxes. The payroll service should be filing Form 941 or 944 showing these payments, so as long as you categorize them correctly, there shouldn't be any conflict.

Which software finally worked for you? I'm using FreeTaxUSA and having the same problem with Schedule H and my housekeeper's payroll taxes.

Did you need to bring in any specific documents for the amendment besides the missing 1099-INT forms? And how long did it take for them to process the amendment for you?

You'll need to bring your copy of the original tax return they prepared, the new 1099-INT forms, and your ID. It's helpful to also bring the receipt from your original tax preparation service. The actual appointment only took about 20 minutes since it was a simple change. As for processing time, H&R Block prepared the amendment same-day, but the IRS took about 14 weeks to process it once submitted. That's pretty standard for amendments - they take much longer than regular returns. Electronic amendments are faster (around 8-12 weeks) compared to paper ones (16+ weeks sometimes).

I tried using the free fillable forms for an amendment last year and honestly it was a nightmare. The 1040X seems simple but getting all the calculations right and making sure you're filling in the right columns is confusing. You have to manually input the original amounts, the changes, and the corrected amounts for every line that's affected. I ended up making a mistake on mine that caused a 3-month delay in processing. Not worth the headache for saving $40 on software in my opinion.

This is potentially dangerous advice without more context. Real estate professional status is one of the most audited areas by the IRS. Unless the original poster actually works in real estate as their primary profession, they almost certainly won't qualify. Having one rental property with some repair issues isn't enough to meet the substantial requirements for this status.

You're right that it's heavily scrutinized, and I should have been clearer. Real estate professional status typically requires working in real estate full-time and having multiple properties. For someone with just one condo that had issues, it's unlikely they'd qualify. A more realistic approach for most people is to ensure all legitimate expenses are captured on Schedule E, properly document everything, and then carry forward losses to future tax years when they can be used against rental income or when the property is sold.

That's interesting - I hadn't considered the casualty loss angle. The water damage was definitely sudden and unexpected (a pipe burst in the wall). Do you know how this would work with the insurance payments I received? The insurance covered about 85% of the damage, but I still had out-of-pocket costs.