Do you know if there's a time limit for claiming those refunds from foreign tax authorities? I just realized my broker has been withholding at the wrong rate for my German stocks for the past few years.

Most countries have a statute of limitations for tax refund claims. For Germany specifically, you generally have four years from the end of the calendar year in which the tax was withheld to file a claim. So for 2022 withholding, you should be able to file until the end of 2026. For your German stocks, you'll need to file a claim using their specific form (usually Form ZS-DE for US residents) and provide documentation of your tax residence in the US, typically a certificate of residence that you can request from the IRS. Each country has their own process, so you'll need to check the specific requirements for any other countries you have investments in.

I used H&R Block last year with a similar portfolio mix. It handled ADRs fine since they come in on a 1099, but for direct foreign investments it wasn't very intuitive. The foreign tax credit section especially was confusing and I wasn't confident I did it right. I switched to TaxAct this year and found their international investment section more user-friendly.

Thanks for sharing your experience. That's exactly what I was worried about - the direct foreign investments part. I'll check out TaxAct before I commit to H&R Block again. Did you notice any difference in how they handled the Form 1116 calculations?

Thanks for mentioning H&R Block! Did you have any issues with their import feature? I tried using CSV imports with TurboTax and it kept failing with my large number of transactions. Also, did you still have to manually verify each transaction after import or does it handle batches well?

The import feature works well with properly formatted CSVs, but you need to follow their template exactly. I had no issues with about 450 transactions last year, though I've heard mixed results from others with very large transaction counts (1000+). You don't need to manually verify each transaction after import, which is a huge timesaver. H&R Block handles batch processing well and groups similar transactions appropriately. The software still does some verification checks, but it's usually just confirming the total amounts rather than line-by-line review. Make sure your CSV includes all the required fields (date acquired, date sold, proceeds, cost basis, etc.) to avoid validation errors.

That's brutal! Did you at least get a tracking number or some kind of confirmation that they received your paperwork? I'm worried about mailing in hundreds of pages and them just getting lost in some IRS warehouse.

Can you still report them if they sent it but to the wrong address? Technically my old employer has my wrong address because I moved and never updated them after I quit.

That's a slightly different situation. If they sent your W-2 to the last address they had on file, they've technically fulfilled their legal obligation. The responsibility to provide updated address information typically falls on the former employee. However, if you can prove you attempted to update your address with them and they ignored it, then you might have a case. But in most situations where you simply didn't notify them of your move after leaving, they're considered compliant if they sent it to your last known address.

SSA.gov will show your earnings record but it won't have current year detailed W-2 information in time for tax filing. The detailed info from W-2s typically isn't available through SSA or IRS until May or June of the following year. It's great for verifying past years though!

That's a great point I hadn't thought about! I just double checked and thankfully mine shows coverage for all 12 months for both me and my kids. But what would have happened if there was a mistake and you'd already filed? Would you have needed to amend your return?

If you'd already filed and later discovered an error on your 1095-B, you typically wouldn't need to amend your return in most cases. Since 2019, when the tax penalty for not having health insurance was reduced to $0 at the federal level, there's generally no direct tax impact. However, it's still important to get the form corrected by contacting Medicaid, as having accurate records of your health insurance coverage can be important for other reasons, including potential state requirements or if questions come up later about your coverage history.

You don't need to submit either form with your tax return. Both the 1095-B (from Medicaid) and 1095-C (from your employer's insurance) are informational forms for your records. You do need to accurately answer the health insurance coverage questions in your tax software, indicating that you had coverage all year through a combination of employer insurance and Medicaid. The forms themselves don't get submitted - they're just proof of your coverage if you're ever asked about it.

Thank you! That makes it so much clearer. I was driving myself crazy thinking I needed to enter all the policy numbers and dates from both forms. Such a relief to know I just need to indicate I had coverage all year and keep these forms in my records.

Thanks for the detailed info! My decree does require my ex to provide quarterly statements, but doesn't say anything about tax benefits. Are there any other implications I should be aware of if I open my own separate 529? Like, does it matter which account gets used first when my son goes to college?

There's no rule about which 529 account gets used first when your son attends college. Typically, you'd want to coordinate with your ex about this when the time comes. Some divorced parents agree to each pay a certain percentage of expenses, while others might agree to deplete one account before starting on the other. As for other implications, remember that having your own account gives you complete control over your contributions. If your ex were to use the funds inappropriately or change the beneficiary, you'd have no recourse with her account. With your own account, you maintain full control over your portion of the college savings.

You can't directly transfer money from your ex's 529 to your new one unless your ex initiates it as the account owner. It would count as a withdrawal from their account and a new contribution to yours. Instead, just leave the existing money where it is and start making your new contributions to your own account.

That makes sense, thanks! Guess I'll leave the old funds where they are and just start fresh with my own account. Seems like the cleanest approach without having to get my ex involved more than necessary.