Would this still happen if the two jobs are in different states? I'm considering taking a remote position while keeping my current job, but they're in different states and I'm worried about triggering something like this.

Yes, it would still likely trigger a flag even with jobs in different states. The IRS systems look at the total reported income under your SSN regardless of which states the W2s come from. In fact, having W2s from multiple states might make it even more likely to trigger their identity theft algorithms. For your remote position situation, just be prepared to potentially deal with this verification process. It's not a huge problem, just an extra step. Also be aware you'll need to file state tax returns for both states in most cases, which adds some complexity to your tax situation.

Which software did you use to file? I'm wondering if certain tax software handles multiple W2s better than others to avoid triggering these flags.

Thanks for this info! We're actually thinking about having kids in the next year or two, so that's really good to know. If we have a child, would I automatically qualify for HOH or are there other requirements I'd need to meet?

You'd still need to meet the other HOH requirements - paying more than half the cost of keeping up the home where your child lives for more than half the year, and being unmarried or considered unmarried. But yes, your child would be a qualifying person, allowing you to file as HOH which would give you better tax rates and a higher standard deduction compared to filing as single. If both you and your girlfriend are the child's parents, only one of you can claim HOH, typically the parent who has the higher adjusted gross income if the child lives with both of you equally.

This is right! I claim my brother as a dependent because he's in college and I support him. Saved me about $500 on my taxes last year. The key is they can't have much income and you have to provide more than half their total support for the year.

Oh wow, I didn't even think about this! She only worked part-time last year and made around $3,500 total. I definitely provided way more than half her support. Does she need to be related to me to claim her as a dependent?

Thanks for bringing this up! I am actually already working as a CNA at a hospital that's helping with some tuition reimbursement once I start. Would that change anything about how I should be looking at these expenses? The hospital benefits coordinator mentioned something about "work-related education" but I wasn't sure what she meant.

That definitely opens up more possibilities! Since you're already working in healthcare as a CNA, some of your nursing education expenses might qualify as work-related education expenses if they maintain or improve skills needed in your current employment. The downside is that after the tax law changes in 2018, work-related education expenses are much harder to deduct for employees. However, your tuition reimbursement situation is really important to consider. If your employer is providing tuition assistance, up to $5,250 per year can be excluded from your income if it's part of a qualified educational assistance program. Any amount over that would be taxable unless it qualifies as a working condition fringe benefit.

Wow, that's actually really smart. I'm gonna try that with my dental hygiene program. Did you just talk to the regular financial aid office or did you have to reach someone specific?

Are municipal bonds still worth it though? The yield is typically lower than corporate bonds or dividend stocks because of the tax advantage. Wouldn't it make more sense to just keep total income under the standard deduction with higher-yielding investments?

It really depends on your total income needs. If you need more income than the standard deduction would shelter, then municipal bonds become valuable because that portion remains tax-free regardless. For someone who needs, say, $30,000 in annual income, they could take $14,600 from taxable sources (covered by the standard deduction) and the rest from municipal bonds, effectively paying zero federal tax on the full amount. If your income needs are below the standard deduction, then yes, higher-yielding taxable investments make more sense mathematically.

Good point! Some states also tax certain retirement income that's exempt at the federal level. My parents moved from New Jersey to Florida partly because NJ was taxing their pension while Florida has no state income tax.

Thanks for mentioning this! My tax software actually does have an e-file option for superseding returns, but it specifically says to expect a paper check for the refund rather than direct deposit. Do you know if that's always the case or just depends on the timing?

It depends on the timing and how the IRS processes your return. Some people do receive direct deposits for superseding returns, but paper checks are more common because the superseding return often triggers a manual review process. If your software allows e-filing for the superseding return, that's great! It will process faster than paper filing. Just make sure the software properly marks it as superseding (rather than amended) in the electronic submission. Expect your refund to take a bit longer than the standard 21 days - mine took about 5 weeks last year.

Is there any way to check the status of a superseding return? The Where's My Refund tool only seems to recognize my original return.