Thank you for this suggestion! I just rechecked my 1042-S forms and you're right - they actually show different rates. For Jan-March they withheld at 30%, but April and May were already at 25% even though I thought my W8-BEN update wasn't processed until June. So I only need to claim treaty benefits for the first quarter, which simplifies things a bit.

That's great news! That will definitely make your filing easier since you only need to address a smaller portion of your dividends. Just make sure your tax software applies the correct rate to each payment based on what was actually withheld. If the software is still giving you trouble with applying different rates to different payments from the same source, you might need to enter them as separate items or look into the more specialized tax preparation options others have mentioned.

Yes, the treaty still applies based on the source of the income, not where your brokerage is located. If they're US company dividends, the US-India tax treaty rate of 25% applies regardless of whether your broker is in India or the US. However, there's an additional complication - your Indian broker might not be withholding US taxes properly. You should check if they're sending you a 1042-S form showing US tax withholding. If they aren't withholding US tax, you would need to report the full dividend amount on your 1040-NR and pay the treaty rate of 25% yourself.

Omg that's incredible! I do have about $45k in student loans still. I had no idea this was a thing. Do you know if it matters that I'm working remotely? Does your wife have to do anything special to qualify for this program?

Remote work doesn't affect PSLF eligibility - it's about who your employer is (a qualifying non-profit), not where you physically work. The key requirements are: working full-time (at least 30 hours per week), making 120 qualifying monthly payments under an income-driven repayment plan, and being employed by a qualifying employer during those payments. My wife had to submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form annually to track her progress. The most important thing is to start this process ASAP - get the Employment Certification Form filled out by your HR department once you start. Many people miss out because they don't properly document their qualifying employment from the beginning.

This is great advice! I'd add that you should also check whether they offer a 403(b) retirement plan rather than a 401(k) - it's the non-profit version and sometimes has different contribution limits or match structures.

We don't have marketplace insurance (covered through my employer) but your point about income-driven repayment plans is really helpful! I am on an IBR plan for my loans. Do you know how much filing separately typically reduces the monthly payments? Is it worth losing the tax benefits?

For Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plans, filing separately can make a significant difference in your monthly payments. When you file jointly, both your income and your spouse's are considered when calculating your payment, even if your spouse isn't responsible for the loans. Filing separately means only your income counts. The impact varies widely depending on income disparity between spouses. In your case, with your $85,000 income and your husband's $32,000, filing separately could reduce your monthly student loan payment by roughly 25-40%. However, this needs to be weighed against tax benefits lost. You'd lose the student loan interest deduction (up to $2,500), potentially higher retirement contribution limits, and other credits. I usually recommend calculating both scenarios - the annual tax savings from filing jointly versus the annual student loan payment savings from filing separately. For many clients, the student loan savings actually outweigh the tax benefits, especially if you're working toward loan forgiveness programs.

FreeTaxUSA is decent for basic comparison but it misses some of the nuances. Last year it showed only a $300 difference for us between filing methods, but when our accountant did it properly, there was actually a $1,800 difference because of how our state taxes interacted with federal deductions. The software missed that completely.

That's interesting - my company definitely sets my hours and tells me exactly how to do the work. They even monitor my computer activity during work hours. Does that mean I should be classified as an employee instead? What would happen if I filed those forms you mentioned?

Based on what you're describing, it sounds like you're likely misclassified. When a company sets your hours, dictates how you perform your work, and monitors your activity, those are strong indicators that you should be classified as an employee, not an independent contractor. If you file Form SS-8, the IRS will review your situation and make a determination about your proper classification. This process can take several months, but it's free. If the IRS determines you are an employee, your employer would be responsible for paying their share of Social Security and Medicare taxes (the 7.65% you're currently paying as part of your self-employment tax). You could then file Form 8919 instead of Schedule SE to report those uncollected taxes on your income tax return, which would reduce your tax burden.

I'd recommend FreeTaxUSA over TurboTax for self-employed people. It does basically the same thing but costs like $15 instead of $120+ for the self-employed version of TurboTax. I've used both and FreeTaxUSA actually explained the self-employment deductions better.

What about crypto? My CPA is charging me $350 extra just for my crypto transactions from last year. Is that normal?

Crypto typically does warrant higher fees because it's more complex and time-consuming than standard stock transactions. Many tax software programs don't handle crypto well, and there are special reporting requirements and basis calculation issues. That said, $350 extra depends entirely on volume and complexity. If you have just a handful of straightforward crypto transactions with clear basis information, that fee seems excessive. However, if you have dozens or hundreds of trades, mining income, staking rewards, or DeFi transactions, then $350 might actually be reasonable given the specialized knowledge and extra time required.

That's really helpful insight! I'll definitely ask what software she's using and if she's doing manual entry. I just checked my Robinhood 1099 again and I literally only made 7 trades last year, so manual entry wouldn't even be that time-consuming. Maybe it's worth getting a quote from another CPA who uses better software.