Thanks for this suggestion! I actually tried asking if they would accept proof of application but they were pretty firm about needing the actual ITIN before finalizing the lease. I didn't think about the occupant vs. lease-holder distinction though - that's a really good idea. I'll check if my income alone meets their requirements. The only concern is that many places have rules about all adults living in the unit being on the lease. I'll definitely bring this up with them tomorrow. Really appreciate the suggestion!

They use it for identity verification and for potential collections if you break the lease. Without an ITIN or SSN, they have no way to report to credit bureaus or track you down if you skip out on rent. Some places will accept a larger security deposit instead.

That makes sense, thank you. I hadn't considered the collections angle. I wonder if offering an additional security deposit might work in the original poster's case. Seems like that would address their concern about potential risk.

Did they ever come to your house or anything? That's what I'm worried about. Also did it affect your credit score?

They never came to my house - that's pretty rare unless you're being investigated for tax fraud involving large amounts of money or criminal activity. The IRS generally handles everything through mail notices and phone calls before taking more serious collection actions. It absolutely destroyed my credit score for years. The tax liens showed up on my credit report and dropped my score by over 100 points. This affected my ability to get apartments, car loans, and credit cards. Even after I paid everything off, the damage lingered for a while. The credit reporting rules have changed somewhat since then, but tax problems can still indirectly affect your credit when they impact your financial situation.

Wait so if I file for an extension I still need to pay what I think I might owe? How do I even calculate that without my W-2??

Yes, you're expected to make a good-faith estimate of what you might owe and pay that amount when you file the extension. Without your W-2, you can estimate based on your final paystub of the year, which usually has year-to-date information. Most paystubs show how much federal tax was withheld throughout the year. If you don't have your last paystub, you could also estimate based on last year's return if your income situation was similar, or check your bank deposits to calculate approximately what you earned and estimate taxes from there. Even if your estimate isn't perfect, showing that you made a reasonable effort to comply will usually help reduce penalties.

That's really helpful - I was so focused on figuring out the correct amount that I hadn't thought about the deadline. The notice says I have 30 days to respond. If I request more time, does that stop any collection actions they might take?

Requesting more time usually pauses collection actions while your case is being reviewed, but it's not guaranteed. Make sure you get confirmation (ask for a transaction ID or confirmation number) when you request the extension. The safest approach is to send a written response by certified mail before the deadline stating that you're disputing the amount and gathering documentation to support your position. This officially stops the collections process while your case is reviewed. Then follow up with your complete documentation once you have everything organized.

If the error was the IRS's fault, you can request interest abatement using Form 843. I did this last year after they misapplied a payment, and they approved it and removed all the interest charges. Make sure you clearly explain how the error was caused by the IRS and not by anything you did.

How do you check if you're withholding the right amount? I always get really small refunds too and I'm never sure if that's good or bad.

The IRS has a tax withholding estimator on their website that's actually pretty accurate. You input your income, filing status, and other tax situations, and it tells you if you're on track. You can adjust your W-4 anytime with your employer if you want a bigger refund (more withholding) or more money in each paycheck (less withholding). Small refunds are technically better financially because you've had access to more of your money throughout the year instead of waiting for a refund. But some people prefer larger refunds as a form of forced savings.

It really depends entirely on how much was withheld from each paycheck though. You probably just had more withheld throughout the year.

True, withholding makes all the difference. My job tends to withhold a bit more than necessary. I also contribute to a traditional 401k which lowers my taxable income pretty significantly, forgot to mention that. That probably explains the difference between our refund amounts. Might be worth checking if you have any retirement contributions or other pre-tax deductions that could have been missed.

I had no idea about this rule! So if I stay on my HDHP through all of 2024, I can keep the full $3850 contribution for 2023, even though I only had coverage starting in May 2023? Do I need to indicate this somehow on my 2023 Form 8889?

Yes, exactly! If you had HDHP coverage on December 1, 2023, you qualify for the "last-month rule" and can contribute the full $3,850 for 2023 - as long as you maintain HDHP coverage for all of 2024. On Form 8889, you'll need to check the box on line 3 that says "If you, and your spouse if filing jointly, had an HDHP for the entire year, check the box..." This indicates you're using the last-month rule. You would then enter the full-year contribution limit on line 3. Just remember this comes with that testing period requirement - if you don't maintain HDHP coverage through December 31, 2024, you'll have to include the "excess" portion in your income for 2024 plus pay that additional 10% tax.

Yes, you absolutely need to file Form 8889, even with employer payroll deductions. Your tax software might not be prompting you because it doesn't know you have an HSA. You need to specifically tell it that you contributed to an HSA. Look for the section in your tax software about HSAs, health accounts, or tax deductions/credits. Once you indicate you have an HSA, it should generate Form 8889. The form is required for ALL HSA contributions and distributions, regardless of how they were made. Your W-2 should show HSA contributions in box 12 with code W if they were made through payroll.