Thanks, I had no idea about reciprocity agreements. Do you know if Colorado has those with either Washington or Arizona? And what exactly counts as a "permanent place of abode" - would staying with my brother count?

Colorado doesn't have reciprocity agreements with Washington or Arizona, unfortunately. Reciprocity is more common among neighboring states in the Midwest and East Coast. Regarding "permanent place of abode" - this varies by state, but generally staying with a family member temporarily wouldn't qualify. However, if you have your own dedicated room that you maintain year-round, some states might consider that as evidence of residency. For Arizona specifically, they look at whether you have a residence available for your use year-round, even if you're not physically present. Since you stay with your brother only occasionally, it likely wouldn't trigger their residency rules unless you have other substantial connections to Arizona.

This! I got hit with an unexpected B&O tax bill because I didn't realize my freelance work counted even though I was only temporarily in Washington. Make sure you're tracking what type of work you're doing in each location.

Yeah, I definitely see that now. I just never thought to check since I assumed they knew what they were doing. Is there a good rule of thumb for how much should be withheld?

A good rule of thumb for single filers with one job and no dependents is to expect roughly 10-15% of your gross pay to be withheld for federal income taxes. The exact percentage varies based on your income level, but if you're seeing significantly less than 10%, that's usually a sign something's wrong. For your income level around $12,700, you should expect to see roughly $100-125 in federal withholding per month. When you see numbers way below that (like $8 per month), it's definitely time to talk to HR or payroll.

That's basically giving the government an interest-free loan of your money. You could have had that $3k throughout the year and invested it or used it when you needed it.

I hadn't even thought about state taxes! Do I need to file something specific with California to establish that I'm not a resident there? I literally haven't lived there since I was 11 months old.

Since you left as an infant, you should be fine without formally breaking residency - you never established it as an adult. California typically looks at factors like where you have a driver's license, voter registration, bank accounts, etc. Since you have none of these connections to California, you have a very strong case for non-residency. However, to be absolutely safe, you could include a brief statement with your federal returns explaining that you left California as an infant and have no connections to the state. In rare cases, people file Form 540NR (California Nonresident Return) with zero income to formally establish non-residency, but this is usually unnecessary for someone in your situation who never established California ties as an adult.

Renouncing is definitely an option but costs $2,350 in government fees alone, plus you need to be tax compliant for 5 years before renouncing! And if your net worth is over $2 million or your average annual tax liability exceeds $168,000 over the last 5 years, you could face an exit tax. Definitely not a quick or cheap solution.

Is there a deadline to file if you're just trying to get a refund but aren't required to file? Like if I didn't file for 2022 but had withholding, can I still get that money back?

Yes, there's definitely a deadline. You have 3 years from the original due date to file a return and claim a refund. For 2022 returns (which were due April 18, 2023), you have until April 18, 2026 to file and claim any refund you're owed. If you miss that 3-year window, you lose the refund completely - the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. So if you had withholding for 2022, you should definitely file before April 2026 to get that money back.

The IRS Free File is actually really good for simple tax situations. If you made under $73,000, you can use it. I used it last year for my W-2 income and it was straightforward. Just go to IRS.gov and search "Free File." Don't go directly to TurboTax's website if you want the free version - go through the IRS Free File portal to make sure you actually get the completely free version. TurboTax's website often upsells you to paid versions even if you qualify for free filing.

How often do trusts need to be updated? If I create one now in my 40s, will I need to keep paying lawyer fees to maintain it as laws change?

Trusts should be reviewed approximately every 5 years or after significant life events (marriage, divorce, births, deaths, moving to a new state, substantial changes in assets). Most people need 2-3 updates over their lifetime. You don't necessarily need to pay lawyer fees for every review. Many attorneys offer maintenance programs where you pay a small annual fee for unlimited questions and periodic reviews. Otherwise, you might pay for a review session every 5 years which typically costs 1/3 to 1/2 of the original trust creation fee. Major law changes might require updates, but those don't happen frequently for the fundamental trust provisions most people need.

Did your parents use a lawyer or one of those online services? I've been looking at some of the DIY trust websites that are like $500 instead of thousands.