Do you know if any of these places will help you if you get audited later? That's my biggest fear... making some mistake and then being on my own when the IRS comes knocking.

Most tax preparation services offer some form of audit support, but the level of coverage varies widely. TurboTax and H&R Block sell audit defense as an add-on package (usually $40-60 extra). With that protection, they'll actually represent you if you get audited. FreeTaxUSA includes audit assistance with their deluxe package (around $7). This doesn't mean they represent you, but they do provide guidance on what documents you need and how to respond. Without these packages, you're mostly on your own if audited. Though for simple returns with just W-2 income, audits are extremely rare - the IRS focuses more on self-employed people and those with complex deductions.

Used Cash App Taxes last year and it worked great! Totally free for everything and the interface is pretty straightforward. My return wasn't super complicated (just W2s and some interest income) but it handled everything fine. The one downside is their customer support isn't as robust if you have questions, but for a simple return it's perfect.

Curious - how much more does a CPA typically charge compared to H&R Block?

It varies a lot based on complexity. When I just had W-2 income, my CPA charged about $350 compared to roughly $200 at H&R Block. Now with rental property and some business income, I pay about $750. The difference has been worth it though - my CPA found nearly $3,000 in deductions H&R Block missed the year before I switched. CPAs generally have more education and expertise, especially with complex situations. If your taxes are super simple, the price difference might not be justified, but with any complexity, a good CPA usually pays for themselves.

Thanks for sharing! How did you find your CPA? I'm nervous about just picking someone random.

Thanks for bringing this up! I actually wasn't sure about Form 8833. Does everyone claiming treaty benefits need to file this form? The treaty amount isn't huge (around $6,500 total income with $1,950 withheld), so I wasn't sure if there's some minimum threshold.

Technically, not everyone needs to file Form 8833. There are exceptions based on the type of income and amount. Generally, if your treaty-based position is already disclosed on a W-8BEN form you submitted to the payer (which would normally be the case for standard treaty reductions on things like royalties, dividends, etc.), you might be exempt from filing Form 8833. However, there are specific situations that always require Form 8833 regardless of amount, such as certain business profits claims or if you're taking a position that's contrary to a U.S. regulation. In your case with $6,500 income and standard treaty withholding reduction, you might be exempt, but most tax professionals recommend filing it anyway to be safe. The penalties for not filing when required can be quite steep ($1,000 per position), so the safe approach is to include it.

This is actually incorrect information. The June 15th deadline is for US citizens and resident aliens living abroad, not for nonresident aliens. The 1040-NR is generally due on April 15th for most filers (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday).

You're right, I mixed up the rules. Thanks for the correction! Nonresident aliens filing Form 1040-NR generally need to file by April 15th (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday) for the previous tax year. The June 15th deadline applies to U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The important point still stands though - even if you missed the deadline, you can still file and claim a refund for up to 3 years from the original due date of the return.

Did you ever report them to anyone? I had issues with Fidelity last year where they sent corrected 1099s THREE times, each after I had already filed. Super frustrating and caused me to have to amend my return multiple times.

I didn't formally report them, but I did speak with a manager and documented everything. The conversation got escalated pretty quickly when I mentioned FINRA regulations and compliance requirements. For corrected 1099s, that's unfortunately common with any brokerage firm. They often issue corrections when they receive updated information from underlying investments, especially with complex mutual funds. It's annoying but not necessarily negligent like completely missing forms.

Thanks for the advice! I didn't know about requesting a "tax document summary" - is that something all financial institutions provide? And yes, I'm definitely going to file a complaint with FINRA. I'm worried about other people who might not realize they're missing documents and end up with IRS problems later.

What exactly counts as "active participation"? I handle most of the management stuff - finding tenants, dealing with maintenance calls, etc. But my brother handles most of the actual repair work. Do we both qualify?

Active participation is less stringent than material participation. For active participation, you need to make management decisions like approving tenants, deciding on rental terms, approving repairs, etc. You don't necessarily need to do the physical work yourself. Based on what you described, you would likely qualify since you handle the management aspects. Your brother would also likely qualify since he's involved in the actual maintenance work. Keep good records of the time you both spend and the decisions you make related to the properties. A simple log with dates and descriptions of rental-related activities is usually sufficient.

Is the QBI deduction still available? I thought that was part of the TCJA that was expiring soon?