What's the time limit for amending previous returns to claim those foreign tax credits? I haven't been claiming mine for years but pay a lot of tax in my country of residence.

You generally have 3 years from the original filing deadline to amend a return and claim a refund. So for 2022 taxes (which were due April 2023), you have until April 2026 to amend and claim those foreign tax credits. If you've been missing out on foreign tax credits for multiple years, you could potentially amend returns going back three years. This can be especially valuable if you're paying higher tax rates in your country of residence than you would in the US. Many expats don't realize they're leaving money on the table by not claiming these credits!

You're totally fine! Using the standard deduction has no impact on your ability to use Form 2555 in future years. They're completely separate parts of your tax return. I've switched back and forth between years with and without Form 2555 while taking the standard deduction each time.

The Recovery Rebate Credit refers specifically to the stimulus payments authorized by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were three main payments: $1,200 (April 2020), $600 (December 2020), and $1,400 (March 2021). The $1,400 one is what the original poster is asking about. If you didn't receive one or more of these payments when they were initially distributed but were eligible, you could claim them as a "Recovery Rebate Credit" on your tax return for that year. The $1,400 payment would have been claimed on your 2021 tax return specifically.

Thanks for explaining! I'm pretty sure I got all three payments back then, but now I'm wondering if I should double-check my 2021 return just to make sure. I remember getting direct deposits for stimulus money but can't remember the exact amounts or when they came in.

Does the 3-year clock start from when the return was due (April 15) or when you actually filed it? I filed my 2021 return late with an extension in October 2022.

The 3-year statute of limitations for claiming a refund generally starts from the original due date of the return (which was April 18, 2022 for 2021 returns) or the date you actually filed, whichever is later. Since you filed in October 2022 with an extension, your deadline would be October 2025 rather than April 2025. That said, it's always better to handle these things sooner rather than later, especially with something like the Recovery Rebate Credit where you might need to speak with the IRS to verify your eligibility.

Is there a specific threshold for when card selling becomes a business vs hobby? Like a certain number of sales or dollar amount? I'm trying to figure out which category I fall into.

There's no specific dollar threshold that automatically makes it a business versus a hobby. The IRS looks at several factors including whether you depend on the income, how much time you spend on it, if you maintain proper records, and if you operate in a businesslike manner. Generally, if you're consistently profitable for 3 out of 5 years and treat the activity seriously (keeping records, having a separate bank account, etc.), the IRS is more likely to consider it a business. If you're just occasionally selling cards from your personal collection without much organization, it's more likely to be a hobby.

I strongly advise against this interpretation. "Gross payouts" in the platform's language likely refers to the total value of your sales, not specifically withdrawals. Most platforms report the total sales value whether you withdraw or not. Even if you did find a platform that only reports when you withdraw, you're still legally obligated to report all income on your tax return. The 1099 is just an information form - not receiving one doesn't mean you don't owe tax on the income.

Can you do this if your employer contributes to your HSA? Mine puts in $1500/year but I've never added my own money. Also, do you need to keep the physical receipts or are digital copies ok?

Yes, you can absolutely add your own contributions on top of what your employer provides! For 2025, the contribution limit is $4,150 for individuals and $8,300 for families (including employer contributions). So if your employer adds $1,500, you can still contribute up to $2,650 for individual coverage or $6,800 for family coverage. This is a great way to reduce your taxable income. Digital copies of receipts are perfectly fine as long as they clearly show the date, amount, service provider, and type of medical expense. I recommend keeping them in multiple places (cloud storage, external hard drive) since we're talking about potentially decades of storage. The IRS doesn't specify a format, but you need to be able to produce them if audited.

This is super important! I'd add that tracking basis for crypto is an absolute nightmare if you don't stay on top of it from the beginning. I learned this the hard way after trading different coins across multiple exchanges.

Omg this is so important! We learned this the hard way last year. Saved $600 on taxes by filing jointly but my wife's student loan payment went up $175/month. Do the math before you decide!

You're absolutely right about doing the full calculation. A lot of people miss this part of the equation. The student loan impact can completely change what looks like a good decision based solely on taxes. In our case, filing separately costs us about $800 more in taxes each year, but saves my wife nearly $2,400 annually on her income-based student loan payments. That's a net benefit of $1,600 by filing separately, even though it looks worse on paper tax-wise.

This is a really good point. If your spouse is tutoring in people's homes on a regular schedule and they control when and how the work is done, they might qualify as a household employee. This means the family should be paying half of the Social Security and Medicare taxes instead of your spouse covering it all through self-employment tax.