Do you find any difference in quality between your rural vs city accountant? I'm wondering if paying more actually gets you better service or tax savings?

Honestly, my rural accountant is more attentive and responsive - probably because she has fewer clients overall. The Chicago firm has more specialized expertise in certain areas (particularly for e-commerce tax issues), but for day-to-day service and general tax matters, the rural accountant provides better value. The big difference is that the Chicago firm has more specialists under one roof, so if I have a very specific tax situation, they can usually handle it in-house. With my rural accountant, she occasionally needs to bring in outside expertise for complex situations. But for standard business tax planning and preparation, I haven't found that paying more necessarily results in better service or outcomes.

How do you find a good EA? Is there a directory or certification board? I've only ever used CPAs and H&R Block type places.

You can find qualified EAs through the National Association of Enrolled Agents website (NAEA.org) - they have a directory searchable by location and specialization. I found mine through a business owner networking group, which was great because I got to hear about direct experiences from other small business owners. When interviewing potential EAs, ask about their experience with your specific industry and business structure. A good EA should be able to discuss relevant deductions and planning strategies in your initial consultation. Also check if they offer audit representation (most do, it's a core part of their expertise). The right EA can provide the same level of tax expertise as a CPA, often with more specialized tax knowledge and lower fees since they focus specifically on taxation rather than broader accounting services.

Not OP but I had a similar situation with equipment I sold. The service contract portion gets allocated separately as ordinary income, not as part of the capital transaction. At least that's how my accountant handled it.

Yeah actually I did have a service contract that transferred to the new owner with about 8 months left on it. I hadn't even thought about that part. I paid $3200 for a 3-year service plan originally.

Location, location, location. I put it in what I thought was a great spot near a lake where people go fishing and boating, but it turns out most people just bring their own ice in coolers. The property lease was expensive, electricity costs were higher than projected, and I had several expensive repairs in the first year. Competition from nearby gas stations with cheaper ice didn't help either. The ROI calculations from the manufacturer were... let's just say optimistic.

8 Wait really? So even if they get married on December 31, they're considered married for the WHOLE tax year? That seems weird... does that mean you could strategic time your wedding for tax purposes?

15 Yes, that's exactly right. The IRS only cares about your marital status on the last day of the year. If you're married on December 31st, you're considered married for the entire tax year. And yes, some people do strategically time their weddings for tax purposes, though I wouldn't recommend making such an important life decision solely based on taxes! But it's something to be aware of as you plan. In some cases, delaying a December wedding to January could be beneficial, while in other situations (like the original poster's with disparate incomes), getting married before year-end might save money.

2 I disagree - their withholding seems reasonable. The effective tax rate for someone earning around $570k would be close to 20% after deductions, and they're at 18.5% with a quarter of the year left. They're probably on track.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. Do you know if there's any downside to claiming Sweden if they still consider me a tax resident? Would I still have tax obligations to Sweden even though I'm now living in the US?

Yes, that's the potential catch - if Sweden still considers you a tax resident, you might have ongoing tax filing obligations there. Sweden, like many countries, taxes its residents on worldwide income. However, there's a tax treaty between the US and Sweden that prevents double taxation. The treaty typically assigns primary taxing rights to the country where you're physically performing work (the US in your case for your PhD stipend), but investment income like dividends can be more complicated. The treaty usually reduces withholding rates, but you might need to report the income in both countries. I'd recommend checking the Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) website or contacting them directly about your specific situation to understand if and when your tax residency in Sweden officially ends.

Did you have any issues with your broker accepting the form with France instead of Germany? I'm worried my investment platform might question why my citizenship country doesn't match my residence country.

2 Does requesting those transcripts trigger any kind of audit or review? My cousin says anytime you contact the IRS directly you're putting yourself on their radar for an audit. Is that true?

17 Requesting your wage and income transcripts absolutely does not trigger an audit or special review. That's a common misconception. These transcripts are your right as a taxpayer and millions of people request them every year for perfectly routine reasons. The IRS selects returns for audit based on specific statistical formulas looking for outliers and unusual patterns, not because someone requested their own information. In fact, being proactive about your tax situation by requesting transcripts and filing accurately is more likely to help you stay off the audit radar.

1 Not sure what software he used, but that's a good point about the W-2 possibly being wrong. How would he even go about proving that though? 7-Eleven probably isn't going to just admit they made a mistake, especially 2 years later.