Don't forget to report that employer to the IRS! They're legally required to provide W-2s by January 31st. You can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report them. I did this when my employer "forgot" to send my W-2, and miraculously they "found" it and sent it within a week after the IRS contacted them. Also check your state's department of labor about those unpaid wages. Some states have penalties for employers who withhold pay, and they can sometimes get things moving faster than you can on your own.

Just to add something important - make sure you keep REALLY good records of all your attempts to get your W-2 and your communications with this employer. Save emails, text messages, write down dates of phone calls, etc. This will help you if the IRS has questions about why you filed with Form 4852. Also, when you estimate your withholding, err on the side of caution and estimate a bit LOWER than you think it might be. It's better to potentially owe a small amount later than to claim too much withholding and raise red flags.

One tip from someone who's been doing survey sites for years - create a simple spreadsheet tracking all your survey income throughout the year. I list date, survey site name, survey ID or description, and amount paid. Makes tax time so much easier! Also, you can use the IRS free file options if your income is under their threshold. I use FreeTaxUSA which handles Schedule C and SE really well for this type of situation. Don't pay for expensive software if you don't need to!

Does anyone know if you need different business codes for different types of online income? I do surveys but also product testing and user testing websites which pay more. Should these be on separate Schedule Cs or combined?

One thing to consider: even after you move abroad, as a US citizen you'll still have to file US tax returns every year and report your worldwide income. The US is one of only two countries that taxes based on citizenship rather than residency. Look into the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and Foreign Tax Credit to avoid double taxation. Won't apply to your initial capital gains from selling your US house, but will matter for any income you earn while living abroad.

Make sure to keep all your receipts for home improvements you've made over the years! Those get added to your cost basis and reduce your capital gain. A lot of people forget this and end up overpaying their taxes. Every dollar you can add to your basis is a dollar less in potential capital gains. Things like a new roof, HVAC system, renovations, additions, etc. all count. Even some closing costs from when you bought the house can be added to your basis.

A few important points about form corrections that might help: 1. Make sure you're using the ORIGINAL payer/payee information when filing corrections. Any tiny discrepancy between your original filings and corrections can cause matching issues. 2. If you filed through a third-party service, check if they have a specific correction process. Some services handle the correction relationship automatically in their system. 3. Document EVERYTHING. Save copies of all original filings, corrections, and any communication with the IRS. If penalties do come up, you'll need this documentation. 4. Consider sending your explanation letter via certified mail with return receipt to prove the IRS received it.

Hey I went through this EXACT thing last year with about 25 forms. Here's what worked for me: 1) Filed the corrected 1099-MISC forms with zeros and checked the CORRECTED box 2) Filed new 1099-NEC forms 3) Included a short letter explaining I wasn't aware of the form change but had filed the information on time 4) Sent everything certified mail The IRS never charged me a penny in penalties. They understand this kind of confusion happens with form changes. Just be honest, fix it ASAP, and document everything. Their goal is compliance, not collecting penalties.

Don't forget about state taxes too! Depending on where you live, you might pay an additional 5-13% on capital gains at the state level. I sold a property in California last year and the state taxes were almost as painful as the federal. Some states have lower capital gains rates, but many just tax it as regular income. Might be worth talking to a CPA who specializes in your state's tax code before you pull the trigger on the sale.

Is anyone else annoyed that someone making $115k plus almost half a million in capital gains is worried about taxes while most of us are struggling to pay rent? The capital gains rates are already way lower than what we pay on our regular income. Must be nice to worry about which tax loopholes to use on your rental empire profits.