Would moonlighting at an urgent care for even just a few shifts count for this? I'm in a similar situation (different professional liability insurance though) and wondering if even just a few thousand in 1099 income would help establish the business intent.

Yes, moonlighting at an urgent care as a 1099 contractor would absolutely help establish business intent. Even just a few shifts generating a couple thousand dollars would create a much stronger case that you were genuinely engaged in business activity related to the insurance expense. The key is making sure you're actually classified as an independent contractor (receiving a 1099) rather than a part-time employee (W-2). As long as you have some legitimate 1099 income from medical work, you'll be in a much better position to justify the large deduction on Schedule C.

Thank you so much for this insight! I hadn't even considered the self-employment tax angle. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward filing Schedule C with the full expense. I actually do have some very minimal income (around $3K) from chart reviews I did while transitioning between jobs. That should help establish business intent, right? I'm thinking I'll use some combination of the advice here - documenting everything thoroughly, including my correspondence with the locums company about credentialing, and making sure I'm prepared in case of an audit. The tax savings between Schedule C vs. effectively no deduction on Schedule A is just too significant to ignore.

Is Publication 901 updated for 2024 yet? I checked a few weeks ago and they still had the 2023 version online. Also, do you know if non-residents can claim education credits like the American Opportunity Credit? I took some classes last year.

You're right that the official IRS website still has the 2023 version, but they don't typically update Publication 901 every year - only when treaty provisions change significantly. The 2023 version should still be applicable for most countries for your 2024 taxes. For education credits, non-resident aliens generally cannot claim the American Opportunity Credit. However, if you're from certain countries with specific education provisions in their tax treaties (like China, India, or several European countries), you might qualify for different education-related benefits. You'll need to check the specific article in your country's treaty that addresses students or education expenses.

Yes, you can e-file a 1040NR but not with every software. I used OLT.com (OnLine Taxes) last year and was able to e-file my non-resident return. Sprintax also supports e-filing for 1040NR. Most free options don't support it though.

Pro tip: if you want less tax withheld from your bonus, increase your 401k contribution just for that paycheck if your company allows it. I put 50% of my bonus straight into 401k last year and it lowered my taxable income. Double win!

This is actually a really important point! My bonus pushed me into a higher tax bracket last year because it came in December. If it had come in January, my tax situation would have been completely different. Timing matters!

Can you explain more about the domicile test? I thought just having an apartment in the new state would be enough to establish residency on the day I moved in. Are there other requirements?

Good question about domicile! Having an apartment alone might not be enough in some states. Domicile is about your intent to make the state your permanent home, not just physical presence. States look at various factors to determine domicile: where you're registered to vote, your driver's license state, where your vehicles are registered, location of bank accounts, where you have professional licenses, community involvement, and even where your family lives if you're splitting time. Some states have specific forms or tests to determine when your domicile officially changed.

You can usually request a private letter ruling from the state tax department, but they often charge a fee (sometimes hundreds of dollars) and it can take months to get. Probably not worth it unless you're talking about a lot of money at stake.

Thanks for the info. Definitely not worth hundreds of dollars since I'm only talking about maybe $2000 in state taxes total. Guess I'll just have to do my best with the reciprocity rules and keep good documentation.

The Donor Advised Fund sounds interesting! If I bunch several years of donations together, would that help me stay under the IRMAA threshold for multiple years, or just give me one good year and then potentially push me over in subsequent years? Also, do you know if medical premiums count toward that 7.5% threshold? I have some pretty hefty supplemental insurance costs.

Bunching donations can give you one year with a lower MAGI, which helps with IRMAA for just that determining year. You're right that you'd need to plan for the subsequent years too - that's where QCDs become helpful since they can reduce your taxable income each year without needing to itemize. Yes, your premiums for Medicare Part B, Part D, Medicare Advantage, and supplemental policies all count toward the 7.5% medical expense threshold! Many retirees don't realize this. Track all your out-of-pocket medical costs including dental, vision, hearing aids, and long-term care insurance premiums too. With the higher healthcare costs in retirement, you might be surprised how often you can clear that 7.5% threshold.

That's really interesting! How much did you have to invest to make it worthwhile from a tax perspective? I've been thinking about helping my son with his landscaping business but wasn't sure if it would make a meaningful impact on my taxes.