That makes so much sense! I just checked and you're right - my cycle code ends in 05. So that means my transcript updates Thursday nights? Does that mean if nothing changes this week, I should check again next Thursday?

Yes, exactly! If your cycle code ends in 05, your account typically updates overnight between Thursday and Friday. So check first thing Friday morning for any changes. If nothing changes this week, definitely check again next Friday morning. Many people don't realize the IRS works in these weekly batches for most processing. So your return might be completely processed already, but the transcript won't show the updates until your designated cycle date.

This is so true! I got my refund in my bank account 2 days BEFORE the Where's My Refund tool updated last year. The whole system is a mess.

Student loan interest (up to $2,500) is actually an "above-the-line" deduction, not an itemized deduction. That means you can take it even if you claim the standard deduction! It's directly subtracted from your income before calculating your adjusted gross income.

Thanks for mentioning this! We actually did install some energy efficient windows as part of moving in. Do you know if that counts if they were installed by the previous owner right before we bought the place? Or does it only count if we paid for the installation ourselves?

Unfortunately, you only get the credit if you paid for the improvements yourself. If the previous owners installed them, they would get the credit on their tax return. However, now that you own the home, any new energy-efficient improvements you make going forward would qualify for you! The credits are pretty substantial - up to 30% for solar and geothermal, and up to $600 for energy-efficient windows (with a $1,200 annual maximum for most improvements). Might be worth considering additional upgrades this year!

That's really helpful, thanks! Do you know where I can find information about this tax treaty? Is there a specific IRS form or website that explains how it would apply to my situation?

You can find the full text of all US tax treaties on the IRS website - search for "United States Income Tax Treaties A to Z" and look for New Zealand. But I'll warn you, these documents are written in dense legal language and can be hard to understand. A more user-friendly approach is to look at IRS Publication 901 (U.S. Tax Treaties). It breaks down the key provisions by country in more understandable language. For your specific situation as a seasonal worker, pay attention to the sections on "dependent personal services" or "income from employment" in the treaty. These sections typically address short-term work situations like yours.

This isn't totally accurate. The $10,000 threshold is for the COMBINED total of ALL your foreign accounts at ANY point during the year. So if you had $5k in a NZ account and $6k in another foreign account, you'd still need to file FBAR. Better safe than sorry with these things!

That's a really smart idea! Does FreeTaxUSA let you go through the whole process without paying? I know they charge for state filing, but do they let you see your final federal numbers before submitting payment? And have you ever found significant differences between the two calculations?

FreeTaxUSA lets you go through the entire process and see your completed federal return for free - you only pay when you actually file. So you can definitely see your final numbers before deciding to submit. And yes, I've caught some pretty significant differences! Last year, there was a $1,200 difference between FreeTaxUSA and TurboTax on my refund. Turned out I had accidentally entered a 1099-MISC as a 1099-NEC in one of the programs which changed how the income was classified. Another time, I discovered I had incorrectly answered a question about qualified business income in one software but not the other. The cross-checking has definitely saved me from some big mistakes.

This is great advice! I also recommend checking if your state tax refund/amount owed seems reasonable compared to your federal. They shouldn't be wildly different proportionately unless you live in a state with unusual tax situations. If federal shows a big refund but state shows you owing a ton, that could indicate something's wrong.

What if my brokerage is a smaller one that doesn't offer those kinds of services? I'm with a regional firm that's not as full-service as Fidelity or Schwab.

If you're with a smaller brokerage, you still have options. Even if they don't offer formal basis reconstruction services, their customer service might still be able to help you identify the share price on the date of death. If that doesn't work, you can also use resources like Yahoo Finance or Morningstar to look up historical prices for most mutual funds. Just search for SSHFX and find the historical price data for your uncle's date of death. Document how you determined the value (take screenshots), and keep that with your tax records.

This is actually a really good point. The executor had to choose one valuation method for ALL assets in the estate though - they couldn't cherry pick different dates for different assets. So you might want to check what method was used on the estate tax return if one was filed.