Something that confused me when I first started my business was that "filing" and "paying" are sometimes different deadlines. You might need to FILE by a certain date but PAY by another date... or sometimes pay BEFORE you file (like with estimated taxes). The IRS website has a tax calendar that might help: https://www.irs.gov/tax-calendars

As someone who moved to the US and started a business here, I can relate to your confusion! The tax system is definitely complex. One thing that really helped me was understanding that business tax obligations go beyond just annual filing - there are also monthly employment tax deposits if you have employees, and various state and local tax requirements that vary by location. I'd recommend starting with the IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center (https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed) - it has a good overview of different business types and their requirements. Also consider getting an EIN (Employer Identification Number) early even if you don't have employees yet, as many banks and vendors require it. The learning curve is steep, but once you understand the basics it becomes much more manageable. Don't hesitate to consult with a tax professional for your first year - the peace of mind is worth the cost!

I went through this same worry last year and can share what I learned. The offset information definitely won't appear until your return is fully processed - it's literally one of the last steps before they issue your refund. However, since you mentioned being concerned about student loans after graduating, I'd strongly recommend being proactive. Log into studentaid.gov right now to verify your actual loan status. Many recent graduates think they're in good standing but don't realize their grace period ended or their servicer changed. I discovered I had a loan that went into default because the servicer switched and I never got the memo about when payments were supposed to start. It's much better to find out now and potentially fix any issues than to wait and see an unexpected offset code appear on your transcript when your refund is ready. If everything checks out on studentaid.gov, then you can breathe easier knowing you're actually in good standing.

I can relate to this anxiety completely! As others have mentioned, offset information typically won't show on your transcript until your return is fully processed and they're ready to issue the refund. The Treasury Offset Program runs their check at the very end of the process, not during processing. However, since you're concerned about student loans after graduating, I'd definitely recommend checking your status proactively rather than waiting and worrying. Log into studentaid.gov to verify you're actually current - sometimes grace periods end sooner than expected or servicers change without clear notification. If you want immediate peace of mind, you can also call the Treasury Offset Program directly at 800-304-3107 to see if you have any registered debts in their system. It won't tell you the exact offset amount, but it will confirm whether there's anything that could potentially affect your refund. Better to know now than stress about it for weeks!

Does anyone know if state tax filing follows the same rules? I'm in California with a similar situation (I'm resident, spouse is non-resident on F1) and I'm not sure if making the federal election to file jointly means we have to file jointly for state too?

Great discussion everyone! I wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this exact situation last year. One thing to keep in mind is timing - since you got married in May 2025, you'll be considered married for the entire tax year for filing purposes. This means you can choose between MFJ or MFS for your 2025 return. I'd also suggest documenting everything carefully. When I made the Section 6013(g) election, I kept copies of all the paperwork including the statement attached to our return, my wife's I-94, and her I-20 showing her F1 status. The IRS never questioned it, but having that documentation ready gave me peace of mind. Another consideration: if your wife plans to change visa status in the future (like applying for a green card), filing jointly and making the election won't negatively impact that process. In fact, it can sometimes help establish the legitimacy of your marriage for immigration purposes. The tax savings from MFJ are usually substantial enough to outweigh the added complexity of reporting worldwide income, especially if her foreign income is minimal like most F1 students.

Based on everyone's responses here, it sounds like you're definitely on the right track - you don't need to check the multiple jobs box since you're only working one job currently. One thing I'd add is that if you're worried about your withholding being accurate (especially with the salary increase from $62k to $71k), you might want to run the IRS withholding calculator in a few months once you have a couple paystubs from your new job. That way you can see if you need to adjust anything for the rest of 2025. Also, keep in mind that having that gap between jobs might actually work in your favor tax-wise since your total 2024 income was probably lower than it would have been if you'd worked the full year at either salary level.

Great question! I went through something similar when I switched jobs last year. Everyone here is absolutely right - that multiple jobs checkbox is only for when you're working more than one job at the same time, not for sequential employment like your situation. Since you're only working one job now, you can skip that entire section. The W4 is all about setting up proper withholding going forward from your current employer, not accounting for what happened earlier in the year. One tip though - since your new job pays more ($71k vs $62k), you might want to check the IRS withholding estimator in a month or two once you have a few paystubs. The higher salary could put you in a different tax situation, and it's better to catch any underwithholding early rather than owe a big chunk next April! But for now, just fill out the W4 as if this is your only job (because it is), and you should be all set.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure you're tracking all your business expenses from day one! As a video editor, you can deduct portions of: - Computer equipment - Editing software subscriptions - External hard drives - Office space (even home office) - Internet costs These deductions can significantly reduce your taxable income and might even keep you under that $1000 threshold longer than expected!

As someone who went through this exact same panic when I started freelancing three years ago, let me give you some peace of mind! You absolutely do NOT need to stress about quarterly payments right now if you have zero clients and no income yet. Here's the reality: the IRS isn't going to come after you for not making estimated payments on income you haven't earned yet. The $1,000 threshold is based on your actual tax liability for the year, not some imaginary number. My advice? Focus on getting your business off the ground first. Once you start bringing in consistent income and can see you're on track to owe more than $1,000 in taxes, THEN start making quarterly payments. You can even wait until your second or third quarter to begin if that's when your income picks up. The worst case scenario? You pay a small underpayment penalty when you file your taxes next year. We're talking maybe $50-100, not thousands. That's a small price to pay for not having the additional stress of trying to predict unknowable future income while you're building your client base. Get your first few clients, establish some income patterns, then worry about the tax payments. You've got enough on your plate right now!