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Anyone know if the support test includes the value of the living space? Like if mother in law has her own bedroom in our house, do we count what that room would rent for as part of our support contribution?
Yes! The fair rental value of the living space definitely counts toward the support test. Calculate what a similar room would rent for in your area - that's considered part of your contribution to her support. Add that to utilities, food, etc. when calculating if you provide more than 50% of her total support.
Based on what you've described, you have a good chance of being able to claim your mother-in-law as a dependent! The key factors working in your favor are that you're providing more than half her support (housing, food, utilities, cell phone) and she's living with you for more than half the year. The main thing to watch out for is the gross income test. Her Social Security payments ($1,450/month) may not all count toward the income limit if she's not required to file a tax return, but you'll need to include the full amount of her 401K distributions ($600/month = $7,200 annually). Since the gross income limit is $4,400 for 2024, those 401K distributions alone would exceed the threshold. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional or using IRS Publication 501 to determine exactly how much of her Social Security income needs to be counted. The rules around Social Security taxation can be complex and depend on her total combined income from all sources. Also keep detailed records of all the support you provide - housing costs, food, utilities, medical expenses, etc. You'll want to be able to demonstrate that your contributions exceed 50% of her total support if the IRS ever asks for documentation.
This is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my grandmother who moved in with us last year. She gets Social Security and a small pension. I've been trying to understand how to calculate the "more than half support" test - do you know if there's a specific worksheet or form the IRS provides to help figure this out? I want to make sure I'm including all the right expenses and not missing anything important when I add up what we provide versus what she pays for herself.
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This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! I'm jumping in as someone who's been doing tax prep for about 4 years but only in my home state of Pennsylvania. Reading through all these experiences has made me realize I've been missing out on potential business opportunities because I wasn't sure how to handle multi-state clients properly. The consensus around pursuing EA credentials really makes sense, especially given how complex the state-by-state requirements seem to be. @Logan's timeline of 8 months for studying seems reasonable, and I appreciate @Norman's suggestion about being transparent with clients during the transition period. I'm particularly concerned about the professional liability insurance aspect that @KaiEsmeralda raised. I need to call my insurance provider this week to understand what my current policy actually covers geographically. It would be terrible to think I'm properly covered only to find out there are limitations when an issue arises. One practical question for those who've made this transition: how do you handle the business development side? Do you actively market your multi-state capabilities once you have the proper credentials, or do you wait for existing clients to move and ask for help? I'm wondering if there's a proactive way to build this part of the practice or if it's mostly reactive to client relocations. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread has given me a clear roadmap for expanding my practice responsibly!
@Kiara, great questions about the business development side! I've been doing multi-state prep for about 2 years now and found that it's mostly been organic growth through existing client referrals and relocations initially, but there are definitely proactive strategies that work. Once I got my EA credentials, I started mentioning multi-state capabilities in my marketing materials and on my website. I also reached out to local real estate agents and relocation companies - they often have clients who need tax help during transitions between states. Corporate HR departments can be good referral sources too for employees being transferred. Social media has been surprisingly effective - posting educational content about multi-state tax issues attracts people who are dealing with these situations. I've gotten several clients just from LinkedIn posts explaining common multi-state scenarios. The insurance question you raised is crucial. When I called my provider about geographic coverage, I learned my policy had some surprising limitations. Make sure to specifically ask about coverage for states where you're properly credentialed but not physically located. Some policies require you to be practicing within your "home state" even if you're licensed elsewhere. One tip: start building relationships with preparers in other states now, even before you get your EA. Having trusted colleagues for referrals and consultations has been invaluable when I encounter state-specific issues I'm not familiar with.
As a newer preparer who's been following this discussion closely, I want to add my perspective on actually implementing some of these recommendations. After reading through everyone's experiences, I decided to test out both taxr.ai and start researching the EA path simultaneously. I used taxr.ai for three states where I have potential clients (Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida) and was impressed with how detailed the analysis was. It not only told me Virginia requires registration with their Board of Accountancy for tax preparers, but also provided specific forms and timelines. For Florida, it confirmed no state requirements beyond PTIN, and for North Carolina, it flagged some nuanced rules about business vs. individual return preparation that I wouldn't have known about. What really sold me on the EA route was realizing that even with perfect state-by-state compliance, I'd still be constantly researching and tracking requirements as they change. The EA credential seems like it future-proofs your practice against regulatory changes and gives you credibility that clients recognize. I'm starting with Gleim study materials for Part 1 of the EA exam and have already found a local study group through NAEA. The investment in time and money feels significant now, but after seeing the complexity everyone has described, it seems like the smartest long-term approach for anyone serious about multi-state practice. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has probably saved me months of trial and error!
@Gabriel, thanks for sharing your actual experience with taxr.ai! It's really helpful to hear from someone who actually tested it out after reading the recommendations here. The detail you described about Virginia's Board of Accountancy requirements and North Carolina's nuanced rules really shows the value of having a comprehensive tool rather than trying to piece together information from multiple state websites. Your point about "future-proofing" with the EA credential really resonates with me. I've been going back and forth on whether to pursue individual state licenses or go straight for the EA, but reading about all the ongoing compliance tracking required for multiple states has pushed me toward the EA route as well. I'm curious - when you used taxr.ai, did it also provide guidance on which credential path might be most efficient for your specific situation? Like, did it suggest whether getting individual state licenses first or pursuing EA would be better given your client mix? I'm trying to decide if I should get a few immediate state licenses while studying for EA, or just focus entirely on the EA path. Also, how did you find the local NAEA study group? I've been looking for one in my area but wasn't sure how to locate groups. Having that support system seems like it would make the EA studying much more manageable.
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As someone who went through this exact nightmare last year, I can confirm that the systematic approach outlined in this thread really works! I had $3,100 in payments that disappeared into the IRS system after switching from MFS to MFJ. The Twitter/X strategy was a game-changer for me - got responses from both @PayUSATax and @Pay1040 within 36 hours, which was incredible after weeks of failed phone calls and ignored emails. They asked for my confirmation numbers via DM and provided the IRS reference numbers within 2-3 business days. One tip I'd add: when you do reach the accounts management line at 800-829-0922, ask them to put notes in your account about the payment allocation issue. If you need to call back later, the next rep can see the previous conversation and pick up where you left off instead of starting from scratch. The payment history transcript is absolutely crucial - it's basically your official proof of where everything went. Make sure to request both the current year transcript AND the amended return transcript if applicable. It's honestly criminal that there's no warning about this payment limbo issue during the MFS to MFJ amendment process. This thread has probably helped more people solve this problem than any official IRS guidance! Keep sharing your success stories - it really helps people realize this nightmare is solvable with the right approach.
This is incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who successfully navigated this exact situation! Your tip about asking the accounts management team to put notes in the account is brilliant - I hadn't thought about the importance of creating a paper trail for follow-up calls. The timeline you mentioned (36 hours for Twitter/X responses, 2-3 business days for reference numbers) gives me realistic expectations for my own outreach. After reading through this entire thread, it's clear that the social media approach has become the most reliable way to actually reach humans at these payment processors. I'm definitely going to request both transcripts when I get to that stage - the amended return transcript sounds particularly important for understanding how the filing status change affected payment allocation. You're absolutely right that this thread has probably helped more people than any official guidance! It's fascinating how a community can crowdsource solutions to widespread problems that government agencies don't even acknowledge exist. The lack of warnings about MFS to MFJ payment issues during the amendment process really needs to be addressed by tax software companies. Thanks for sharing your success story and adding those practical tips - it gives me confidence that this systematic approach really does work with persistence!
This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm new to this community but found myself in the exact same situation - filed MFS for 2023, made payments through PayUSATax and Pay1040, amended to MFJ, and now have a mysterious $2,800 credit that the IRS can't explain. The "payment limbo" concept finally makes everything click. It's incredible that this MFS to MFJ amendment issue is so widespread yet completely absent from any official warnings or documentation. This community has essentially reverse-engineered a solution to a problem the IRS won't even acknowledge exists! I'm going to follow the proven systematic approach that's worked for so many people here: 1. Start with Twitter/X outreach to @PayUSATax and @Pay1040 with general inquiry about payment allocation 2. Use the early morning phone strategy (8:15 AM + 0-0-0 trick) as backup 3. Call accounts management at 800-829-0922 once I have reference numbers 4. Request payment history transcript AND amended return transcript for documentation The tip about asking accounts management to put notes in your file is genius - that could save hours if follow-up calls are needed. And hearing that people are getting Twitter responses in 24-48 hours gives me hope after weeks of radio silence from traditional customer service. Thanks to everyone who shared their strategies and success stories. This thread should honestly be pinned as a resource guide for anyone dealing with payment processor tracking issues during filing status changes!
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Pro tip: Sign up for text alerts with SBTPG. At least youll know the second they get it
didn't know this was a thing! thx for the heads up
Just wanted to add that you can also check your IRS transcript on the IRS website to see exactly when your refund gets processed and released. It'll show a 846 code when the money actually gets sent out to SBTPG. Usually takes them 1-2 business days after that to deposit it in your account. The transcript is free and way more detailed than WMR!
Demi Hall
One thing to watch out for - make sure you're filling out Form 8332 correctly if you're the noncustodial parent claiming the child! A friend of mine got audited because they missed this step. With 50/50 custody you technically both qualify as custodial parents, but for tax purposes, whoever has the child for the most nights during the year is considered the custodial parent. If it's exactly equal, then the parent with the higher AGI is considered the custodial parent by IRS tiebreaker rules.
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Mateusius Townsend
•Wait so if they're truly 50/50 and the dad makes more ($72k vs mom's $65k), does that mean the dad is automatically the custodial parent for tax purposes? Would the mom need to fill out Form 8332 to release her claim even if they've agreed she'll claim one or both kids?
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Demi Hall
•You're asking a good question about the tiebreaker rules. If custody is truly 50/50 (equal nights), then yes, the parent with the higher AGI (the dad in this case at $72k) would be considered the custodial parent for tax purposes under IRS tiebreaker rules. However, there's an important distinction here. The tiebreaker rules only come into play if BOTH parents attempt to claim the same child on their taxes. If the parents have a written agreement about who claims which child, and they follow that agreement (not both claiming the same child), then the IRS generally won't apply the tiebreakers. Form 8332 would typically be used if they decide that the mom (technically non-custodial in tiebreaker scenarios) would claim a child. The dad would "release" his claim by providing this form.
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Rami Samuels
Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through this exact situation. My ex and I started with the alternating years approach, but switched to each claiming one child consistently after the first year. Here's why: alternating years means one of you gets a much smaller refund (or even owes money) every other year, which can mess with your budgeting. When you each claim one child every year, your tax situation stays more predictable. Also, don't forget about things like FSA contributions for medical expenses or dependent care. If you're both contributing to FSAs for the kids, you'll want to coordinate that with whoever's claiming which child. One more tip - start tracking which nights each child stays with each parent NOW, even if you think it's exactly 50/50. Life happens, kids get sick and stay extra nights with one parent, school schedules change, etc. Having actual records will save you headaches if the IRS ever questions your filing.
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Sara Hellquiem
•This is really helpful advice about tracking the nights! I never thought about how small changes in the schedule could affect the tax situation later. Quick question - when you say you switched from alternating years to each claiming one child, did you notice a big difference in your combined tax savings? I'm trying to figure out if the predictability is worth potentially leaving money on the table compared to the optimal mathematical approach.
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