I moved from New York to Florida back in October and was in the exact same situation - still had my NY license when tax season rolled around. Here's what I learned from my experience: For federal taxes, your driver's license really is just for identity verification. I e-filed with my NY license and Florida address without any issues. The IRS doesn't care which state issued your ID as long as it's valid. Since you moved to Colorado (which has state income tax), you'll need to file a part-year resident return there. The good news is that Colorado's e-filing system never asked for my license number when I helped my friend who moved there around the same time. They care more about proving when you established residency and what income you earned in each state. One tip that saved me headaches: gather your documentation now - lease agreement, utility setup dates, job start date in Colorado, etc. Having a clear timeline of when you established Colorado residency is way more important than having an updated license for tax purposes. That said, definitely prioritize getting your Colorado license soon for all the non-tax reasons people have mentioned. But for filing your taxes? You're totally fine to proceed with your California license as long as your current Colorado address is consistent throughout your returns.

I went through this exact situation when I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina last March! Like many others have mentioned, the federal filing was no problem at all with my MA license - the IRS really does just use it for identity verification. For North Carolina state taxes, I was initially worried about the same thing, but it turned out their online system was pretty straightforward. They never asked for my license number during e-filing, just focused on establishing my residency timeline and part-year income allocation. One thing I'd add that might be helpful - if you're using tax prep software like H&R Block or TaxAct, some of them will prompt you about the address mismatch between your license and current address, but it's usually just a verification step. You can typically continue the filing process by confirming your current address is correct. The bigger pain point for me was actually dealing with two state returns (final MA return and new NC resident return), but that's unavoidable regardless of your license status. Having moved from California to Colorado, you'll be in the same boat with dual state filings. Definitely echo what everyone else is saying about getting your Colorado license updated soon for the insurance and legal reasons, but don't let it stress you out about tax filing. The systems are designed to handle interstate moves smoothly!

Can I just say how frustrating it is that most tax preparers don't understand trading scenarios? I had a similar situation with wash sales and my CPA kept giving me wrong information. Had to educate myself and basically explain it to him. The IRS rules aren't even that complicated once you understand the principle - wash sale losses aren't disallowed forever, they're just deferred by adjusting the basis of replacement shares.

This is exactly why I switched from my general CPA to someone who specializes in trader taxation. The difference in understanding was incredible - my new preparer immediately knew that wash sales defer losses rather than eliminate them permanently. One thing that helped me verify my understanding was looking at my 1099-B more carefully. In Box 1d, if there's a "W" code, that indicates wash sale adjustments were made. But the key is looking at the summary totals - your broker has already calculated your net gains/losses after all wash sale adjustments. Your tax preparer should be using those final adjusted numbers, not trying to manually disallow wash sale losses again. If he's doing that, he's essentially double-counting the wash sale penalty, which would be incorrect. I'd recommend getting a second opinion from a CPA who specializes in securities transactions. The rules really aren't that complex once someone explains them properly, but unfortunately many general tax preparers just don't encounter these situations often enough to understand the nuances.

Has anyone here successfully claimed wigs as a medical expense? My oncologist wrote me a prescription for a "cranial prosthesis" (medical term for wig) after my chemo caused hair loss. I spent $2,400 on two decent wigs last year but not sure if I can include that with my other cancer-related expenses.

I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Olivia. I hope your treatment is going well and you're getting the support you need. I went through a similar situation with my father's cancer treatment that spanned 2023-2024. The key thing to remember is that medical expenses are deductible in the year you actually pay them, not when the services were rendered. So your $3,400 from 2024 can be claimed on your 2024 return (due this year), and all the expenses you're paying in 2025 would go on your 2025 return. One thing that helped us tremendously was keeping a dedicated folder for ALL medical receipts - not just the obvious ones like surgery and chemo, but also parking fees at the hospital, mileage logs for every trip to appointments, prescription receipts, and even things like special foods recommended by his oncologist. You'd be surprised how much these "smaller" expenses add up. Also, make sure you're tracking any insurance reimbursements carefully. You can only deduct what you actually pay out-of-pocket after insurance coverage. If you get reimbursed later, you might need to adjust future returns. The 7.5% AGI threshold can be tough to meet in normal years, but unfortunately cancer treatment costs often push people over that limit. Keep meticulous records - the IRS can be very particular about medical expense documentation. Wishing you strength through your treatment journey!

I'm new to this community and currently experiencing this exact same frustrating situation! Applied for my EIN 5 weeks ago for my new freelance consulting business and absolutely nothing has arrived in the mail. Reading through this entire thread has been such a relief - I was starting to think I was the only one dealing with this issue or that I'd somehow made an error in my application. The overwhelming consensus here about calling 800-829-4933 at exactly 7:00 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings is incredible advice. It's amazing how consistent this timing strategy is across so many successful experiences. I had no idea that the specific time of day could make such a dramatic difference with IRS hold times, but the multiple success stories shared here are really convincing. What completely blew my mind is learning that most banks will accept just the EIN number itself without requiring the physical CP-575 letter. I've been putting my entire business setup on hold for weeks thinking I needed to wait for that official documentation to arrive first. This community insight alone will save me so much time and frustration! The real-world experiences and practical strategies from everyone who's actually navigated this process are infinitely more valuable than the generic "please be patient" guidance I found on the official IRS website. Planning to set my alarm for 6:55 AM tomorrow morning and call with my business formation documents, SSN, business address, and application timeline all ready. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, actionable advice - this thread is exactly the resource people stuck in EIN limbo need to finally move forward with their businesses!

I'm a newcomer to this community and currently dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Applied for my EIN 6 weeks ago for my new freelance graphic design business and absolutely nothing has arrived in the mail. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening and reassuring - I was genuinely starting to panic thinking I'd somehow botched my application or that there was an issue with my mailing address. The overwhelming consensus here about calling 800-829-4933 at exactly 7:00 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings is fantastic advice. It's amazing how consistent this timing strategy is across everyone's success stories. I had no idea that the specific time of day could make such a dramatic difference with IRS hold times, but the multiple positive experiences shared here give me real confidence in this approach. What absolutely shocked me is learning that most banks will accept just the EIN number itself without requiring the physical CP-575 letter. I've been completely stalling on opening my business bank account for weeks, thinking I needed to wait for that official documentation to arrive first. This community insight alone will save me so much unnecessary waiting and stress! The real-world experiences and practical strategies shared by everyone who's actually been through this process are infinitely more valuable than the vague "please be patient" guidance on the official IRS website. Planning to set my alarm for 6:55 AM tomorrow morning and call with my business registration documents, SSN, business address, and application timeline all prepared. Thanks to everyone for creating such an incredible resource - this thread should honestly be required reading for anyone applying for an EIN in 2025!

Just wanted to add something important that I learned the hard way - even though Square reports to the IRS via 1099-K, you still need to keep your own detailed records. The 1099-K only shows your gross payment volume, not your net income after refunds, chargebacks, or fees. I had a situation where a client disputed a charge and Square processed a chargeback, but my 1099-K still showed the original payment amount. When I filed my taxes, I only reported my actual net income (which was correct), but the IRS initially flagged it as underreporting because they were comparing my tax return to the gross amount on the 1099-K. I had to provide documentation showing the chargeback and Square's fees to reconcile the difference. So definitely keep records of any refunds, disputes, or processing fees - you'll need them to explain any discrepancies between your 1099-K and your reported income. The Square card for business expenses is still a great idea, just make sure you're tracking everything comprehensively.

One additional consideration I haven't seen mentioned yet: if you're using Square for business payments, make sure you understand the difference between business transactions and personal payments. Square can be used for both, and mixing the two can create headaches. For example, if you occasionally use Square to split dinner bills with friends or receive personal payments, those transactions will also appear on your 1099-K even though they're not business income. The IRS doesn't automatically know which Square transactions are legitimate business income versus personal transfers. I'd recommend either using Square exclusively for business or keeping meticulous records to separate business income from personal payments. If you do receive personal payments through Square, document them clearly so you can explain the difference to the IRS if needed. This becomes especially important once you hit that $600 reporting threshold, since all Square activity gets reported together on the same 1099-K form.