I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this, but most tax software has a specific "part-year resident" wizard or interview section. For example, in TurboTax, there's a separate section for "I lived in more than one state." Have you specifically completed that section? Also, double-check your W-2s. Sometimes employers mess up and put the wrong state code on your W-2, which can cause exactly the issue you're describing. My company once put CA on my W-2 even though I had moved to OR, and it caused a similar double-taxation problem.

This is a classic multi-state tax issue that trips up a lot of people! The key thing to understand is that you should NOT be paying full income tax to both states - that's definitely wrong. Here's what's likely happening: your tax software is treating you as a full-year resident of both states instead of a part-year resident. This causes it to calculate taxes on your entire annual income for both states, which is exactly what you're seeing. To fix this, you need to: 1. Make sure you've selected "part-year resident" (not just "resident") for both NY and VA 2. Enter your exact move date (July 1st, 2024) 3. Verify that your NY income is only what you earned Jan-June while living in NY (~$52k) 4. Verify that your VA income is only what you earned July-Dec while living in VA (~$19k) The taxable income amounts you're seeing ($61k for NY, $58k for VA) suggest the software is applying deductions incorrectly or double-counting income. Once you fix the residency settings, those numbers should drop dramatically. Also, just to confirm - you mentioned having separate W-2s from each employer. Make sure when you enter each W-2, you're telling the software which state that job was performed in. This helps the software properly allocate the income. Good luck! This should result in a much better outcome once sorted out properly.

Does anyone know if the gift tax exclusion amount changes every year? I remember it being much lower like $14k or $15k in the past. Want to make sure I'm using the right number for 2024.

Just wanted to add another perspective on the timing aspect of stock gifts. If you're gifting stocks that have appreciated significantly, consider the potential impact of the wash sale rule if your daughter might sell them soon after receiving them. Also, make sure to coordinate with your brokerage about the actual transfer process. Most brokerages have specific forms and procedures for gifting securities between accounts. Some require both parties to have accounts at the same institution, while others can facilitate transfers to external brokerages. One more tip - if you're planning to make this an annual gift to help build her portfolio over time, consider setting up a systematic approach. You could gift a portion of your holdings each year to stay within the exclusion limits and spread out the tax implications for her over multiple years. This strategy works particularly well with growth stocks that you expect to continue appreciating.

Has anyone used Credit Karma Tax (now Cash App Taxes) to file an amended return for a missed 1099-R? I'm in a similar situation but don't want to pay TurboTax's fees again just for an amendment.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar last year. I also had a job change situation where I over-contributed to 401k plans and received a corrective distribution in 2022 that I completely forgot to include on my return. The good news is that since you found the 1099-R and can see it shows code "P" with only $276 taxable, your tax impact should be pretty minimal. I was in a similar boat - my taxable portion was only around $300 and the additional tax owed was less than $100. I filed the 1040-X amendment myself and it was processed without any issues. The key things I learned: 1) File the amendment as soon as possible to show good faith, 2) Include a brief explanation that you're self-reporting an omitted 1099-R, and 3) Make sure to pay any additional tax owed with the amendment to minimize interest charges. The IRS was actually pretty reasonable about the whole thing since I caught and corrected it myself before they sent any notices. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think with job changes and retirement account corrections.

I just went through this same situation a few weeks ago! After years of using Credit Karma Tax, I was really frustrated when it disappeared. But I can confirm that Cash App Taxes is the direct successor and it's still completely free. What's great is that you don't actually need to download the Cash App or link any bank accounts - you can just go directly to their tax website and create an account there. The interface is almost identical to what Credit Karma had, so there's barely any learning curve. I was able to file my federal and state returns completely free, including some stock transactions and student loan interest deductions. The whole process took about the same amount of time as Credit Karma used to take. Definitely beats paying TurboTax's ridiculous fees for what should be a simple tax filing! If Cash App Taxes doesn't work out for some reason, I'd also recommend checking out FreeTaxUSA as a backup option - free federal filing with just a small state fee.

I can relate to this frustration completely! I was a long-time Credit Karma Tax user too and was really disappointed when I couldn't find it this tax season. After doing some research, I discovered that the service essentially lives on as Cash App Taxes now - it's the same underlying platform that Credit Karma used, just under new ownership. The transition happened because when Intuit acquired Credit Karma, they were required to sell off the tax filing portion due to antitrust concerns. Square (now Block) bought it and rebranded it as Cash App Taxes, but kept all the core functionality that made Credit Karma Tax so popular. I've been using Cash App Taxes for my 2024 filing and it's honestly almost identical to the old Credit Karma experience - same intuitive interface, same comprehensive coverage of tax situations, and most importantly, still completely free for both federal and state returns regardless of income level. You can access it directly at cash.app/taxes without needing to download the Cash App mobile application. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try before paying TurboTax's fees. It should handle your simple return just fine and save you that $89+ you're trying to avoid!

This has been such an educational thread! As someone who's been avoiding filling out my W4 properly for years, I finally feel like I understand what I'm actually doing. The key insight that helped me the most is understanding that the W4 is basically your estimate/prediction of what your tax situation will look like, not some permanent commitment. I've been treating it like it was carved in stone, but knowing I can update it anytime throughout the year if my situation changes really takes the pressure off. For anyone else still confused: if you have a qualifying child and expect to claim the $2,000 child tax credit when you file, put that child in Step 3 of your W4. This tells your employer to withhold less from each paycheck (spreading that $2,000 credit across the year). Just make sure you actually qualify - the child needs to live with you more than half the year, be under 17, and meet the other IRS requirements. The most important thing I learned is to be conservative if you're unsure. Getting a small refund is way better than owing money and potentially facing penalties. You can always adjust your withholding once you're more confident about your situation. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical advice is so much more helpful than trying to decode the official IRS instructions!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been struggling with the same W4 confusion for months. What really helped me understand it was thinking of the dependent section as essentially telling your employer "reduce my weekly withholding because I'm planning to get this credit at tax time." I have a 12-year-old who lives with me full time, so I should qualify for the $2,000 child tax credit. Based on everyone's explanations, I need to enter him in Step 3 so my employer withholds less from each paycheck throughout the year - basically spreading that $2,000 credit across my paychecks instead of waiting for a big refund. One thing that's still confusing me though: if I'm single and make around $65K per year, should I expect any other complications with the child tax credit? I keep reading about income limits and phase-outs but I'm not sure if that affects someone at my income level. I want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for problems when I actually file my taxes. The advice about being conservative makes a lot of sense - I'd definitely rather get a small refund than owe money and stress about it. And knowing I can adjust my W4 if something changes is really reassuring!