Does the tax treaty between your country and the US affect what deductions you can claim on 1040NR? I'm from India and heard there might be special provisions.

As someone who went through the exact same confusion last year on H1B, I feel your pain! The 1040NR deduction rules are definitely tricky. Beyond what others have mentioned about state taxes and charitable contributions, make sure you're aware of the tax treaty benefits between the US and your home country - this could be huge for your situation. One thing that helped me was keeping meticulous records throughout the year. For charitable donations, make sure they were to qualified US organizations (donations to foreign charities generally don't count). Also, if you had any business-related expenses that your employer didn't reimburse, those might be deductible depending on your specific situation. The IRS Publication 519 (US Tax Guide for Aliens) is actually more helpful than the main website once you get past the dense language. It has specific examples for different visa types and situations. Don't feel bad about being confused - even many tax preparers struggle with 1040NR filings because they're less common than regular returns.

I'm a tax attorney and see situations like this regularly. You're absolutely doing the right thing by addressing this proactively. Here's my professional take on your situation: First, get that IRS wage and income transcript immediately - it's crucial to know what they already have on file before you make any moves. If the employer filed proper paperwork, it'll show up there. If not, you still need to report the income you earned. Regarding the statute of limitations, while the normal 3-year period may have expired, voluntary disclosure through an amended return is still the right approach for several reasons: 1) It shows good faith for your bar application, 2) The IRS can still assess tax if they discover unreported income even after the statute expires in certain circumstances, and 3) Some states have longer statutes that could still be open. For your bar application, absolutely disclose this situation. Frame it as: "During preparation of my bar application, I discovered unreported income from 2019. I have obtained IRS transcripts, filed an amended return, and paid all taxes and penalties owed." Include documentation of your corrective actions. Character and fitness committees see this type of disclosure regularly. What matters is not that you made an honest mistake during a stressful time, but how you handled it when you discovered it. Your proactive approach demonstrates exactly the kind of professional responsibility they want to see. The penalties and interest on $4,200 of income will likely be minimal - probably under $300 total. Much less than the potential consequences of not addressing it properly. You're going to be fine. Handle this transparently and it may actually strengthen your application by demonstrating integrity under pressure.

I'm going through the exact same situation right now, so reading all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I discovered unreported income from a part-time tutoring job while putting together my bar application documents, and I've been losing sleep over it for weeks. What's giving me the most anxiety is the uncertainty - I keep going back and forth between "maybe it's not a big deal" and "this could ruin everything I've worked for." But seeing so many people share similar experiences where the bar committees actually viewed their proactive disclosure positively is really reassuring. I think the key takeaway from all these responses is that it's not about being perfect, it's about how you handle mistakes when you discover them. The fact that we're both catching these issues ourselves while preparing our applications shows we're taking the responsibility seriously. I'm planning to follow the step-by-step approach several people mentioned: get the IRS transcript, file the amended return regardless of what it shows, and be completely transparent on the bar application with full documentation. The consensus seems to be that honesty and proactive correction will be viewed much more favorably than trying to hide anything. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really helping both of us realize we're going to get through this!

As someone new to both this community and filing jointly, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! My husband and I just went through this exact situation - we filed our joint return and only he received the identity verification letter. I was immediately worried that I had made some error on my portion or that there was an issue with my income reporting. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief! It's clear that this is completely standard procedure - the state only needs to verify the primary taxpayer (whoever is listed first on the return) to validate the entire joint filing. The analogy someone made about bank security processes really helped me understand why this makes sense from a systems perspective. What I found most helpful was learning about the timelines - knowing that refunds typically process within 8 days to 3 weeks after verification completion gives me realistic expectations. The emphasis on responding promptly to avoid missing deadlines is also crucial information I wouldn't have known otherwise. My husband completed the verification yesterday, so now we're in the waiting period. But instead of being anxious like I was before finding this thread, I feel confident that everything will process normally. This community is such a valuable resource for first-time filers like us who don't understand all these procedures yet. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences!

As someone who just joined this community and is currently dealing with this exact situation, I can't express how relieved I am to have found this discussion! My spouse and I filed jointly about two weeks ago, and when only my spouse received the identity verification letter yesterday, I immediately assumed I had made some terrible error on my portion of our return. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's amazing how many people have gone through this same scenario! The explanation that states only verify the primary taxpayer (first person listed) on joint returns makes so much sense now, though I wish they would mention this somewhere in their communications to avoid the initial panic. What I found particularly helpful was learning about the typical timelines - 8 days to 3 weeks after verification completion seems to be the normal range for refund processing. I also appreciate everyone emphasizing the importance of responding promptly to avoid any delays. My spouse is planning to complete the verification online this weekend, and thanks to this thread, I now feel confident that our return will process normally. It's such a relief to know this is just routine procedure rather than an indication of problems with our filing. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this community is incredibly valuable for newcomers like me who are still learning these processes!

I run a small 501c3 and we have volunteers do fundraisers all the time. The BEST way is to set up a "Designated Fund Agent" relationship. This is a formal arrangement where the charity authorizes you in writing to collect funds on their behalf. The money never becomes your income - you're just acting as an agent for the nonprofit. The charity should provide you with a formal letter stating you're authorized to collect funds for the specific event, and you'll need to keep detailed records of all transactions.

The key thing to remember is that you want to avoid the money ever being considered your personal income. I've organized several charity events and learned this the hard way on my first one. Here's what works: Have the charities set up a joint event account or designate one of them to handle all finances. They collect the $200 ticket sales directly, then reimburse you for your documented $135 in expenses. This reimbursement is NOT taxable income to you - it's just covering your costs. Make sure to get a written agreement upfront that designates you as their authorized event coordinator and specifies the reimbursement process. Keep receipts for everything - catering, venue, entertainment, etc. The charity can then provide donors with proper tax-deductible receipts for the full $200. If the charities resist handling the money directly, explain that this approach actually protects them too - they maintain full control over the funds and can ensure proper documentation for their own tax reporting. Most 501c3s prefer this once they understand the benefits. Whatever you do, avoid having ticket sales flow through your personal accounts, even temporarily. That creates unnecessary tax complications and audit risks you don't want to deal with.

I've been through this exact situation! When I started at my current restaurant job, my first paycheck looked completely wrong compared to my previous non-tipped position. Here's what I learned: First, grab your paystub and look for these specific things: 1) Check if they're reporting "allocated tips" - this is when they assume you made a certain percentage of sales as tips even if you didn't actually receive that much in cash. 2) Look for any automatic deductions you weren't told about (uniform fees, meal charges, etc.). 3) Verify your filing status is correct - if they have you as single when you should be married filing jointly, you'll be way over-withheld. The fact that your owner was already sketchy about paying you makes this even more suspicious. I'd recommend taking your paystub to a tax professional or even your local library - many have free tax help programs where someone can review it with you. Also, don't let them brush you off if you ask questions about the withholding calculations. You're entitled to understand exactly how your taxes are being computed. If they can't give you a clear explanation, that's a red flag that something might be wrong.

Dylan, your instincts are spot-on to question this! Given the owner's history of payment issues, it's definitely worth digging deeper. I'd start by requesting a detailed breakdown of all withholdings from your payroll department. Here's what I'd check immediately: Compare your effective tax rate (not just dollar amounts) between jobs, since higher earnings naturally mean higher withholdings. Look for any "tip allocation" or "imputed income" on your stub - restaurants sometimes report assumed tips that inflate your taxable income. Check if they're withholding state taxes for the wrong location, and verify your W-4 filing status is correct. One thing that helped me when I had a similar issue was creating a simple spreadsheet comparing my old and new paystubs line by line. It made the discrepancies much clearer. Also, keep copies of everything - if there is an error, you'll want documentation when you file your taxes. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're being difficult for asking these questions. Understanding your paycheck is a basic right, and with this owner's track record, your skepticism is completely justified.