I've been following this discussion and wanted to add some practical advice about dealing with international dependent situations. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping records of ANY financial support you provide - not just monthly remittances. This includes things like paying for health insurance premiums directly to providers in the Philippines, online purchases shipped to your child (like school supplies from Amazon), or even paying tuition fees directly to schools via international wire transfers. The IRS looks at total support provided, and these direct payments can really add up over the year. I learned this when my tax preparer pointed out I was underestimating my total support contribution by not including the $800 I spent on my daughter's medical insurance and the $300 in school supplies I had shipped directly. Also, regarding the 50% support test - don't forget that "support" includes fair market value of lodging. If your child is living rent-free with a relative, you still need to include the fair rental value of their housing in the total support calculation. This can actually work in your favor since housing costs in the Philippines are typically much lower than what you might assume. One last tip: if you're unsure about your calculations, consider consulting with a tax professional who has experience with expat and international dependent situations before filing. The dependent exemption and credits can be worth several thousand dollars, so it's worth getting it right the first time.

I've been dealing with a similar situation for the past three years with my son living in the Philippines with his mother. Based on my experience, you should be able to claim your daughter as a dependent since she's a US citizen, but you need to be very careful about documentation. Here are the key things I learned: **Documentation is everything:** Keep records of ALL support - not just money transfers. This includes direct payments to schools, medical providers, insurance premiums, and even items you ship directly. I use a spreadsheet to track every expense by category and date. **The 50% support test is tricky:** You need to prove you provide more than half of her TOTAL living expenses, not just more than what her mother provides. Research actual costs in her specific area of the Philippines - housing, food, education, healthcare, etc. Numbeo.com has good cost of living data by city. **Currency conversion matters:** I use the average exchange rate for the tax year (available on IRS.gov) when converting peso expenses to USD for my calculations. **Work with the caretaker:** Ask her mother to help document major expenses with receipts when possible. This gives you real numbers instead of estimates. **SSN is critical:** Make sure you have your daughter's Social Security Number ready. Returns get rejected immediately without it. I've successfully claimed my son for three years now without any issues from the IRS. The dependent exemption and Child Tax Credit saved me about $3,500 last year, so it's definitely worth getting right. Happy to answer any specific questions about the process!

Thanks for starting this discussion - this is such an important topic that many people don't think about until it's too late! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I converted my primary residence to a rental for a few years and now I'm back living in it. One thing I want to emphasize is that the IRS computer systems have become incredibly sophisticated at matching data. When you eventually sell, they'll receive a 1099-S showing the sale price, and their systems can cross-reference that against your historical Schedule E filings to look for potential depreciation recapture situations. The key thing to remember is that depreciation recapture is calculated on the LESSER of: (1) the total depreciation you claimed (or should have claimed) during the rental period, or (2) the gain on the sale. So even if your property appreciates significantly by 2035, you're only paying recapture tax on that 2.5 years worth of depreciation, not the entire gain. My advice would be to create a simple spreadsheet now documenting your rental period dates, the property's basis when converted to rental, and the annual depreciation amounts. Even if you lose your tax returns, having this basic information will help you (or your tax preparer) reconstruct the numbers accurately when the time comes. The peace of mind is worth the small effort now!

This is such a valuable discussion! As someone who works in tax compliance, I want to add a few practical points that might help with your long-term planning. First, regarding IRS record keeping - while they officially keep records for about 7 years, their property transaction matching systems have become much more sophisticated. They maintain databases that can cross-reference 1099-S forms (property sales) with historical Schedule E filings going back much further than 7 years. So yes, they absolutely can and do catch depreciation recapture issues even from many years ago. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the Section 121 exclusion interaction. Since this was your primary residence before and after the rental period, you may be able to exclude up to $250K (single) or $500K (married) of gain when you sell - but this doesn't apply to the depreciation recapture portion. That will always be taxable at the 25% rate (under current law). My recommendation would be to treat this as a compliance issue, not a "will they catch me" gamble. Create that documentation spreadsheet others have mentioned, but also consider filing Form 3115 (Application for Change in Accounting Method) if you realize you calculated depreciation incorrectly in those years. This lets you fix errors proactively and often reduces penalties. The peace of mind of having everything properly documented and calculated is worth far more than any potential tax savings from hoping it gets overlooked.

14 One thing nobody's mentioned - make sure you're properly licensed and insured for a home laundry business! My sister got hit with fines because she didn't have the right permits. Also affects your tax situation because those permit fees and insurance premiums are deductible business expenses.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who's been running a small home-based service business for a few years, I can definitely relate to the confusion around deductions. One thing I'd add is to consider setting up a separate business bank account if you haven't already - it makes tracking business expenses so much easier come tax time. Also, don't forget about deducting your business insurance premiums, any professional memberships or subscriptions related to your laundry business, and even mileage for business-related trips (like picking up supplies or meeting clients). These smaller deductions can really add up over the year. Keep receipts for everything and consider using a simple spreadsheet or accounting app to track expenses monthly rather than scrambling at tax time. One last tip - if you're doing laundry for other businesses, make sure you're issuing proper invoices and keeping copies. The IRS loves to see that paper trail for business-to-business transactions.

I'm so glad you posted this question! I went through this exact same confusion last year and felt like I was going crazy trying to figure out if I had some kind of error in my documents. The short answer is: yes, for individual taxpayers like you and me, your TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) and SSN (Social Security Number) are exactly the same 9-digit number! The reason it's confusing is that the IRS uses "TIN" as a catch-all term for different types of tax identification numbers - SSNs for individuals, EINs for businesses, ITINs for certain non-residents, etc. So when you see those matching last 4 digits on your transcript, that's not a weird coincidence - it's exactly what you should expect to see. Your documents are completely correct and you're all set for your 2024 filing. I remember spending way too much time googling this and getting more confused by all the technical explanations. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one: for most of us regular taxpayers, when the IRS says "TIN" they're just referring to our Social Security Number using their formal terminology. You're being smart by double-checking everything before filing - that attention to detail will definitely serve you well during tax season!

I'm so glad you asked this question because I had the exact same confusion when I first looked at my IRS transcript! I kept staring at the document thinking there must be some kind of mistake because I always assumed TIN and SSN were completely different numbers. The reality is much simpler than it seems: for individual U.S. taxpayers like yourself, your TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) IS your SSN (Social Security Number). They're the exact same 9-digit number! The IRS uses "TIN" as an umbrella term that covers all types of taxpayer identification - SSNs for individuals, EINs for businesses, ITINs for non-resident aliens, etc. So those matching last 4 digits you're seeing on your transcript aren't a coincidence or an error - they're exactly what you should expect to see. Your documents are completely correct and you're all set for filing your 2024 taxes with confidence. I totally understand why this is confusing though. The IRS could really help by adding simple explanations like "For individual taxpayers, your TIN is your SSN" right on their forms. Would save so many people from this same worry! You're definitely not missing anything obvious - you're just being appropriately careful about checking your documents, which is actually a great habit for tax season.

Ugh, I've been through this exact same nightmare! That "Maximum attempts exceeded" error is the worst - it's basically the IRS system putting you in digital timeout after too many failed attempts. Unfortunately there's absolutely no way around the 24-hour lockout, trust me I tried everything. When you go back tomorrow, make sure you have the EXACT refund amount from line 35 of your tax return - not an estimate! Even being off by a single dollar will count as a failed attempt and could lock you out again. Also double-check your filing status matches exactly what you submitted. Try using the basic "Where's My Refund" tool first instead of jumping straight to transcripts - it's way less sensitive and you're less likely to get locked out again. Only attempt once or twice max before backing off if it doesn't work. The good news is this lockout doesn't mess with your actual refund processing at all - your money is still being handled normally behind the scenes. The IRS just got super paranoid about security this year after some data breaches, which is why everything seems so much stricter now. I know waiting another day when you're stressed about your refund totally sucks, but you should be able to get through tomorrow with the right info! 🤞

This happened to me too and it's so annoying! That error message is basically the IRS website's security system kicking you out after too many failed attempts. Unfortunately, you really do have to wait the full 24 hours - there's no way around it. When you try again tomorrow, make sure you have the EXACT refund amount from line 35 of your Form 1040 (not an estimate - even being off by a few dollars can trigger another lockout). Also double-check that your filing status matches exactly what you filed. Try the basic "Where's My Refund" tool first instead of going straight to transcripts - it's less sensitive to failed attempts. And only try once or twice max before stepping away if it doesn't work. The good news is this lockout doesn't affect your actual refund processing at all! Your refund is still being handled normally. The IRS just got really strict with security this year, which is why the system seems so sensitive now. Hang in there! 🤞