18 Does anyone know if dental and vision insurance premiums count toward the medical expense deduction too? My W-2 doesn't break anything out either.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through a similar situation last year. One thing that might help is to check if your husband's employer offers an HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account). If you're contributing to either of these, those contributions would also reduce your taxable income and might explain why some health-related expenses aren't showing up where you expect them on the W-2. Also, if you do end up itemizing and can deduct some of your medical expenses, don't forget to include things like prescription costs, doctor visits, and even mileage to medical appointments (it's 22 cents per mile for 2024). These smaller expenses can add up and help you reach that 7.5% AGI threshold more easily. FreeTaxUSA actually has a pretty good medical expense tracker if you dig into the itemized deductions section - it walks you through all the different categories of qualifying expenses.

This whole discussion has been super enlightening! I was in a similar boat - switched jobs twice in 2024 and kept overthinking the W4 each time. What finally helped me was realizing that the W4 is essentially a "snapshot" form - it only cares about your employment situation at the moment you're filling it out. Since you only have one job currently, definitely don't check the multiple jobs box. That section is specifically for people juggling two or more jobs simultaneously (like someone working retail on weekends while having a full-time office job). One practical tip that worked for me: after filling out your W4 based on your current single-job situation, wait for your first few paychecks and then check the year-to-date withholding amounts. You can compare those numbers with what the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator suggests you should have withheld by that point. This gives you a real-time check on whether your withholding is on track without having to wait until tax season to find out. The unemployment gap you had will likely work in your favor tax-wise since your total 2024 income was probably lower than earning a full year's salary. But the estimator will give you the definitive answer once you have all your 2024 tax documents in hand.

Thank you all so much for this incredibly helpful discussion! As the original poster, I can't tell you how much clarity this has brought to my W4 confusion. The key insight that finally made it click was understanding that the W4 is forward-looking instructions for my current employer's payroll system, not a historical record of my employment. Since I only have one job now, I definitely won't be checking the multiple jobs box. I love the "snapshot" analogy that @Jessica Suarez mentioned - that's exactly how I'm going to think about W4s going forward. And @Carmen Ruiz, your HR perspective really sealed the deal for me in terms of understanding what employers actually need to know for withholding purposes. I'm planning to follow the two-step approach several people recommended: fill out my W4 based on my current single-job situation, then use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator once I get my 2024 W-2s to double-check everything. It sounds like my unemployment gap might actually work in my favor since my 2024 income was lower overall. This community is amazing - you all turned what felt like an impossible tax puzzle into something completely manageable. I feel so much more confident about getting my withholding right for 2025. Thanks again everyone!

Has anyone tried getting W2s directly from ADP or other payroll companies? I know several of my former jobs used ADP for payroll, and they supposedly keep records for many years. Just wondering if that's a viable option before I go through the IRS transcript hassle.

Don't feel bad about being behind on your taxes - you're definitely not alone in this situation! I went through something similar a few years back and it felt overwhelming at first, but it's totally manageable once you get started. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline of my work history first. Even if you can't remember exact dates or company names, try to recall the general timeframe and locations where you worked. Then cross-reference that with your bank statements if you still have access to old ones - look for direct deposits or paychecks that might help you identify employers. Also, don't let perfect be the enemy of good here. The IRS is generally pretty reasonable when you're making a good faith effort to catch up on back taxes, especially if you're being proactive about it. Focus on getting the information you can gather easily first, then tackle the harder-to-find stuff. You mentioned this is technically your first time filing - consider getting help from a tax professional who deals with back taxes regularly. They often have experience with these exact situations and can guide you through the process while making sure you don't miss any deductions or credits you might be entitled to.

Has anyone noticed that different tax software handles this Schedule B threshold differently? I tried both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA this year to compare, and TurboTax automatically included all my interest on Schedule B (even though it was under $1500) once my dividends triggered the form, but FreeTaxUSA only listed the dividends. Both approaches are technically correct based on what others have said here, but it's interesting how the implementation varies.

This is such a helpful thread! I was dealing with almost the exact same situation with my mom's taxes. She had $1,650 in dividends and $900 in interest, and I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why TurboTax wasn't putting the interest on Schedule B. Now I understand it's because each type of income has its own $1,500 threshold. The dividends triggered Schedule B since they exceeded $1,500, but the interest didn't need to be included since it was under the threshold. What's frustrating is that none of the major tax software explains this clearly in their help sections - they just say "Schedule B is required for interest and dividends over $1,500" without clarifying it's separate thresholds, not combined. Thanks to everyone who provided the clear explanations here!

Has anyone considered that this might qualify as a qualified residence? IRS Publication 936 says that a qualified home includes "a house, condominium, cooperative, mobile home, house trailer, or boat that has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities." It doesn't specifically exclude foreign properties! You just need to live in it for at least 14 days per year OR 10% of the days it's rented out (which would be 0 in your case so the 14 days would apply).

Based on what you've described, unfortunately the mortgage interest won't be deductible. The key issue is that for foreign property to qualify for mortgage interest deduction, it needs to meet the same requirements as domestic property - either be your main home or a qualified second home that you use personally for at least 14 days per year. Since you're renting in the US (so this isn't your main home) and only visiting the foreign property "a few times a year," it's unlikely you're hitting that 14-day threshold. The fact that your parents might live there part-time doesn't count toward your personal use days. However, don't overlook other potential tax implications! Make sure you're properly reporting the foreign property on Form 8938 if it meets the reporting thresholds. Also, if you ever decide to rent it out in the future, that would open up different deduction possibilities (though it would also create rental income reporting requirements). Consider consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international tax matters, especially given the complexity of foreign property ownership and varying interpretations of the rules.