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good luck getting through tho. been trying for weeks π
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My transcript also shows "No Return Filed" even though I definitely submitted my return weeks ago. The empty fields for AGI and taxable income are driving me crazy because I know I had income to report. From what I've been reading, this seems to be happening to a lot of people this year. The IRS is apparently way behind on processing returns. I've been checking my transcript obsessively and the "as of" date keeps updating but nothing else changes. Have you tried using the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website? Mine still just says "processing" but at least it acknowledges they received my return, unlike the transcript. Hopefully we'll both see some movement soon! π€
EVERYONE still has to file federal taxes no matter what state you're in!!! the only question is whether you need to file STATE taxes which for nevada you don't. But feds? Yeah the IRS still wants their cut lol
Unless you make under the standard deduction amount ($13,850 for single filers in 2024). Then you're not required to file federal either (with some exceptions).
Just to clarify a few things that might help - you'll definitely need to file a federal return if your income meets the filing requirements (generally $13,850+ for single filers in 2024). Living in Nevada is great because you won't need to file a Nevada state return at all. However, if you had income from your previous state before moving to Nevada, you might need to file a part-year resident return there. Also, make sure your employer updated your address with payroll - sometimes they keep withholding for your old state even after you move, which can create complications. TurboTax should handle this correctly if you enter your move date and income information accurately. It will ask about your residency status and guide you through any multi-state filing requirements. The key is being precise about when you moved and where your income was earned throughout the year.
This is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I moved mid-year and my employer kept withholding taxes for my old state for a few months after I moved. Do you know if I can get those state taxes refunded when I file my part-year resident return? It seems like I overpaid since I wasn't actually living there anymore but they were still taking out state taxes from my paychecks.
Your friend is lucky to have someone helping navigate this! As a former church treasurer who dealt with clergy taxes for years, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help: **Start with the basics first** - Before getting overwhelmed with all the complex rules, have your friend request a meeting with the church's finance committee or treasurer to establish clear expectations. Many small churches honestly don't know the proper procedures either, so this conversation benefits everyone. **Consider hybrid documentation** - For housing allowance records, I always recommend clergy members take photos of major purchases (furniture, appliances, home repairs) and store them in a dedicated folder on their phone. It's much easier than keeping paper receipts, and you'll have timestamps. Also, create a simple monthly spreadsheet with categories like utilities, maintenance, mortgage interest, etc. **Quarterly payment strategy** - Since your friend is new to ministry, they won't have prior year taxes to base estimated payments on. I suggest calculating 30% of net monthly income after housing allowance exclusion, then making quarterly payments based on that. It's better to overpay slightly in the first year than face underpayment penalties. One last thing - many clergy members don't realize they can deduct half of their self-employment tax as an adjustment to income on their tax return. It's not itemized, so they get this benefit even if taking the standard deduction. The learning curve is steep at first, but once your friend gets systems in place, clergy tax management becomes much more manageable!
This is such practical advice, especially the tip about photographing major purchases for housing allowance documentation! As someone who's terrible with keeping physical receipts, having a digital system with timestamps sounds much more manageable. The point about meeting with the church finance committee is really smart too - it sounds like many of these tax complications could be avoided upfront if both the clergy member and the church understand their responsibilities from the beginning. I'm curious about the quarterly payment calculation you mentioned. When you say "30% of net monthly income after housing allowance exclusion," are you referring to the total compensation minus the housing allowance amount, or is there another calculation involved? My friend's church is still figuring out how much of his compensation to designate as housing allowance, so having a clear formula for the tax withholding would be really helpful. Also, that deduction for half the self-employment tax is great to know about - every little bit helps when you're paying the full 15.3%! Are there any other commonly missed deductions that new clergy members should be aware of?
Great question about the quarterly calculation! When I say "30% of net monthly income after housing allowance exclusion," here's the breakdown: Take total monthly compensation, subtract the designated housing allowance amount, then calculate 30% of what remains. So if your friend earns $4,000/month total with $1,500 designated as housing allowance, they'd calculate 30% of $2,500 = $750 for quarterly estimates. For the housing allowance designation, a good rule of thumb is to estimate actual housing costs (mortgage/rent + utilities + maintenance + furnishings) and designate that amount, but never more than fair rental value of the home. Keep it realistic - the IRS will scrutinize inflated amounts. Other commonly missed deductions for new clergy: continuing education expenses (seminars, books, subscriptions), professional memberships, vestments/clerical clothing, mileage for pastoral visits and church business, home office expenses if they have a dedicated space for ministry work, and costs for officiating weddings/funerals at other locations. Also, if they attend denominational conferences, those travel expenses are usually deductible. One tip: keep a simple mileage log in the car specifically for ministry-related travel - it adds up faster than people think and can be a significant deduction!
This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's been researching clergy tax issues to help my pastor brother-in-law, I wanted to share one more perspective that might be useful. We discovered that the timing of when your friend starts their ministry position during the year can actually impact their tax strategy. Since he's just starting, he has the advantage of being able to plan from the beginning rather than trying to fix mistakes mid-year like many clergy members have to do. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple monthly budget that separated regular living expenses from housing-related costs. This made it much easier to determine a reasonable housing allowance designation and also helped with tracking actual housing expenses throughout the year for documentation purposes. Also, since your friend is new to ministry, he might want to consider joining a clergy tax Facebook group or online community. We found several where experienced ministers share practical tips and updates about tax law changes. It's been invaluable for getting real-world advice from people who've been navigating these waters for years. The dual tax status really is confusing at first, but from what we've learned, the key is getting organized early and not being afraid to ask questions. Better to overcommunicate with the church board about tax procedures upfront than to discover problems at filing time!
This is such valuable information! I'm in a similar situation at 29 with a Roth 401k through my employer. Reading through this thread has been incredibly enlightening - I had no idea about the prorating rule difference between Roth 401k and Roth IRA withdrawals. One thing I'm curious about: when you do the rollover, how do you track the contribution basis vs. earnings for tax purposes? Do the financial institutions provide clear documentation, or do you need to maintain your own records? I'm worried about accidentally withdrawing earnings thinking they're contributions and getting hit with unexpected taxes and penalties. Also, for anyone considering this strategy, I'd recommend double-checking with your current 401k provider about any rollover fees or restrictions. Some plans have waiting periods or processing fees that could affect your timeline.
Excellent question about tracking! When you do a direct rollover, your receiving financial institution (like Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) should provide you with documentation showing the breakdown of contributions vs. earnings from the rollover. They're required to track this for tax reporting purposes. You'll typically receive a Form 5498 that shows your rollover contributions, and most brokers have online portals where you can see your contribution basis clearly separated from earnings. I'd recommend taking screenshots or keeping records of these statements right after the rollover for your own peace of mind. Pro tip: When you eventually make withdrawals, the IRS requires you to report them on Form 8606 if any portion consists of earnings. The financial institution will send you a 1099-R, but it's your responsibility to correctly report whether the withdrawal was from contributions (tax-free) or earnings (potentially taxable/penalized). And yes, definitely check for rollover fees! Some 401k providers charge $50-100 for processing rollovers. Also ask about any restrictions on partial rollovers if you only want to move a portion of your balance initially.
This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's been contributing to a Roth 401k for the past 4 years without fully understanding the withdrawal differences, I feel like I finally have a clear picture. One additional consideration I wanted to mention: if you're planning to do this rollover, timing can matter for tax purposes. I learned from my financial advisor that it's often best to complete rollovers early in the tax year so you have the full year to track any subsequent withdrawals properly. Also, for anyone worried about the complexity of tracking contributions vs. earnings after a rollover - most major brokerages (Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard) have really good online tools that clearly show your contribution basis. They make it pretty foolproof to see what you can withdraw without penalties. The peace of mind knowing I can access my contributions in a true emergency while still keeping everything growing for retirement has been worth the rollover process. Just make sure you understand all the rules before making any moves!
This is such a comprehensive discussion! I'm completely new to understanding retirement accounts and this thread has been a goldmine of information. I've been putting money into my employer's Roth 401k for about a year now, but honestly had no clue about any of these withdrawal rules or differences between account types. The timing tip about completing rollovers early in the tax year is really smart - I hadn't thought about how that could simplify tracking throughout the year. And it's reassuring to hear that the major brokerages have good tools for tracking contribution basis vs. earnings. As someone just starting out with retirement planning, should I be concerned about having "too much" accessibility to my retirement funds? I like the idea of having that emergency access, but I'm also worried I might be tempted to use it when I shouldn't. Is there a recommended strategy for balancing emergency fund savings vs. maxing out retirement contributions when you're younger?
Astrid BergstrΓΆm
I think we're missing the bigger picture here. The real issue isn't whether the UN or OECD should lead this effort - it's that multinational corporations have been exploiting gaps between different national tax systems for decades. Apple, Google, Amazon etc have gotten away with paying tiny fractions of what they should because countries can't coordinate effectively. Maybe instead of wealthy nations fighting to maintain control over a broken system, we should be asking which approach will actually result in fair taxation of these giant corporations? From what I've read, the UN plan gives developing countries more say, but does that translate to more effective taxation of multinationals? That should be the metric we use to evaluate these proposals.
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PixelPrincess
β’Totally agree! I'm so tired of seeing big corps pay less in taxes than I do as a small business owner. I don't really care if it's the UN or OECD leading the charge as long as someone closes these ridiculous loopholes. The current system is completely broken.
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Esmeralda GΓ³mez
As someone who runs a small manufacturing business with operations in three countries, I've been watching this UN vs OECD debate closely because it could seriously impact how I structure my operations going forward. What strikes me is that both frameworks seem to be missing input from small and medium businesses that actually operate internationally. Most of the discussion I see focuses on tech giants and massive multinationals, but there are thousands of smaller companies like mine that have legitimate cross-border operations without sophisticated tax planning structures. The UN plan's emphasis on economic substance sounds good in theory, but I'm concerned about the compliance burden. If every country gets more say in global tax rules, that could mean navigating even more complex reporting requirements across multiple jurisdictions. The OECD approach might be dominated by wealthy countries, but at least it's been developed with input from tax professionals who understand implementation challenges. I'd love to hear from other small business owners who operate internationally - are you more concerned about fairness in the global system or about the practical compliance costs of whatever new framework emerges?
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