Has anyone tried just having the second job withhold at the flat "supplemental wage" rate instead of using the tax tables? For my wife's second job (she makes about $125k total), her employer lets her choose to withhold at the flat 22% federal rate for supplemental wages and it's been working pretty well.

I went through this exact same situation a few years ago! The multiple jobs withholding issue is really common and honestly, the tax system isn't designed to handle it intuitively. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - make sure you're also considering quarterly estimated tax payments as an option. If adjusting your W-4s feels overwhelming or if your side income varies significantly throughout the year, you can make quarterly payments directly to the IRS to cover the gap. I use the IRS Form 1040ES to calculate what I should pay quarterly for my consulting income. It's especially helpful if your side gig income fluctuates - some quarters I make more, some less, so I adjust my payments accordingly rather than trying to nail down exact withholding amounts. The IRS actually prefers to get money throughout the year rather than in one lump sum at tax time, so there's no penalty for overpaying via quarterly payments (you just get it back as a refund). Just another tool in your toolkit alongside fixing those W-4s!

One important thing no one mentioned yet - if you're expecting a significant income increase like your husband had, make sure you're looking at the safe harbor rules correctly. If your AGI is over $150,000, you need to pay 110% of your previous year's tax liability (not just 100%) to avoid penalties. Also, filing status matters here. Since you were both single last year and married this year, you'd need to calculate 110% of your COMBINED previous year tax liability. This is exactly why I use a CPA even though it costs more. They handle all this headache and help me sleep at night!

Just want to add something I learned the hard way - if you do end up owing a penalty for underpayment, make sure to use Form 2210 to calculate it yourself rather than waiting for the IRS to do it. Especially if you had uneven income during the year. The standard calculation assumes you earned income evenly throughout the year, which can result in a higher penalty if you earned more toward the end of the year. Form 2210 lets you show when you actually earned the income so the penalty is calculated fairly.

my experience: ignored this for years then had my european bank threaten to close my accounts if i didn't provide US tax forms (due to FATCA). trust me, waiting makes it worse! the penalties for willful non-compliance are scary ($100k+), but if you genuinely didn't know (non-willful), the streamlined procedures exist exactly for people like us. the key is filing before they find you! oh and important tip: some european banks are now refusing service to US citizens because of the reporting hassle. might be worth not mentioning your US citizenship to any new banks if possible 🤫

I'm in a very similar situation - US citizen through my mother, born and raised in Canada, just found out about FBAR requirements last month. The panic is real! After doing a lot of research and speaking with a tax professional, here's what I learned that might help you: 1. Yes, you absolutely need to file FBAR - it's based on citizenship, not birthplace or residency. At €45,000, you're well over the $10,000 threshold. 2. The Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures are your friend here. You can catch up on 3 years of tax returns and 6 years of FBARs without penalties if you can certify your non-compliance was non-willful (which sounds like your case). 3. You'll likely need to get a US Social Security Number first if you don't have one - you can apply at a US consulate in Amsterdam. 4. Don't wait! The longer you put it off, the harder it becomes to argue it was non-willful. Plus, with FATCA agreements, Dutch banks are likely already reporting US person accounts to the IRS. The good news is most people in our situation don't actually owe US taxes due to foreign tax credits and exclusions. It's mostly just paperwork to prove you don't owe anything. But that paperwork is unfortunately mandatory. Consider getting help from a tax professional who specializes in expat/dual citizen situations - it's complex enough that it's worth the investment for peace of mind.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past two years with my consulting partnership! The K-1 income classification problem is so frustrating when you're trying to qualify for credits. One thing that helped me was looking into whether any of my partnership activities could be reclassified. Since you mentioned you "barely made any money" - are you actually performing services for the partnership that could justify guaranteed payments? Even a small amount of guaranteed payments for your active work in the business would count as earned income. Also, regarding your fiancé not being able to claim the kids because of the 1095-A - have you looked into the rules around who can claim dependents when there's marketplace insurance involved? Sometimes there are ways to structure this that work better for your overall tax situation. The Premium Tax Credit calculations can be really complex when multiple people in a household have different income types. It might be worth getting a second opinion from a different tax professional who has more experience with partnership structures and marketplace insurance interactions. The combination of those two things creates some really specific scenarios that not all preparers are familiar with.

I went through this exact same situation with my small business partnership last year! The K-1 earned income issue is incredibly frustrating, but there are definitely some workarounds. What ended up working for me was restructuring part of my partnership income as guaranteed payments for services I actually perform in the business. Even if it's just a small amount - like $3,000-5,000 annually for bookkeeping, administrative work, or client management - those guaranteed payments get reported as self-employment income and count toward earned income for tax credits. The key is making sure you can document that you're actually providing services to justify the payments. Keep records of hours worked, tasks performed, etc. You'll pay self-employment tax on that portion, but the trade-off is worth it if you can qualify for EITC or other earned income-based credits. For your dependency situation with the 1095-A, definitely explore whether you or your fiancé claiming the kids results in better overall tax benefits for your household, even if you file separately. Sometimes the person with the "worse" individual tax situation should claim them if it maximizes the household's total refund/credits. I'd strongly recommend finding a tax professional who specifically has experience with partnership structures AND marketplace insurance - that combination creates unique scenarios that many preparers haven't dealt with before.

I went through almost the exact same situation when I moved to Berlin in 2022! The €3800 quote is definitely excessive - I ended up paying around €800 total for both countries by finding the right professionals. Here's what I learned: First, check if you're actually considered a German tax resident for 2023 since you moved mid-year. The 183-day rule could work in your favor. Second, the US-Germany tax treaty is your friend - it prevents true double taxation, but you need to understand which country has primary taxation rights for each income type. For your US employment income from Jan-June 2023, that's clearly US-sourced and will be taxed primarily by the US. Your German employment income from Nov-Dec will be taxed primarily by Germany. The rental income is where it gets tricky - since the property is in the US, the US has primary taxation rights, but Germany will want to tax it as part of your worldwide income if you're a resident. My advice: Use one of the AI tax tools mentioned above to get a baseline understanding of your situation, then find a US expat tax specialist (not a general firm) for around $400-500, and a German Steuerberater for €400-600. The key is finding people who already know the treaty well rather than paying someone to learn it on your dime. Also consider that this complexity is mainly for your 2023 transition year - future years should be more straightforward once you establish clear residency patterns.

As someone who dealt with a similar Germany-US tax situation, I'd strongly recommend getting clarity on your 2023 German tax residency status first - this could save you significant complexity and money. Since you moved to Germany in July 2023, you may not meet the 183-day requirement for German tax residency in 2023, which would mean Germany would only tax your German-sourced income (your Nov-Dec employment) rather than your worldwide income including the US rental property. For your US filing, you'll definitely need to report everything - your Jan-June US employment income and the rental income starting in August. The rental income will be taxed primarily by the US since that's where the property is located. If you do end up being a German tax resident for 2023, you'll report the rental income in Germany too, but you can claim a foreign tax credit for the US taxes paid to avoid double taxation thanks to the treaty. Before spending €3800, I'd suggest: 1) Determine your German residency status for 2023, 2) Try one of the AI tax tools mentioned above to understand your specific situation, 3) Then find specialists who already know the US-Germany treaty well rather than paying generalists to learn it. You should be able to handle both countries for under €1000 total if you find the right help. The good news is that 2024 and beyond should be much more straightforward once you're clearly established as a German resident with predictable income patterns in both countries.