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Has anyone found a good way to track foreign taxes throughout the year? I always get surprised by how much foreign tax I've paid when tax forms arrive in January. Trying to stay under that $300 threshold.
I use Personal Capital to track my investments and it shows the foreign taxes withheld on dividend distributions. Most brokerage accounts will also show this info if you look at the detailed dividend transaction. Way better than being surprised at tax time!
This is a really helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I have about $450 in foreign taxes from my Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund. I was also confused about why my tax software was showing different results when I experimented with the amounts. What I learned from my tax preparer is that the Form 1116 limitation formula can be especially harsh if you have a lot of domestic income relative to your foreign dividend income. In my case, the foreign dividends were only about 2% of my total income, so the limitation calculation really reduced my available credit. One thing that helped me understand this better was looking at the actual Form 1116 instructions and working through the calculation manually. The limitation is designed to prevent you from using foreign tax credits to offset U.S. taxes on U.S. income, which makes sense conceptually but can be frustrating when you see that full credit amount sitting there unused. For anyone dealing with this, make sure you're also checking if you can carry forward any unused foreign tax credits to future years - that's on Form 1116 as well and could help recover some of that "lost" credit over time.
This is such a great explanation! I had no idea about the carryforward option for unused foreign tax credits. Does that mean if I can't use the full credit this year because of the limitation calculation, I can potentially use the unused portion in future years? That would make the Form 1116 route much more palatable if I'm not actually "losing" that credit permanently. Also, your point about the 2% foreign income ratio really hits home - I think that's exactly what's happening in my situation too. My international fund dividends are a tiny fraction of my total income, so that limitation formula is killing my available credit.
I filed mine last April and got it in July. Make sure you filled out everything correctly cause one mistake and they'll send it back
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my injured spouse form in December and it's been crickets ever since. The anxiety is real when you're counting on that money. From what I've researched, the processing times can vary wildly depending on how backed up they are. I've been checking my transcript weekly (much more reliable than WMR like others mentioned) and at least I can see they received everything. Hang in there - we're all in this waiting game together! π€
If the direct deposit fails and you're waiting for a paper check, make sure your address is current with the IRS! I learned this the hard way last year when my check got sent to my old apartment. You can update your address by filling out Form 8822 but it might be too late if the check is already being processed.
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my direct deposit info got messed up and I'm stressed about waiting for a paper check. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like there are a few things you can try: 1. Call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 ASAP - some people have had luck changing their info before processing is complete 2. Contact Venmo support to see if they'll still accept the deposit even with the suspension (like LilMama23 mentioned) 3. If you do end up waiting for a paper check, those tracking tools people mentioned might help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what's happening The most important thing seems to be acting fast since once the refund is fully processed, your options become pretty limited. Good luck with getting this sorted out!
This is really helpful advice, Andre! I'm new to dealing with tax issues but this whole thread has been super educational. One thing I'm wondering - if someone's in this situation and their rent is due soon, would it be worth reaching out to local assistance programs while waiting for the paper check? I've heard some communities have emergency rental assistance that can help bridge the gap. Just a thought for anyone in a similar tight spot with timing!
My sister works for the IRS (not speaking officially ofc) and she always says they have bigger fish to fry than chasing people over a few dollars. Their computer matching system might catch it, but most likely it would fall below their internal threshold for sending notices.
Do you know what that threshold amount is? I've always wondered if there's a specific dollar amount they don't bother with.
She's never given me an exact number, but from what she's mentioned, it's more about the practicality of enforcement than a hard threshold. For something like $12 in dividends resulting in maybe $2-3 in tax, the cost of processing and sending notices would exceed what they'd collect. She's said they focus their limited resources on cases where there's meaningful revenue potential or patterns of non-compliance.
I'm an EA and deal with these situations regularly. For $12 in qualified dividends, you're looking at maybe $1-3 in additional tax depending on your bracket. The practical reality is that the IRS automated matching system might flag it, but it would likely fall below their enforcement threshold. That said, if you want to be 100% compliant, you can file Form 1040X. Most tax software charges around $40-60 for amendments, so you'd be paying significantly more than the actual tax owed. My recommendation for clients in similar situations: Keep the 1099-DIV with your tax records and document your decision. If you ever get a notice (highly unlikely for this amount), you can respond showing you received the document after filing and the minimal tax impact. The IRS is much more understanding when they see you have the documentation and there's clearly no intent to evade taxes.
Savanna Franklin
Quick question - do I face the same issue with multiple brokerage accounts? I have accounts with Fidelity, Robinhood and Webull, and only received 1099s from Fidelity so far.
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Juan Moreno
β’Yes, you need 1099s from all your brokerage accounts if they're required to issue them. Different brokers have different timelines for releasing tax documents though. Robinhood and some of the newer platforms are notorious for sending them out closer to the deadline. Check your email - they often send notifications when documents are ready rather than mailing physical copies.
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Luca Ferrari
Hey Romeo, I totally understand your stress about this! I went through something similar last year. Here's what I learned: First, check if your investment platform has a minimum threshold for issuing 1099s. Some smaller platforms only issue them if you have $10+ in dividends or $600+ in other income. With $750 in total trades, you might fall below their threshold. However, you're still legally required to report all investment income and losses regardless of whether you receive a 1099. The good news is that if you lost money overall, those losses can actually help reduce your tax burden! Here's my suggestion: Download your complete transaction history from the platform (this is usually available even if 1099s aren't). You'll need the purchase date, sale date, purchase price, and sale price for each transaction. Then you can either: 1. Use tax software that can import trading data 2. Manually fill out Form 8949 and Schedule D 3. Use one of the specialized tax tools mentioned above Don't panic about the deadline - you can always file an extension if needed. The most important thing is to report accurately, even if it means using your transaction history instead of waiting for a 1099 that might not even be coming. You've got this! The $200 loss you mentioned can actually offset other income, so it's worth documenting properly.
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Jeremiah Brown
β’This is really comprehensive advice! I'm actually in a similar boat with a small trading account and was worried about not having official forms. The point about minimum thresholds is super helpful - I had no idea that was even a thing. @Romeo Barrett - definitely check your platform s'FAQ or help section for their 1099 thresholds. And like Luca said, those losses can actually work in your favor tax-wise. I ve'been putting off dealing with this but sounds like I need to just download my transaction history and get it done. Thanks for breaking this down so clearly - makes the whole process seem way less intimidating!
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