Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who works in HR and deals with relocation packages regularly, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help with your specific timeline. First, since you're only going to be in Oregon for 3 months, I'd strongly recommend getting everything in writing from your Oregon employer about their repayment and W-2 adjustment process BEFORE you even start. Some companies have strict policies about when adjustments can be made, and with such a short employment period, you want to ensure they can actually process the reversal if you repay in the same tax year. Second, consider asking your California employer if they can structure their relocation package as a "relocation loan" initially, which converts to a grant after you meet certain tenure requirements. This might help you avoid having two large taxable relocation payments in the same year while you're sorting out the Oregon repayment. Also, given the multi-state complexity, you might want to establish a dedicated savings account just for tracking all the relocation-related transactions. Keep every receipt, email, and document related to both packages - the IRS and state tax authorities love detailed records when situations get this complicated. The advice about timing everything within the same tax year really is golden if you can make it work with your job transition timeline. Have you been able to discuss any flexibility in your start dates with the California employer?

As someone who's navigated a similar complex relocation situation, I'd add one more crucial consideration - make sure you understand the difference between "moving expense reimbursements" and "relocation bonuses" for tax purposes. If any portion of your $13,500 is categorized as qualified moving expense reimbursements (for actual moving costs like transport, temporary lodging, etc.), those portions might have different tax treatment than lump-sum relocation bonuses. However, keep in mind that under current tax law, moving expense deductions are suspended for most taxpayers through 2025, so even "qualified" moving expenses are generally taxable. Also, consider the timing of your actual physical moves. If you're moving from Oregon to California in the same tax year, you might be able to deduct some of the California move expenses if you meet the IRS distance and time tests, which could help offset some of the tax burden from the Oregon relocation income. One strategy that worked for me: I asked my new employer to pay certain relocation expenses directly to vendors (moving company, temporary housing, etc.) rather than reimbursing me. This reduced the taxable amount I received directly while still getting the same relocation benefits. Worth discussing with your California employer if they have flexibility in how they structure their $13,500 package. Document every mile, every receipt, and every day you're physically present in each state - this will be invaluable for both federal and state tax filings!

I'm in almost exactly the same situation - just realized I missed reporting $56 in dividend income from my TD Ameritrade account due to automatic reinvestment. Like everyone else here, I'm a relatively new dividend investor and had no idea those reinvested dividends were taxable events until the 1099-DIV showed up after I'd already filed. This thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! It's amazing to see how common this oversight is among new investors. The consistent advice from people with actual experience seems to be that for amounts under $100, the IRS generally doesn't pursue these discrepancies due to cost-benefit considerations and their current resource constraints. Based on all the shared experiences here, I'm definitely going with the "wait and see" approach. The additional tax would probably be around $11-14 in my bracket, and even with potential penalties would be far less than paying for a professional amendment. The insights about the AUR system thresholds and IRS staffing issues make this feel like a very reasonable decision. I'm also taking notes on everyone's suggestions for better tracking next year - definitely setting up an investment account checklist and maybe quarterly dividend logging. It's clear this is just one of those "rite of passage" mistakes that most new dividend investors make at least once. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real-world experiences - it's so much more valuable than generic tax advice!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - missed reporting $39 in dividend income from my Charles Schwab account because of automatic reinvestment. As someone who just started dividend investing last year, I had no idea that reinvested dividends were still taxable events until I received the 1099-DIV after already filing my return. Reading through everyone's experiences here has completely changed my perspective on this situation. Initially, I was panicking and considering paying a tax professional to file an amendment, but seeing the consistent advice from people with real experience has been incredibly reassuring. The fact that so many folks have been in similar situations with minimal to no consequences really highlights how common this oversight is for new dividend investors. Based on all the practical wisdom shared here, I'm definitely going with the "wait and see" approach. The potential tax impact would probably be around $8-10 in my bracket, which is far less than the cost of amending proactively. The insights about AUR thresholds and current IRS resource constraints make this feel like a very reasonable calculated risk. I'm also taking detailed notes on everyone's suggestions for next year - definitely setting up an investment account checklist and maybe quarterly dividend tracking to avoid this headache again. It's clear this is just one of those learning experiences that most new dividend investors go through. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive and informative discussion!

I've dealt with this exact issue before and it's frustrating! The negative foreign tax credit is definitely a software glitch, not how it should appear. Here's what worked for me: First, make sure you're entering the dividend information in the correct order. Enter the GROSS dividend amount (the total before any foreign tax was withheld) as your dividend income. Then, separately, enter the $142 as foreign tax paid - but make sure it's a positive number. If H&R Block keeps making it negative automatically, try this: Go to the dividend section first and verify the gross dividend amount is correct. Then find the foreign tax section and manually clear out any negative values. Re-enter just the $142 as a positive amount in the "foreign tax paid" field. The key thing to remember is that you're claiming a credit for tax that was already paid on your behalf to a foreign government. This reduces your US tax liability, so it should never be negative. If the software won't accept it, there might be an issue with how your broker reported it on the 1099-DIV form. Don't skip claiming this credit - $142 is real money that should reduce your tax bill!

I'm having a very similar issue but with FreeTaxUSA software instead of H&R Block. My foreign tax credit is showing up as negative too, and it's blocking my e-file submission. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like this might be a broader issue across different tax software platforms when handling foreign dividends. I have about $85 in foreign tax withheld from some Vanguard international index funds. Has anyone tried the approach of completely deleting all the dividend entries and then re-entering them from scratch? I'm wondering if starting fresh might avoid whatever input sequence is causing the negative values to appear in the first place. Before I spend money on any of these third-party services, I want to try every possible DIY fix. Also, for those who successfully resolved this - did you notice any difference in your final tax liability once the foreign tax credit was properly applied? I'm curious if this $85 credit will actually make a meaningful difference in what I owe or my refund amount.

Did your son have a job where he received a W-2? Because if someone else filed using his SSN, they probably made up income that doesn't match what's reported to the IRS from his actual employers. This mismatch actually helps his case because the IRS can verify the legitimate income sources.

I'm so sorry this happened to your son! Identity theft during someone's first tax filing experience is incredibly stressful. One thing that might help ease your mind - the IRS is actually pretty experienced with these cases since tax-related identity theft has become more common. Since you mentioned you haven't filed your taxes yet and still claim him as a dependent, you should be fine to proceed with your filing. Just make sure to include him as a dependent as you normally would. The identity theft issue is with his individual return, not your family's tax situation. Also, make sure your son keeps detailed records of every interaction with the IRS - dates, times, names of representatives he speaks with, and case numbers. This documentation trail will be invaluable if there are any delays or complications. The IRS agents handling identity theft cases are generally very helpful once you get through to them. Hang in there - this will get resolved, and your son will eventually receive his refund. It's just going to take some patience and persistence!

Quick question - does anyone know if you'll get all the refunds as separate checks? Or do they combine them somehow? I'm trying to figure out how to track everything if I file amendments for multiple years.

Just wanted to add some important details about the deadlines that weren't mentioned - you generally have 3 years from the original due date of the return (or the date you filed if later) to file an amended return to claim a refund. For your 2020 return, that deadline would be April 15, 2024 (or October 15, 2024 if you filed an extension). Since we're now in 2025, you might have missed the window for 2020 unless there are special circumstances. I'd definitely check with a tax professional or call the IRS to confirm whether you can still amend that 2020 return. The 2021 and 2022 returns should still be within the amendment period though. Also, don't forget that if you do get refunds from these amended returns, you might owe tax on any state tax refund you received in subsequent years (if you itemized deductions). It's a small detail but worth keeping in mind!