Update on taxes

I was reviewing my papers and discovered a misfiled 1099-S from 2022, I had put it in the house file instead of the higher-priority tax file. The IRS haven't seemed to mind that I hadn't noticed it but it does mean that I am supposed to report it on Form 8949, which will be easy in this case: it's about the sale of my main home, in which I lived long enough to adjust the whole gain away, and I am already using Schedule D anyway.

In consequently reviewing last year's US tax return, I also realized that I may be able to claim a bit more than I had, by adjusting Form 2555 a little and combining it with a Form 1116, so the effort is probably worthwhile. I should probably have done this in 2012 also but never mind, it's far too late now. Last year's taxes were always going to be tricky but this year's should be far simpler.

One thing that I find odd about US tax law is how much is left to the filer to decide in non-trivial strategy, much a here are the rules, now play the game and try to win the most, made worse by the fact that a decision in one tax year may constrain the available options in later years. Though I shan't attempt it, it even works backward: at first glance, my use of Form 1116 in 2022 looks to enable me to amend my 2021 return to claim more back, but that way madness lies.

So, this weekend, I plan to figure an amended 2022 return, including the missing but inconsequential Form 8949 and also using Form 1116 to improve my situation, and post that off to Austin, TX. I shall probably not have to face anything worse than a couple of worksheets, fortunately I don't have qualified dividends or the like.

More on taxes

In addition to the previous, now I have notification from the UK tax authorities^* that they are adjusting my payroll deductions because they expect me to owe a bit of tax this year. We shall see how that goes.

For US readers: it's as if they automatically manage one's Form W-4 withholding. In general, the UK system puts rather less work on the taxpayer.

^*HMRC, who have a large office within a short walk of my flat