Has anyone used TurboTax or H&R Block for 1040NR? I tried using TurboTax but it kept asking me for Schedule OI info even though I'm not claiming treaty benefits. Is that normal?

I went through this exact same confusion last year! After doing a lot of research and speaking with a tax professional, here's what I learned: Schedule OI is technically required for ALL 1040NR filers, regardless of whether you're claiming treaty benefits or not. The confusion comes from the fact that many people think it's only needed for treaty claims, but if you read the actual instructions carefully, it asks for basic information like your visa type, country of residence, and days in the US - which applies to everyone filing 1040NR. That said, I've seen people successfully file without it when not claiming treaties, but why risk it? It's pretty straightforward to fill out Parts I and II with your basic info. Better to be complete and avoid any potential follow-up questions from the IRS. Good luck with your filing!

Has anyone ever had to report a daycare on their taxes WITHOUT the EIN? My kids went to a small home daycare last year and the lady claims she doesn't have an EIN because she's "too small" or something? She gave me a handwritten receipt with her social security number instead. Is that even legal?

I had a similar situation two years ago when our family daycare suddenly shut down mid-year. Here's what worked for me: 1. Check with your bank - if you paid by check, the canceled checks might have the EIN printed on them when they were processed by the daycare's bank. 2. Contact your state's Department of Social Services or equivalent agency that oversees childcare licensing. They maintain records of all licensed providers including their tax identification numbers. 3. Try reaching out to other parents who used the same daycare. Someone might have kept better records or received different paperwork that includes the EIN. 4. If the daycare was part of a larger organization or franchise, try contacting the parent company - they would have the EIN information. Don't give up on claiming this credit - $14,000 is a substantial amount and you're entitled to significant tax savings. Worst case, you can file your return and attach a statement explaining the situation. The IRS may follow up for more documentation, but they generally work with taxpayers in good faith when businesses close unexpectedly.

anyone know if turbo tax automatically calculates the business percentage of mortgage interest once you enter your home office percentage? or do i need to do that math separately and enter it manually?

Great question! I ran into this exact same issue last year. The "excess mortgage interest" term in TurboTax is really misleading - it mainly applies to mortgages over $750,000, so you shouldn't have to worry about it with your $385,000 mortgage. What you DO want to make sure you're capturing is the business portion of your mortgage interest for the home office deduction. This is completely separate from your decision to take the standard deduction. You can take the standard deduction for your personal taxes AND still deduct the business portion of mortgage interest on Schedule C. So if your home office is, say, 15% of your home's square footage, then 15% of that $18,000 annual mortgage interest ($2,700) would be deductible as a business expense for your husband's photography business. Just make sure the office space is used exclusively for business - that's the key requirement the IRS looks for. The beauty is this reduces your business income dollar-for-dollar, which can save you more in taxes than if it were just part of itemized deductions. Don't leave money on the table!

wish i knew this before i filed... now im stuck refreshing my bank account every 5 mins lmaooo

Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea about the extra delay when paying fees from refund. Makes total sense though - the money has to make an extra stop. Definitely keeping this in mind for next year's filing strategy.

Anyone know if TurboTax actually needs the information from these forms entered manually? Or do they just want to know which forms you have? Last year I remember answering questions about insurance but never entering anything from the actual 1095 forms.

Just to add some clarity for future reference - the key difference is really about WHERE you got your insurance from: - 1095-A: You bought insurance through Healthcare.gov or your state's marketplace - 1095-B: You had insurance from a private company, Medicare, Medicaid, or other qualifying coverage - 1095-C: Your employer (with 50+ employees) offered you health insurance Since you have B and C forms, it sounds like you had employer-sponsored insurance. When TurboTax asks about the 1095-A, just answer "No" - you don't need to hunt for one because you wouldn't have received one with employer coverage. The forms are mainly there to help you answer TurboTax's questions about what months you had coverage. You typically don't need to enter specific details from the forms themselves, just use them to confirm your coverage periods were accurate.