I think everyone's overcomplicating this. If you're making money from Only... I mean "selling pictures online" and it's not much, just don't report it? Use cash app or something that doesn't send tax forms. The IRS isn't going after small fish especially international students.

I went through almost exactly the same situation last year as an international student with online income! Here's what I learned: You definitely need to report this income - the IRS considers any money earned while physically present in the US as taxable, regardless of citizenship status. For digital art commissions, you'll be filing as self-employed using Form 1040NR and Schedule C. Regarding privacy, this was my biggest concern too. The good news is that ALL tax correspondence goes to whatever address you put on your return - just use your current US address and nothing will be sent to your home country. I also set up an online IRS account to access everything electronically, which minimized any physical mail. One thing that really helped me was checking if your home country has a tax treaty with the US. Many countries do, and it can significantly reduce what you owe or even exempt certain types of income. The IRS Publication 901 has all the details. Keep detailed records of any expenses related to your art business (software, supplies, equipment) - these are deductible and can really help reduce your tax burden. And if you're making over $400 net profit, you'll need to pay self-employment tax too. Don't stress too much about keeping it private from your family - the US tax system is completely separate from your home country's system, and there's no automatic information sharing for individual tax returns.

anybody else notice the tap website is down like every other day? 🤔

I'm in the same situation! Filed my Mississippi return about a month ago and still waiting. Thanks for asking this question - the www.dor.ms.gov/tap link that Daryl shared is exactly what I needed. Just checked and my refund is finally showing as "in process" so hopefully it'll come through soon. Mississippi definitely takes way longer than federal but at least now we can track it!

I found a way to solve IRS 810 freeze refund delay, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8t41rc5zd0

To all those having trouble reaching a human at IRS. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

Just a heads up for anyone still dealing with this - there's a simpler workaround for the freefillableforms.com bug! If you enter a date in yyyy-mm-dd format (like 2025-04-15) instead of using the calendar picker, it seems to bypass the XML validation error. I just got my confirmation after trying this method.

I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with the exact same freefillableforms.com extension issue. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like there are multiple workarounds that actually work: 1. The date format fix that @Sadie Benitez just mentioned sounds promising and simple to try first 2. Filing extension without payment through freefillableforms, then paying separately via IRS Direct Pay 3. Using the IRS's own extension tool instead 4. Getting help through taxr.ai to troubleshoot the specific XML errors 5. If all else fails, using a paid service like TurboTax or getting through to IRS directly via Claimyr This is super helpful since I was about to panic with the deadline approaching. Going to try the date format workaround first since it's the quickest, then move to the IRS Direct Pay method if that doesn't work. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - way more useful than the generic troubleshooting guides online!

This is exactly why I always recommend double-checking your return with a second software before filing! The $653 difference you found is significant and unfortunately more common than people realize. Since you've already identified that TurboTax missed your student loan interest deduction, you're definitely on the right track with filing an amended return. Just make sure you have all your documentation ready - the IRS will want to see your Form 1098-E (student loan interest statement) to verify the $2,100 deduction you're claiming. One thing to keep in mind: the student loan interest deduction phases out at higher income levels, so double-check that your modified adjusted gross income qualifies you for the full deduction. But if FreeTaxUSA properly calculated it and you're under the income limits, you should be good to go. Filing that 1040-X might take several months to process, but getting back $650+ is definitely worth the wait. In the future, maybe run your taxes through two different programs before filing - could save you this headache next year!

This is such a frustrating situation but unfortunately more common than it should be! The fact that you found the issue (missing student loan interest deduction) shows how important it is to double-check these calculations. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - when you file your 1040-X, make sure to write a clear explanation in Part III about what happened. Something like "TurboTax software failed to apply student loan interest deduction of $2,100 despite information being entered." This helps the IRS processor understand the error quickly. Also, keep detailed records of this entire situation. If you ever get audited in the future, having documentation showing you proactively caught and corrected an error actually looks good. It demonstrates you're trying to pay the correct amount, not trying to cheat the system. The 4-5 month wait for amended returns is painful, but that $650+ refund will be worth it. And definitely use that two-software strategy going forward - I've been doing it for years and it's caught several errors that would have cost me money.