Just a heads up, the taxation of scholarships also depends on what type of visa you have. I'm on F-1 and discovered that we're generally considered "non-resident aliens" for tax purposes during our first 5 calendar years in the US, which means different tax rules. I messed up last year by using TurboTax, which doesn't handle international student taxes correctly. Sprintax is actually better for our situation, so I think you're using the right software.

I completely understand your panic - I went through the exact same shock last year! The $3,300 bill sounds about right if a significant portion of your scholarship was used for living expenses rather than tuition. Here's what likely happened: when you entered your total scholarship amount into Sprintax, it correctly identified that only the portion used for qualified educational expenses (tuition, required fees, books) is tax-free. The rest - anything used for housing, meals, personal expenses - is taxable income for international students. As an F-1 student, you're considered a non-resident alien for tax purposes, which means stricter rules apply to scholarship taxation compared to US citizens. The good news is that if you can document exactly how much of your scholarship went directly to tuition and required fees, you can reduce the taxable amount. I'd recommend going back through your Sprintax filing and double-checking that you properly separated qualified vs non-qualified expenses. Also, since you're from Malaysia, check if the US-Malaysia tax treaty provides any student benefits that might apply to your situation. Don't lose hope - there are often ways to reduce what you owe once you understand the rules better!

Something important that nobody has mentioned yet - you need to make sure you're still explicitly electing Section 179 on your Form 4562 even though the deduction is completely phased out this year. If you don't make the election, you can't carry forward the disallowed amount!

This is such a helpful discussion! I'm dealing with a similar situation where we purchased $3.2 million in equipment this year and got completely phased out of Section 179. Reading through everyone's responses, I think I need to seriously consider the bonus depreciation route that Natalie mentioned instead of carrying forward the Section 179. Quick question for the group - if I'm understanding correctly, with bonus depreciation at 80% for 2024, I could potentially deduct $2.56 million this year ($3.2M × 80%) versus waiting to use a Section 179 carryforward in future years when bonus depreciation will be lower? That seems like it could be significantly more advantageous, especially since bonus depreciation drops to 60% next year. Has anyone done the math comparison between taking bonus depreciation now versus Section 179 carryforward for large equipment purchases?

Direct Deposit is the way 2 go bestie... learned that lesson last year when my check got lost in the mail 💀

Been there with the daily WMR checking! 😅 From my experience, once you get the 846 code, paper checks usually arrive 5-10 business days later. Mine took exactly 7 days last year. The waiting is the worst part but at least once you see that 846 you know your money is coming! Pro tip: set up USPS Informed Delivery so you can see when the check is actually coming in your mail that day - saves some anxiety!

Filed Feb 16th and just wanted to share my experience - I was also stuck in processing limbo for about 9 weeks with zero updates on the "where's my refund" tool. Finally got fed up and contacted the taxpayer advocate program like others mentioned here. Within 2 days of filing the request, an advocate called me back and explained that my return was flagged for identity verification (apparently happens randomly now). She was able to clear it immediately over the phone after I provided some basic info to confirm my identity. Got my refund direct deposited 5 days later! Don't wait as long as I did - if you're past 8 weeks definitely reach out to them. The regular customer service line is basically useless but the advocates actually have power to resolve issues.

Filed Feb 7th and just got my refund this morning after 11 weeks! For anyone still waiting, I wanted to share what finally worked for me. After reading all these comments about the taxpayer advocate program, I decided to give it a shot at week 9. The advocate discovered my return was stuck because of a minor discrepancy with my W-2 wages (off by like $15 due to a rounding error). She was able to override it within a few days and my refund processed immediately after that. The regular customer service reps never mentioned this specific issue - they just kept saying "processing." Definitely recommend the advocate route if you're past 8-10 weeks. Also keep checking your bank account even if the "where's my refund" tool doesn't update - mine never changed from "processing" until the money was already in my account!

Just wanted to add that Sprintax isn't always the best with explaining the FICA refund process for international students and scholars. I was on an F1 visa (similar issue with FICA refunds as J1) and they never told me the refund would come as a check separate from my regular tax refund. My check ended up at my university's international office because that was the address I had listed, and I almost missed it! For anyone reading this who's filing through Sprintax in the future - make sure you use an address where you'll actually be able to receive mail 6-12 months after filing.

I went through this exact same situation with my J1 visa in 2022! The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you can't track the status anywhere. A few key points from my experience: - FICA refunds are indeed processed as paper checks only, never direct deposit - They use the address from your Form 843, not your 1040NR - Processing times are incredibly slow - mine took 14 months total Since you've moved back to your home country, I'd strongly recommend calling the IRS international line at +1-267-941-1000 as soon as possible to update your address. When I called, they were able to see that my check had already been processed and mailed to my old address. They put a stop on that check and reissued a new one to my international address. The key is being proactive - don't just wait and hope it shows up. The IRS won't automatically know you've moved internationally unless you tell them. Also, keep in mind that even after you update your address, it can take another 4-6 weeks for them to reissue the check. Good luck! The money is probably there waiting for you, just needs to get to the right address.