For anyone filing internationally, ALWAYS keep copies of EVERYTHING you send to the IRS! I learned this the hard way when my return got "lost" after being delivered. When I finally got through to the IRS, they had no record of receiving it even though tracking showed delivery. I had to resend all my documents with proof of the original delivery date. The whole process took 5 months before I got my refund. Paper returns from overseas are definitely not processed with any urgency.

International returns are definitely a headache! I had a similar experience filing from the UK last year. The Where's My Refund tool on IRS.gov is 100% legitimate and safe - it's the official IRS website and they absolutely need your SSN to verify your identity before showing your refund status. One thing I learned: the tracking updates for international returns are really sparse. Mine showed "Return Received" for literally 10 weeks before suddenly jumping to "Refund Approved." Don't panic if you don't see movement for months - that's unfortunately normal for paper returns from abroad. Also, make sure you're checking the tool with the exact refund amount you claimed on your return. Even being off by a dollar will prevent it from finding your information. The system is pretty picky about matching all three pieces: SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount. Hang in there - $3,800 is definitely worth the wait, even if the process is frustrating!

anyone else notice the treasury checks coming faster this year? Got mine in 3 days flat

Same situation here! April 1st mail date on my transcript too. From what I've seen in this community, most people get their checks 3-5 days after the mail date. The USPS informed delivery tip from @Javier Torres is clutch - you'll literally see a photo of your check in the mail before it arrives. Takes some of the anxiety away knowing it's actually coming!

You're absolutely on the right track! The negative account balance of -$1,789 is exactly what you'll be getting back as a refund. That code 291 reducing your tax by $2,592 means the IRS has accepted your amended return and adjusted your tax liability downward - which is great news! The internal amendment from November that you didn't file is completely normal. The IRS often processes complex amendments in multiple stages, so they'll create internal adjustments as they work through your changes. Nothing to worry about there. Now you're just waiting for the final step - code 846 "Refund Issued" to appear on your transcript with a specific date. Once that shows up, your money will be direct deposited on that exact date. Based on similar cases I've seen, this usually happens within 1-3 weeks after the 291 code appears. Keep checking your transcript weekly (daily checking will just drive you crazy!). After 5 months of waiting, you're finally in the home stretch. The hardest part is over - the IRS has processed your amendment and approved your refund. Now it's just a matter of the system generating that final 846 code.

That negative account balance is exactly what you want to see! The -$1,789 means the IRS owes you that amount. I went through something very similar last year with my amended return - saw the 291 code appear and then waited about 2.5 weeks before the 846 refund issued code showed up. The internal amendment from November is totally normal - the IRS often processes amendments in stages internally. Nothing you need to worry about there. One thing to keep in mind: even though your account shows the credit balance, there could still be systemic holds or reviews happening in the background. The 810 refund freeze from April might still need to be fully cleared, but often the amendment processing takes care of those automatically. Your next step is watching for code 846 with a specific date. Once that appears, you can count on getting your money on that exact date if you have direct deposit set up. The waiting is brutal but you're definitely in the final phase now!

I went through this exact same process last year when I incorporated my mobile game development company in Ontario. The W-8BEN-E form was definitely intimidating at first, but once I understood the key classifications, it became much clearer. A few additional tips that helped me: 1. Make sure you're clear on your entity type classification in Part I - for a standard Canadian corporation, you'll typically select "Corporation" 2. In Part II (Disregarded Entity), you'll likely leave this blank since your corporation isn't a disregarded entity 3. For Part III (Claim of Tax Treaty Benefits), be very specific about citing "Article 12 of the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention" and state the rate as 0% for royalties 4. Don't forget to sign and date the form! I actually forgot this on my first submission and had to resubmit The key thing to remember is that App Store revenue for digital products is generally treated as royalties under the tax treaty, not business profits. This distinction is crucial for getting the right withholding rate. Good luck with your incorporation transition! It's definitely worth getting it right the first time to avoid delays with your App Store payments.

I just went through this exact process a few months ago when I transitioned my indie game studio to a corporation! The W-8BEN-E definitely feels overwhelming at first, but it's much more straightforward once you understand the key points. For Canadian corporations selling on the App Store, here's what I learned: **Income Classification**: Your App Store revenue is classified as royalties, not business profits. This is because you're licensing your software to Apple for distribution, making it royalty income under Article 12 of the Canada-US tax treaty. **Key Form Sections**: - Part I: Standard corporation info (make sure your legal name matches exactly with your incorporation docs) - Part III: Claim treaty benefits under Article 12, enter 0% withholding rate - Part XXV: Most app dev corps qualify as "Active NFFE" since you're actively running a business **Critical Details**: - Include your Canadian Business Number in the foreign tax ID field - In the Limitation on Benefits section, mention that you meet the ownership test (since all shareholders are Canadian) - Don't forget to actually sign and date the form! The treaty benefit is huge - it reduces your US withholding from 30% down to 0% for royalties. Having all Canadian shareholders actually helps because it makes the Limitation on Benefits provisions easier to satisfy. Apple typically reviews these within 5-7 business days. If they reject it, they'll usually tell you exactly what needs to be fixed. Just make sure every detail matches your corporate documents perfectly. Hope this helps! The corporate structure is definitely worth it for the tax benefits and liability protection.

18 I learned this the hard way - claiming exempt when you don't qualify is a red flag that can trigger an IRS audit. I tried something similar a few years back and got a letter from the IRS questioning my exempt status. Had to provide documentation proving I qualified (which I didn't), and ended up paying penalties plus interest. The safe harbor rule mentioned earlier is your best bet. You can use Form 1040-ES to calculate your required payments, or there's a simpler approach: take last year's total tax liability and divide by the number of pay periods. That's roughly what you need withheld per paycheck to avoid penalties. Also consider that while 2.5% APY sounds good, the underpayment penalty rate is currently around 8% annually. So even if you could legally claim exempt, you'd need to find an investment paying more than 8% just to break even on the penalty - and that's assuming you don't make any calculation errors.

I'd strongly recommend against claiming exempt unless you truly qualify. As others have mentioned, you can only legally claim exempt if you had no tax liability last year AND expect none this year - most people don't meet this criteria. A safer approach is to use the IRS withholding calculator or work with a tax professional to optimize your W-4. You can reduce your withholding to the minimum needed to avoid penalties (typically 90% of current year tax or 100% of prior year tax) and invest the difference. Keep in mind that even with a 2.5% APY, you're looking at maybe $200-400 in extra interest for most people, but underpayment penalties can easily exceed $500-1000. The risk/reward just doesn't make sense when there are legitimate ways to optimize your withholding without breaking tax laws. If you really want to maximize your money throughout the year, consider increasing 401k contributions or HSA contributions instead - these actually reduce your tax liability rather than just shifting when you pay it.