Can someone explain WHY banks give 1042-S for promotions? I got $200 from Bank of America for opening an account and now im dealing with this form too. I'm Canadian also. Isn't a promotion more like a gift than interest??

I'm in a very similar situation as a Canadian who received a US bank promotion bonus! After reading through all these responses, I wanted to share what I learned from my own research and talking to a cross-border tax specialist. For non-resident aliens like us, the key points are: - The 1042-S is just an information return - you don't file it yourself - Income code 29 with zeros in boxes 7 and 10 typically means no US filing requirement - However, you MUST report this income on your Canadian tax return as foreign income One thing I didn't see mentioned is that some provinces have different rules for reporting foreign income, so it's worth checking your specific provincial requirements too. Also, keep the 1042-S form for your records - CRA might ask for it if they have questions about the foreign income you reported. The US-Canada tax treaty generally protects Canadian residents from double taxation on this type of income, which is why you likely see zero withholding. But Canada still wants to tax you on it since you're a Canadian resident.

This is actually pretty common during peak filing season! The IRS has different systems for acceptance vs processing. When TaxAct said "approved," they meant your return passed the initial validation checks and was accepted into the IRS queue. But the actual processing (where it shows up in their records) can take 1-3 weeks. The verification letter you received was likely requested by a third party - maybe for a loan application, government benefits, or background check? These are often automatically generated when someone needs proof of your filing status. Since you filed on Feb 12th and the verification was requested on Feb 16th, there just wasn't enough time for your return to fully process yet. I'd definitely call that 800 number to clarify, but don't stress too much. Your return is probably just sitting in their processing queue. The state refund hitting your account is actually a good sign - it means your federal return info was transmitted properly.

This exact same thing happened to my brother last month! The key thing to understand is that "acceptance" and "processing" are two completely different stages. TaxAct showing approval just means your return made it through the electronic filing gateway without errors - it doesn't mean the IRS has actually processed it yet. The verification of non-filing letter is usually triggered when someone (like a lender, school, or government agency) requests proof that you haven't filed taxes for a specific period. Since you filed on Feb 12th and they checked on Feb 16th, your return was probably still in the processing queue. My brother called that same 800 number and they confirmed his return was "in process" even though the verification letter said they had no record. Took about 10 days total from filing to showing up in their system. The rep told him these letters are automatically generated and don't account for recent filings still being processed. Definitely call them, but you're probably fine! The fact that your state refund already came through is actually a really good indicator that everything went through correctly on the federal side too.

My employer uses ADP and I was able to download a PDF version that was accepted everywhere. Check if your company's portal has a download or print to PDF option instead of taking a photo of the screen. Much cleaner!

Great to see you found the PDF option! That's definitely the best approach when available. For anyone else reading this thread, here's the hierarchy of what works best for tax filing: 1. **PDF download from employer portal** (cleanest, most professional) 2. **High-quality scan using a scanning app** (Adobe Scan, Microsoft Office Lens, etc.) 3. **Clear photo with good lighting** (make sure all numbers are legible) One more tip - regardless of which method you use, always double-check the key numbers (wages in Box 1, federal withholding in Box 2, Social Security wages in Box 3, etc.) before submitting your return. A simple transcription error can delay your refund or trigger correspondence from the IRS. Good luck with your filing, and hopefully you get that refund quickly!

Has anyone here actually used priortax.com specifically? I'm in a similar situation with unfiled 2016 taxes and wondering if it's worth trying.

Just want to add a reality check here - while you're right to file that 2015 return, don't panic too much about the IRS "coming looking for you." If you were due a refund that year, there are literally no penalties for filing late (you just lose the refund after 3 years, which has already happened). If you owed money, yes there will be penalties and interest, but the IRS is usually pretty reasonable about setting up payment plans. The failure-to-file penalty stops accumulating once you actually file, so getting that return in is definitely the right move. For what it's worth, I've used both professional tax preparers and DIY methods for old returns. If your 2015 situation was relatively simple (just W-2s, maybe some basic deductions), the manual route with IRS forms might be cheaper than you think. But if you had complicated stuff going on during that divorce year, spending the money on professional help could save you headaches and potentially money in the long run.

Random question - does anyone know if the implant maintenance costs are also deductible? Like special cleaning tools, follow-up visits, etc.? I'm about to get implants too and wondering about ongoing expenses.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else considering this - I claimed dental implants on my 2024 return and it went through without any issues. The key was having really good documentation from my dentist explaining the medical necessity (I had lost teeth due to an accident). One thing I learned: keep track of ALL related expenses, not just the implant surgery itself. I was able to deduct the initial consultations, X-rays, bone grafting procedure, temporary dentures during healing, and even mileage to/from appointments. It all added up to a significant deduction that made the financial hit a bit easier to handle. Also, if you're planning the procedure, consider timing it strategically across tax years if possible. If you know you'll have high medical expenses in a given year that will easily exceed the 7.5% AGI threshold, it might make sense to bunch procedures together to maximize the deduction benefit.