I went through this exact situation two years ago on my F1 STEM OPT! My employer had been incorrectly withholding FICA taxes for over a year before I caught it. Here's what I learned from the process: First, definitely contact your employer's HR/payroll department immediately with documentation showing your F1 status and the IRS regulations about FICA exemptions for non-resident aliens. Provide them with IRS Publication 519 and highlight the relevant sections. This stops future incorrect withholding. For getting your money back, I filed Form 843 myself and received my refund in about 10 weeks. The key is having complete documentation: your W-2 showing FICA withholding, copies of your visa documents, I-94 records, and a clear explanation of why you're exempt. I also included a timeline showing my entry date and length of stay to prove my non-resident alien status. Pro tip: When calculating how much you're owed, don't forget that FICA includes both Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes - so you should be getting back 7.65% of your gross wages that had FICA withheld. In my case, it was about $2,400 for 14 months of incorrect withholding. The IRS was actually quite responsive once I had all the proper documentation together. Don't let your employer's confusion delay you from filing - you can handle this independently!

I'm currently dealing with a similar FICA withholding issue on my F1 OPT! My employer has been taking out FICA taxes for 6 months now, and I just discovered this shouldn't be happening. Reading through all these responses has been a huge help - it's reassuring to know so many others have successfully resolved this. I'm planning to approach my HR department first with the IRS Publication 519 documentation that several people mentioned, then file Form 843 for the refund. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone dealt with this situation where their employer initially pushes back or claims they're required to withhold FICA? My HR person seemed to think that because I'm on payroll like any other employee, the exemption doesn't apply. I want to be prepared with the right information when I follow up with them. Also, for those who used the specialized services mentioned (taxr.ai, Claimyr), did you find them worth the cost compared to handling Form 843 yourself? I'm pretty comfortable with paperwork but want to make sure I don't mess anything up that could delay my refund. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been incredibly helpful for navigating these complex tax situations!

Don't forget the income requirements too. If you made substantially more in 2025 than previous years, you might have phased out of the credit. This happened to me when I got a big promotion and couldn't figure out why my credit disappeared.

I'm a tax preparer and see this issue frequently. Based on your income level ($75K), you're definitely eligible for the full Child Tax Credit. The most likely culprit is indeed those advance CTC payments you received throughout 2024. Here's what probably happened: If you received the maximum advance payments ($250/month per child under 6, $300/month per child 6-17), you would have gotten $3,600 for your 4-year-old and $3,000 for your 7-year-old over the year. When you file your return, TurboTax calculates your total eligible credit, then subtracts what you already received in advance payments. Look for IRS Letter 6419 which shows your total advance payments, or check your IRS online account. The "remaining" credit showing as $0 just means you already received your full credit amount throughout the year - you're not losing anything! This is actually the system working as designed. Many taxpayers are confused by this because they're used to getting the credit as a lump sum at tax time.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I wanted to add one more area that's crucial for creative businesses like yours - intellectual property and contract considerations. Make sure to ask your CPA about: **Client contract basics:** How should you structure payments (retainers, milestones, final payment)? Should you require deposits upfront? This affects your cash flow and tax timing. **Intellectual property ownership:** Who owns the work you create - you or the client? This can impact how you value your business assets and may affect certain deductions. **Contractor vs. employee classification:** If you plan to work with other designers or subcontract work, understanding the IRS rules for 1099 contractors is essential to avoid compliance issues. **Software and subscription expenses:** Creative businesses often have significant monthly software costs (Adobe Creative Suite, project management tools, etc.). Ask about the best way to categorize and potentially capitalize these expenses. Also, since you mentioned this might eventually become your main income source, ask about health insurance options for self-employed individuals. The Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction can be significant, and there are specific rules about when you can and can't claim it if you have access to employer coverage through your regular job. One last thing - ask about keeping a separate business phone line or Google Voice number. It's a small expense but helps maintain that business/personal separation that's so important for LLCs!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you all for sharing such detailed advice! I feel like I've gotten a masterclass in LLC setup just from reading through everyone's experiences. I've been taking notes and my original list of questions has grown from 6 items to over 20! Some of the most valuable additions from this discussion: - Quarterly estimated tax payment schedules and penalty avoidance - When S-Corp election makes financial sense (that $40-50k threshold is really helpful) - State-specific compliance requirements beyond just formation - Emergency fund strategies for irregular freelance income - Business credit building separate from personal credit - Industry-specific considerations for creative work and IP ownership The tools mentioned here (taxr.ai for preparation and Claimyr for IRS communication) sound like they could save me significant time and frustration. I'm particularly interested in trying the tax preparation tool to make sure I'm not missing any deduction opportunities. One thing that really stands out is how many of you emphasized the importance of regular check-ins with your CPA during the first year. That seems like it could prevent a lot of costly mistakes down the road. My CPA meeting is next Thursday and I'm feeling so much more confident about going in prepared with the right questions. This community is amazing - thanks for taking the time to share your hard-earned knowledge with someone just getting started!

I've been dealing with a 570 code for about 3 weeks now too and I know exactly how you feel! The uncertainty is the worst part. From what I've learned lurking in this community, the 570 usually just means they're doing additional processing on your return - could be anything from verifying income amounts to checking deductions. Most people seem to get their 571 release code within 4-6 weeks if there are no major issues. Try to stay patient (easier said than done, I know!) and keep checking your transcript weekly rather than daily. The fact that you haven't gotten any CP notices is actually a good sign - means they're not asking for additional documentation. Hang in there! 🤞

I went through this exact situation last year! Had a 570 code for about 5 weeks with no notices or verification requests. Turns out it was just a routine income verification - the IRS was cross-checking my W-2 with what my employer reported. The 571 release code finally appeared and my refund was deposited 3 days later. The hardest part is definitely the waiting and not knowing what's happening. Since you haven't received any CP notices asking for documentation, it's likely just standard processing delays. Keep checking weekly (not daily - it'll drive you crazy!) and try to stay patient. Most 570 holds resolve within 4-8 weeks for routine reviews. You got this! 🤞

I went through this exact scenario two years ago - CP05 notice followed by filing an amended return about a week later when I realized I'd missed a 1099-INT. I was terrified I'd made things worse, but it actually worked out perfectly fine. What happened in my case was that the IRS completed their original review first (took about 6 weeks from the CP05 date), and then a few weeks later they processed my amended return. The agent I eventually spoke to said having the amended return already in the system actually helped because it showed I was being proactive about correcting the error rather than trying to hide anything. My advice: Don't second-guess yourself. You did exactly what you should have done when you discovered the missing 1099-B. The worst thing would have been to know about the error and do nothing. Processing might take a bit longer, but you're on the right track.

You definitely made the right call filing that amended return! I know it feels scary having both processes running at once, but you're being responsible by correcting the error as soon as you caught it. I actually work in tax preparation and see this situation fairly often - missing 1099-B forms are one of the most common triggers for CP05 notices because the IRS computer systems automatically flag when reported income from brokerages doesn't match what's on your return. By filing the 1040-X proactively, you've likely addressed the exact issue that caused the review in the first place. The IRS systems are designed to handle overlapping processes like this. What typically happens is they'll either complete the original review first and then process your amendment, or they'll notice the amendment during the review and coordinate both. The main downside is just longer processing times - probably looking at 4-6 months total instead of the usual timeframes. But that's much better than facing accuracy penalties or having to deal with a more formal examination later. Keep checking both tracking tools online and stay organized with your paperwork, but try not to stress about the timing. You handled this exactly how you should have!