Small tip for J1 physicians: when filling out Form 8843 line 4, I learned from my tax advisor that it's helpful to be specific about your J1 category. So instead of just "J-1, 01/15/2023" you might want to write "J-1 Alien Physician, 01/15/2023" to be extra clear. Also, make sure you're keeping track of all your entry/exit dates if you travel internationally during your program. This becomes really important for calculating your substantial presence test in future years!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year! For Form 8843 line 4, I ended up putting "J-1, 06/12/2022" (using my actual entry date) and it was accepted without any issues. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline of all my entries and exits from the US since starting my J1 program. Even though line 4 only asks for the initial entry date, having that complete record made filling out the rest of the form much easier and helped me understand my substantial presence test status. Also, don't forget that as J1 physicians, we're considered "exempt individuals" for our first two calendar years in the US for substantial presence test purposes, which is different from other visa categories. This status affects not just Form 8843 but also how you calculate your tax residency status going forward.

Don't forget that even if you qualify for First Time Abatement, it only applies to certain penalties! It works for failure-to-file, failure-to-pay, and failure-to-deposit penalties. It won't help with accuracy-related penalties, fraud penalties, or estimated tax penalties. Also, it's a one-time deal for each type of penalty. So if you get the FTA for a failure-to-file penalty this year, you can't get another one for failure-to-file in the future. But you might still qualify for an FTA on a different type of penalty later.

Douglas, you're definitely in a good position for First Time Abatement with 8 years of clean filing history! I successfully got my penalties waived last year using this exact process. Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS directly using the number on my penalty notice and specifically asked for "First Time Abatement relief." The rep was able to pull up my compliance history right there and approved the request on the spot. My $620 in penalties were removed immediately from my account. The key is being very clear about what you're requesting - don't just say you want penalty relief, specifically mention "First Time Abatement" or "FTA." The IRS reps are familiar with this program and can process it quickly if you qualify. Since you mentioned the payment deadline is next month, I'd recommend calling rather than mailing Form 843, as the written process can take 8-12 weeks. With your clean history, you should have no problem getting approved. Just be prepared for potentially long hold times when calling - early morning (8 AM EST) tends to be the best time to get through. Good luck! With your track record, this should be pretty straightforward.

I tried doing an OIC myself first and ABSOLUTELY REGRET it!! Wasted 5 months and got rejected for "incomplete financial information" even though I sent everything they asked for. Then I hired a tax attorney who charged $4,200 flat fee for both federal and state. They refiled everything and my offer got accepted 6 months later. Settled $93k of tax debt for $11k. So worth every penny of their fee!!! My advice: don't try to save money by doing it yourself or hiring the cheapest person. This is one area where experience really matters. I probably lost more in penalties and interest during those wasted 5 months than I paid my attorney.

The $4,200 fee you mentioned is definitely within the reasonable range for handling both federal and state OICs. I went through this process two years ago and paid $3,800 to a tax attorney who successfully settled my $78k debt for $9,500. What really matters is the attorney's specific experience with OICs. When I was shopping around, I made the mistake of initially focusing only on price. The cheapest quote I got was $2,200, but when I dug deeper, that person had only handled about 15 OIC cases total. My final choice had over 200 OIC cases under their belt with documented success rates. A few questions to ask your attorney: How many OIC cases have they handled in the past year? What's their acceptance rate? Can they provide references from recent OIC clients? Do they have experience with cases similar to your debt amount and situation? The upfront investment might seem steep, but consider that a rejected OIC can cost you months of additional penalties and interest. Plus, you'd likely have to start over with a new professional anyway. Better to invest in proven experience from the start.

Have you tried using the TurboTax mobile app instead? Sometimes when the web version is having server issues, the mobile app still works fine. Also, make sure you're not using any ad blockers or browser extensions that might be interfering with the e-file process. If all else fails, you can always file a paper return - just download Form 1040 from the IRS website directly.

Same exact thing happened to me yesterday! What finally worked was completely closing all browser tabs, restarting the browser entirely, and then going back to TurboTax. The blank screen seems to be some kind of session timeout issue. Also try disabling any VPN if you're using one - that was causing problems for my friend. Hope you get it sorted before the deadline!

The IRS is such a joke fr fr... why they gotta make everything so complicated 🤮

PROTIP: Call the tax advocate service if it goes longer than 21 days. They can actually help push things along sometimes