Quick question - does anyone know if receiving payment to a foreign bank account changes anything about this situation? My understanding is that US tax obligations are based on residency/citizenship, not where the money is deposited. But I'm hoping there might be some exception I'm not aware of.

This is a really complex situation that touches on both immigration and tax law. From my experience helping clients navigate similar circumstances, the key issue is that your tax residency status and immigration status operate on different timelines and criteria. Since you're married to a US citizen and physically present in the US, you likely qualify as a tax resident under the substantial presence test, even before your green card is approved. This means signing a W-8BEN (which certifies you're NOT a US person for tax purposes) could create a contradiction with your actual tax obligations. The safer approach would be to: 1. Determine your current tax residency status based on your physical presence and filing status 2. Use the appropriate form (likely W-9 if you're a tax resident) 3. Ensure proper withholding occurs While unauthorized employment is generally forgiven for spouses of US citizens during adjustment of status, creating tax compliance issues could complicate things down the road. The IRS and USCIS do share information, and inconsistencies between your tax filings and immigration documents could raise questions. I'd strongly recommend getting professional guidance from someone who understands both the immigration and tax implications before proceeding. The short-term contract income isn't worth jeopardizing your adjustment of status or creating future tax problems.

Had a very similar experience with Sprintax last year! The key thing to remember is that tax software often generates multiple sets of instructions to cover all possible scenarios. Since your e-file was successful (confirmed by the IRS website), you can safely ignore the mailing instructions in the PDF. Just to put your mind at ease - when you e-file, the IRS receives your return digitally and it's processed much faster than paper returns. The PDF with mailing instructions is basically a backup plan that the software generates automatically, but since you went the e-file route successfully, those instructions don't apply to your situation. Keep that PDF for your records though - it's part of your tax documentation that you should hold onto for at least 3 years. Congrats on getting through your first tax filing here!

Don't worry, this is totally normal! I work as a tax preparer and see this confusion all the time with Sprintax and other tax software. The PDF with mailing instructions is generated automatically for every user, regardless of whether they choose to e-file or mail their return. It's essentially a "just in case" document. Since the IRS website confirms they received your e-filed return, you're all set! The electronic filing takes precedence over any paper filing instructions. The only time you'd need to mail anything is if the e-file had been rejected, which clearly didn't happen in your case. Just make sure to save that PDF along with your other tax documents - you'll want to keep all tax records for at least 3 years. And don't stress about being new to this - everyone goes through the same learning curve with taxes!

They switched mine too!!! Hoping this means were getting closer to that bag 💅

I had the exact same thing happen! Went from 05 to 04 about 3 weeks ago and was stressing about it. But like DeShawn said, it just means they're processing more frequently. I actually got my 846 code (refund issued) yesterday! The cycle change was definitely a good sign in my case. Hang in there, sounds like you're getting close! 🤞

mines been doing the opposite, went from 04 to 05. this whole process is driving me nuts fr

The IRS is so behind rn its not even funny. My friend works there and says theyre still processing returns from last year

Has anyone actually called the IRS helpline about this? I had almost the exact same situation and they were surprisingly helpful in explaining the process.

I went through this exact same situation last year and ended up working with a tax professional who specializes in HSA issues. One thing that helped me was understanding that the IRS Publication 969 actually has specific examples for excess contribution corrections when there are losses instead of gains. The key point everyone seems to be missing is that you need to be very careful about the timing. If you're already past the tax filing deadline (including extensions), you're stuck paying the 6% excise tax regardless of whether you withdraw the excess. But if you're still within the deadline, the withdrawal approach is definitely the way to go. Also, make sure when you request the excess contribution removal that you specify the exact tax year the excess occurred in. I made the mistake of not being clear about this initially and my HSA provider processed it as a regular distribution, which created even more paperwork headaches. The proportional loss calculation really isn't as complicated as it seems if you have all your statements. Most HSA providers can actually do this calculation for you if you ask the right person - I had to escalate past the first-level customer service to get to someone who understood the process.