5 Something nobody has mentioned yet - if you're being audited, consider getting professional help! I tried handling my first audit alone and it was a disaster. For my second one, I hired a tax attorney and the difference was night and day. The attorney knew exactly what the IRS was looking for, which arguments would work, and kept me from saying things that could have caused bigger problems. Yes, it costs money, but they saved me way more than their fee in the end.

Don't overlook the importance of understanding what TYPE of audit you're facing! There are three main types: correspondence audits (handled by mail), office audits (you go to an IRS office), and field audits (they come to you). Most audits are actually correspondence audits where they're just questioning specific items and you can respond by mail. These are much less intimidating than people think. The audit letter should clearly state which type it is and exactly what documentation they want. If it's a correspondence audit, you might not need all the extensive preparation others are mentioning - just focus on the specific items they're questioning. But if it's an office or field audit, then yes, you'll want to be much more thoroughly prepared with all your documentation organized as others have described. Read that audit letter very carefully - it will tell you exactly what they want and what type of response is required!

Based on my experience helping clients with the closer connection exception, I'd say the IRS is generally reasonable about granting it when you have legitimate ties to your home country like you describe. The key is being thorough and consistent in your Form 8840. A few practical tips: Keep detailed records of your days in each country (I use a simple spreadsheet), maintain documentation of your home country ties (property tax bills, utility statements, insurance policies), and be prepared to show that your US presence serves a specific temporary purpose rather than indicating permanent settlement. One thing many people overlook is demonstrating active steps to maintain ties to their home country while abroad. Things like renewing professional licenses, maintaining voter registration, or keeping active memberships in home country organizations can strengthen your case significantly. The process itself isn't adversarial - you're essentially making a factual case that your life is centered elsewhere despite significant US presence. As long as that's genuinely true and you can document it, you should be fine.

The closer connection exception is actually quite manageable if you have genuine ties to your home country like you describe. I went through this process two years ago when I was spending significant time in the US for work but maintained my primary residence and life in Australia. The IRS looks for a "preponderance of evidence" that your ties to your home country are stronger than your US ties. With family, property ownership, and established life connections in your home country, you're already in a strong position. The key is being comprehensive on Form 8840 and consistent in your documentation. One thing I learned is that the IRS pays particular attention to where you have your "abode" - essentially where you consider home when you're not working or traveling. Since you mention maintaining most of your life connections in your home country, that should work in your favor. Just make sure you can demonstrate ongoing, active ties rather than just historical ones. The process was straightforward for me - I filed Form 8840 with my tax return and never heard anything back, which in tax terms means they accepted it. Keep good records of your days present in each country and maintain documentation of your home country connections, but don't overthink it if your situation is genuinely as you describe.

Have you tried any of these options yet? • Where's My Amended Return tool on IRS.gov • IRS2Go mobile app • Creating an online account at IRS.gov to view your transcript • Contacting your tax preparer if you used one Just wondering what you've already tried before suggesting more options.

I went through this exact situation last month! The 866-464-2050 number that @Raul Neal mentioned is definitely the right one for amended returns, but here's what I learned the hard way: they literally will not give you ANY information until it's been 16 weeks since you filed. I called at week 10 thinking I was being proactive, and the agent was like "call back in 6 weeks." 🤦‍♀️ Since you're at 8 weeks, I'd honestly recommend just checking the Where's My Amended Return tool online every few weeks and saving yourself the headache of calling right now. The tool updates pretty regularly and will show when they've actually received and started processing your return. If nothing shows up there after 12-14 weeks, THEN I'd start making calls.

Just to add another perspective - I was in a similar situation last year (US resident who moved abroad and then took a retirement distribution). One thing to be aware of is that you may be subject to additional reporting requirements beyond just the 1040 and figuring out how to report the 1042-S income. If you had financial accounts outside the US that exceeded $10,000 at any point, you might need to file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114). And depending on your total assets abroad, you might also need Form 8938. These have serious penalties if you miss them.

Slight tangent but worth mentioning - when you file as a dual-status taxpayer, be aware that you generally can't file jointly with a spouse, you're limited on which deductions/credits you can claim, and you have to use the standard deduction (itemizing isn't allowed). Also, foreign tax credits work differently.

You might want to consider filing Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) if you're married filing jointly and your spouse has student loans that could possibly be in default. This form, which I believe could help in certain situations, essentially tells the IRS that part of the refund belongs to you and shouldn't be offset for your spouse's debts. It's perhaps worth noting that the processing time might be longer, possibly 11-14 weeks instead of the usual 3-4 weeks, but it could potentially protect your portion of the refund if there are any student loan issues that might appear later.

Based on my experience dealing with Treasury offsets, if you're showing $0 on the offset hotline right now, you're very likely safe for this tax season. However, I'd recommend double-checking a few things to be absolutely certain: First, confirm with your loan servicer that your student loans aren't actually in default status (270+ days delinquent). If you're making payments, in forbearance, or on an income-driven repayment plan, they typically can't offset your refund even if you're behind. Second, the timing matters - if you just filed recently, there's a small window where an offset could be submitted after you checked. But given that you're doing gig work and really need this refund, I'd suggest calling that Treasury number one more time about a week before you expect your refund to be processed, just for extra peace of mind. The vast majority of the time, no offset showing means no offset taken. Good luck! 🤞