I just went through this exact situation! My university's international office was useless too. What worked for me was getting a copy of the "determination letter" from my department that specified my fellowship wasn't partnership income but was a qualified scholarship under section 117 of the tax code. The key is to show that your fellowship/stipend is NOT the type of income that would require 8805 or 8288-A forms. I literally wrote in big letters at the top of my response "INTERNATIONAL STUDENT - SCHOLARSHIP INCOME - NO PARTNERSHIP OR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS" It took about 6 weeks but I got a letter back saying my case was resolved.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! International student from Germany, got my first 1042-S this year from a research assistantship, and now the IRS is asking for forms 8805 and 8288-A. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was such a common issue with their automated systems. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Write a clear explanation letter stating you're an international student with no partnership income or real estate transactions 2. Include copies of all relevant documents (W-2, 1042-S, visa documentation, I-20) 3. Clearly mark everything as "INTERNATIONAL STUDENT - 1042-S ISSUE" 4. Send via certified mail with tracking I'm going to try the taxr.ai suggestion first to get help with the explanation letter, and if I can't get through to the IRS by phone myself, I might try Claimyr as a backup. The deadline stress is real when you're dealing with immigration status on top of tax confusion! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for international students navigating the US tax system.

You should grab a copy of your Social Security Statement too. Go to https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ and create an account if you don't have one. It shows your reported income history and estimated benefits. If your employer isn't reporting your income properly, it'll affect your future Social Security benefits.

This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be, especially with small businesses. Here are some immediate steps you can take: 1. **Document everything** - Take photos of your checks and keep a detailed log of hours worked vs. pay received. This will be crucial evidence if you need to file complaints. 2. **Request a meeting** - Ask your boss for a sit-down conversation about payroll. Come prepared with specific questions: "Can you show me how you calculate my withholdings?" and "When will I receive my W-2 for tax filing?" 3. **Know your rights** - Your employer is legally required to provide you with a paystub showing gross pay, all deductions, and net pay. In many states, this is mandated by law regardless of business size. 4. **Contact your state's Department of Labor** - They can investigate wage and hour violations and often have resources specifically for situations like this. Many have anonymous tip lines. 5. **Start setting aside money NOW** - Assume you'll owe taxes on your full gross income and save accordingly. Better to be prepared than caught off guard. The fact that you never filled out a W-4 is a major red flag. Don't let the fear of losing your job prevent you from protecting yourself financially. Your boss's evasive behavior suggests he knows he's not handling this properly.

Has anyone dealt with rental income specifically across borders? I'm wondering about vacation rental platform payments (like Airbnb) - does it matter if the payments go to a US bank account vs Mexican account? Does that change where the income is considered sourced from?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with something similar for my sister who just got her Mexican permanent residency but still works remotely for a US company. One thing I learned from our tax attorney is that the timing of when your mom establishes her tax residency status in Mexico matters a lot. If she files the declaration for US primary tax residence early in the tax year, it can help avoid complications later. Also, since she's starting the vacation rental next year, now would be a perfect time to set up proper record-keeping systems for both countries. The Mexican tax authority is getting much more sophisticated about cross-referencing rental platform data (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) with tax filings. Having clean books from day one will save headaches later. For the rental property specifically, make sure she understands the depreciation rules in both countries - they're calculated differently and this can affect her overall tax strategy significantly.

I'm confused about something - if we're paying our state taxes anyway, why does it matter whether we can deduct them or not? Like we still have to pay them either way right? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm new to this tax stuff.

This is such an important topic that doesn't get enough attention! I've been dealing with this exact situation in Massachusetts where our state income tax plus property taxes put us way over the $10k SALT cap. One thing I'd add to the discussion is that even if the SALT cap expires as scheduled, there's no guarantee it won't come back in some form. The revenue loss from unlimited SALT deductions is significant - around $80 billion annually according to some estimates. Given federal budget pressures, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some kind of compromise, maybe a higher cap like $25k instead of unlimited deductions. For planning purposes, I'm assuming the best case scenario (full expiration) but also preparing for the possibility that some limitation remains. It's worth running projections for both scenarios, especially if you're making decisions about major purchases or timing of deductible expenses.

Has anyone else had their stimulus checks garnished for child support? I'm worried that if I file now to get the past stimulus money, it might all go to my back child support instead of to me. Really need this money for rent.

I was in a very similar situation - divorced and hadn't filed since 2018 due to complications with my ex's business documentation. Here's what I learned after finally getting caught up: You can absolutely still claim the stimulus payments! The key deadlines people mention are for the original automatic payments, but there's no deadline for claiming them as Recovery Rebate Credits when you file your returns. You have 3 years from the original filing deadline to file and get refunds. A few important things I wish I'd known earlier: - File your returns in chronological order (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, etc.) - The stimulus payments are claimed on specific years: 2020 return for first two payments, 2021 return for the third - If you're due refunds (which you likely are with the stimulus credits), there are no late filing penalties - Keep detailed records of everything since you'll be mailing paper returns The whole process took me about 6 months to complete, but I ended up getting back over $4,000 in stimulus money plus additional refunds I wasn't expecting. Don't let the overwhelm stop you - start with gathering your documents for 2018 and work forward. You've got this!