Can't reach IRS? Claimyr connects you to a live IRS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the IRS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the IRS drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls ā which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Another option to consider - you can request a transcript of your account. Go to irs.gov and search for "Get Transcript Online." The transcript will show if they've processed your overpayment and whether a refund has been scheduled. If the transcript shows the adjustment but no refund, that might indicate something is stuck. If it shows nothing about the adjustment, then they haven't processed your response yet.
Zainab Ali
ā¢Thanks for this suggestion! I just checked my transcript online and it shows the full payment I made, but nothing about any adjustment or pending refund. Does this mean they haven't processed my response yet, even though they sent me the revised amount in September? Should I be worried?
That indicates they haven't yet processed the adjustment to your account, even though they acknowledged the correct amount in their September notice. It's not unusual for there to be a delay between them determining the correct amount and actually adjusting your account. I'd give it another 2-3 weeks and check the transcript again. If you still don't see an adjustment by then, that would be the time to call them. When you call, specifically mention that you received a revised CP2000 determination showing you only owed $2,300, but your transcript doesn't show an adjustment for the $2,500 overpayment.
Just a heads up - when you do get your refund, make sure they include interest! By law, the IRS has to pay interest on overpayments. The current rate is around 7% and it should be calculated from the date you made the payment.
Emma Wilson
ā¢Is that interest taxable? I got a refund with interest last year and wasn't sure if I needed to report it.
Join the conversation
Lauren Zeb
Just to add another perspective - if you're SURE you had absolutely zero income (no scholarships for room & board, no bank interest, no gig work, nothing), you're not required to file. But it might be worth filing anyway if you paid any education expenses out of pocket because you might qualify for education credits. The American Opportunity Credit is partially refundable, which means you can get up to $1,000 back even if you owe zero taxes. So even with no income, filing could literally put money in your pocket.
Grace Lee
ā¢Thanks so much for this extra info! I did pay about $1,200 for books and a laptop for school out of my savings. Would those expenses qualify for that education credit you mentioned? And is there a simple way to file if I only need to claim education expenses but had no income?
Lauren Zeb
ā¢Books definitely qualify for the American Opportunity Credit! The laptop can qualify too if it was required for your enrollment or courses. With zero income but qualifying education expenses, you'd still file a regular 1040 form, report zero income, and then complete Form 8863 for education credits. The simplest way to file would be using the IRS Free File options or free versions of tax software that support education credits. With no income and just claiming education credits, most tax software will guide you through the process in about 15-20 minutes. Since you're potentially getting money back through the refundable portion of the credit, it's definitely worth the small time investment.
Just a quick tip - check if you had any bank account interest! Even a savings account with a small balance often generates a tiny bit of interest income that technically should be reported. I thought I had "zero income" one year in college until I realized my savings account had generated $11 in interest, which is technically reportable income.
This! I made this exact mistake. My "no income" year in grad school actually included $28 of interest from my emergency fund savings account. It wasn't enough to trigger a filing requirement on its own, but it's something people often overlook when they say "zero income.
Join the conversation
Nia Thompson
Just wanted to share that I manually completed my 1040NR and state tax forms last year when I had similar issues with Sprintax. It's not as complicated as it seems if you're in a straightforward situation with single source income and clear tax treaty benefits. The key forms you'll need: 1040NR - the main non-resident tax return 8843 - Statement for Exempt Individuals (all J visa holders must file this) 8833 - Treaty-Based Return Position Disclosure (to claim your treaty benefits) Your state's non-resident tax return form The most important thing is correctly identifying which article of your country's tax treaty applies to your situation. For most research scholars, it's either under the student/trainee provision or the visiting teacher/researcher provision.
Chloe Wilson
ā¢Did you find any good resources that helped you fill out these forms correctly? I'm leaning toward doing it myself at this point.
Nia Thompson
ā¢The best resource I found was IRS Publication 901 (U.S. Tax Treaties), which has country-by-country breakdowns of treaty benefits. Also, Publication 519 (U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens) was super helpful for understanding the overall non-resident tax filing requirements. Most university international offices also have tax workshops or guides specifically for J1 visa holders - these were much more helpful than generic tax advice since they focus on our unique situation. My university had PDF guides for the most common countries their researchers come from.
Has anyone used TaxAct or TurboTax for 1040NR instead of Sprintax? I'm wondering if they might be more accurate for J1 visa holders with tax treaties.
TurboTax doesn't support 1040NR filing at all. TaxAct does have 1040NR support, but in my experience last year, it was very limited with tax treaties and didn't have good guidance for J1 scholars. Glacier Tax Prep is another option some universities provide that's specifically designed for non-resident returns.
Join the conversation
Another option to consider is the Tuition and Fees Deduction which lets you deduct up to $4,000 from your taxable income. Course materials can qualify if they're paid directly to the educational institution as a condition of enrollment. But since you bought them separately, this might not apply. The American Opportunity Credit is better than Lifetime Learning if you're eligible (must be in first 4 years of post-secondary education), since it's worth up to $2,500 and 40% is refundable even if you don't owe taxes. But again, you need to be paying some tuition yourself usually.
Chris King
ā¢The Tuition and Fees Deduction expired after 2020. It's no longer available for current tax years.
You're absolutely right about the Tuition and Fees Deduction - I completely forgot it expired. Thanks for the correction! I should have verified before posting outdated information. The Lifetime Learning Credit and American Opportunity Credit are still the main education tax benefits available.
Rachel Clark
Has anyone actually had success claiming computer equipment for the Lifetime Learning Credit? I tried this last year and got flagged for review because my laptop wasn't specifically listed as "required" in my course syllabus, just strongly recommended.
I successfully claimed a graphics tablet and specialized software for my digital media courses last year. The key was that my professor wrote me a letter stating these items were necessary to complete the coursework, even though they weren't explicitly listed as "required" in the official course catalog. I attached that letter to my return when I filed.
Amara Oluwaseyi
One thing nobody has mentioned yet - make sure you keep proof that you mailed your return! I learned this the hard way last year when the IRS claimed they never received my mailed return. Since I just dropped it in a regular mailbox with no tracking, I had zero proof. I'd recommend calling USPS to see if they can provide any tracking for your mail even after the fact. Or if you have the receipt from the post office with the date stamped, take a photo of it right now before you lose it!
0 coins
Carmen Diaz
ā¢Oh crap, I just used a regular stamp and dropped it in my apartment complex's outgoing mail slot. I don't have any tracking or proof of mailing. What should I do now?
0 coins
Amara Oluwaseyi
ā¢Don't panic, but definitely learn from this for next time. For now, I would wait about 8-10 weeks since that's how long paper returns typically take to process. Mark that date on your calendar, and if you haven't received your refund by then, use the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website to check the status. If there's no record of your return at that point, you might need to resend it. Next time, always use certified mail with return receipt or at minimum get a tracking number when sending anything to the IRS. It's worth the extra few dollars for the peace of mind and proof of submission.
0 coins
CosmicCaptain
Quick tip from someone who's worked in tax prep - if you're concerned about your return, print another copy and take it to your local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. You can schedule an appointment online and they can stamp your return as received and submit it internally. This gives you immediate proof that your return was filed.
0 coins
Giovanni Rossi
ā¢Does this actually work? My brother tried to get an appointment at our local IRS office last month and they said they were booked solid until June!
0 coins