Does anyone know if HR has to process your W-4 change immediately? I submitted a new form 3 weeks ago to stop being "exempt" but my paycheck today still had no federal taxes taken out!

This is exactly the kind of confusion that trips up so many people! You're definitely not alone in misunderstanding the W-4 exempt status. Just to reinforce what others have said - claiming "exempt" means NO federal income tax gets withheld from your paychecks. You'll still pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, but zero federal income tax. This almost always results in owing money when you file your return. The good news is this is totally fixable! Submit a new W-4 to your HR/payroll department right away and DO NOT check the exempt box. Fill out the rest of the form based on your actual situation - single/married, dependents, etc. Since you've potentially missed several paychecks worth of withholding, you might want to add some extra withholding in the "additional amount" section of the new W-4 to help catch up. Even an extra $50-100 per paycheck could save you from a big surprise bill next April. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think, and as long as you fix it promptly you should be fine!

Just wanted to add some practical advice from someone who's been through this exact situation. You mentioned conflicting advice from tax preparers, which is unfortunately common with 1040NR filings since many preparers don't handle non-resident returns regularly. A few key points that might help: 1. **Business expenses**: If you're filing as self-employed (Schedule C), your unreimbursed business expenses related to your US income are fully deductible. This includes things like equipment, travel for work, office supplies, etc. 2. **Charitable contributions**: Only contributions to US-qualified organizations count on your 1040NR. Foreign charities don't qualify unless there's a specific treaty provision. 3. **Tax prep fees**: These are deductible as a miscellaneous itemized deduction, but only the portion related to preparing your US return. Given your 140 days in the US, definitely calculate your substantial presence test as others mentioned. If you end up qualifying as a resident alien, you'd file Form 1040 instead of 1040NR and would be eligible for the standard deduction and potentially more credits. The IRS Publication 519 (U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens) is your best friend here - it covers all the specific rules for non-residents and has examples that might match your situation.

Based on your situation, it sounds like you're dealing with some complex interactions between non-resident filing rules and potential residency status changes. Here are a few additional considerations that might help: **Treaty Benefits**: Since you mentioned your home country has a tax treaty with the US, make sure you're claiming all applicable treaty benefits. Many people miss these because they're not prominently featured in standard tax software. Treaty benefits can sometimes provide additional deductions or exemptions that aren't available to non-residents from non-treaty countries. **State Tax Implications**: Don't forget about state taxes if you worked in a state that taxes non-residents. Some states have different rules for non-residents than others, and this could affect your overall tax burden significantly. **Professional Consultation**: Given the complexity of your situation (140 days presence, treaty country status, substantial income), it might be worth getting a consultation from a tax professional who specifically deals with non-resident aliens and international tax situations. The cost could be worth it to ensure you're not missing deductions or making filing status errors. **Record Keeping**: For future years, keep detailed records of your US presence days, especially if you might have similar extended projects. This will make the substantial presence test calculation much easier and help with any closer connection exception claims. The good news is that once you figure out the rules for your specific situation, subsequent years should be much more straightforward if your circumstances remain similar.

Does anyone know a good affordable tax professional who can help with regular tax questions? After reading this thread I'm terrified of accidentally following bad advice. I tried using the free software options but my situation is a bit complicated (self-employed with some investment income).

Thanks for posting this question - it's really important that people know about these scams! As a tax professional, I see people fall for these schemes every year and it never ends well. The IRS has actually published a "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams that they update annually, and sovereign citizen arguments are always on it. These promoters often target people who are genuinely struggling with tax debt or who feel overwhelmed by the tax system. What makes these scams particularly dangerous is that they often mix legitimate-sounding legal language with completely false interpretations of tax law. They'll cite real court cases but completely misrepresent what those cases actually decided. If anyone is dealing with legitimate tax problems, there are actual legal options available - installment agreements, offers in compromise, currently not collectible status, etc. The IRS has hardship programs for people who genuinely can't pay. There's never a need to resort to these bogus "sovereign citizen" theories that will only make your situation worse.

I've been through this frustrating situation twice, and here's what I learned that might help you get answers faster. First, don't wait - call the IRS at 800-829-1954 as soon as possible given your urgent need for your mom's medical supplies. The transcript updates for returned checks are notoriously unreliable and can lag weeks behind reality. When you call, ask specifically for them to run a "refund trace" - this gives you more detailed information than just asking if the check was returned. Also, have your exact filing address ready and compare it word-for-word with what's on your actual mailbox. I discovered my check was returned because I used "Street" instead of "St" on my return. If there is an address discrepancy, they can often reissue the check immediately during the call and provide you with a new timeline. The hold times are awful (I waited 2.5 hours last time), but it's infinitely better than waiting weeks for a transcript that may never update. Given the medical urgency, this is definitely worth the phone hassle rather than relying on the automated systems.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - my refund was supposedly mailed 12 days ago and still nothing showing up. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's becoming clear that waiting for transcript updates is basically pointless when you need urgent answers. The fact that so many people have confirmed the transcript system can lag weeks or never update at all for returned checks is really concerning. Given your urgent need for your mom's medical supplies, I'd definitely echo what others have said about calling immediately. The "refund trace" suggestion from @38b8497ad8b0 sounds like the most direct approach to get real answers. I'm planning to call tomorrow myself and specifically ask for that rather than just general refund status questions. It's frustrating that we have to go through phone hell to get basic information about our own money, but it seems like that's the only reliable path forward. Hope you get this resolved quickly - medical expenses can't wait for the IRS's slow systems to catch up.

Thanks for posting this question! I actually went through something similar last year and learned a lot from the experience. Since you made $1200 from surveys, you'll definitely need to report this as self-employment income on Schedule C (since it's over $400). The key thing to remember is that even without 1099 forms, you're still legally required to report all income. Here's what I'd recommend: - Download all your PayPal statements and create a spreadsheet tracking each survey payment - Keep records organized by company name and date - Don't forget you can deduct legitimate business expenses (portion of internet, phone, etc.) - Set aside money for self-employment tax (about 15.3%) plus regular income tax One thing that caught me off guard was the quarterly estimated tax payments. If you plan to continue doing surveys next year and expect to make similar amounts, you might want to make quarterly payments to avoid penalties. The good news is that once you get through this first year of reporting, you'll have a system in place that makes it much easier going forward. Schedule C looks intimidating but it's really just asking for your income and expenses in an organized way.

This is such a timely question! I just went through this exact situation myself. Since you made $1200 from surveys, you'll need to file Schedule C and pay self-employment tax since you're over the $400 threshold. Even without 1099 forms from the survey sites, you're still required to report all income. Here's what worked for me: - Export all your PayPal transaction history and filter for survey payments - Create a simple spreadsheet with company name, date, and amount for each payment - Keep these records organized - the IRS may ask for documentation even without 1099s Don't forget about potential deductions! Since you're filing Schedule C, you can deduct business expenses like: - Percentage of internet costs used for surveys - Computer/phone depreciation if used primarily for surveys - Any software or apps you paid for to complete surveys The self-employment tax (15.3%) plus regular income tax can be a surprise, so definitely set aside about 25-30% of your survey earnings for taxes. If you plan to continue doing surveys next year, consider making quarterly estimated payments to avoid penalties. I know Schedule C seems intimidating at first, but it's really just documenting your income and expenses. You've got all the information you need in your PayPal records!