Does the 1040 NR-EZ form still exist? Or was it eliminated like the regular 1040-EZ?

I've been trying to figure out my tax situation and I'm getting confused about which forms are still valid. I know that the regular 1040-EZ was discontinued, but I can't get a straight answer about whether the 1040 NR-EZ form for nonresidents is still around. I've been researching online and even asked ChatGPT, which claimed the 1040 NR-EZ still exists, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. The standard deduction not being available on the regular 1040 NR makes a huge difference in what I'd owe. By my calculations, my effective tax rate would be around 11% without the standard deduction versus about 4% with it. I only made about $12,500 last year working remotely for a US company while living in Canada, so paying 11% feels pretty steep. I'm a Canadian citizen, but I don't think I can claim the treaty benefit since my income exceeded $10,000. Any insight on whether the NR-EZ is still an option or other ways to reduce my tax burden would be super helpful. This is my first time dealing with US taxes as a nonresident!

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18 comments

Liam Cortez

•8M

The 1040 NR-EZ form no longer exists. The IRS discontinued both the 1040-EZ and the 1040 NR-EZ forms after the 2018 tax year as part of the tax reform changes. Now there's only the regular 1040 NR form for nonresident aliens. That said, don't panic about losing the standard deduction just yet. You should check if the US-Canada tax treaty offers you any benefits. Even though your income is over $10,000, there are different provisions in the treaty that might apply depending on what type of income you earned and your specific situation. Also, make sure you're actually classified as a nonresident alien for tax purposes. The substantial presence test might make you a resident alien, which would give you access to the standard deduction on a regular 1040.

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Liam Cortez

•8M

You're definitely on the right track using the 1040 NR form if you were physically in Canada the whole time. The US-Canada treaty actually has provisions for independent contractors under Article VII (Business Profits), which could exempt your income from US taxes if you don't have a "permanent establishment" in the US. Since you received a 1099-NEC, that suggests you're being treated as an independent contractor rather than an employee. In this case, you'd want to look at Form 8833 to claim treaty benefits. Even though your income exceeded $10,000, the $10k limitation you're thinking of might be for a different provision of the treaty, not necessarily for independent contractor income.

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Savannah Vin

•8M

I went through this exact headache last year! After hours of research and getting nowhere, I finally used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax documents and situation. Their AI actually specializes in international tax scenarios like yours. I'm Canadian too, working for a US company, and I was completely confused about which forms to use after they eliminated the 1040 NR-EZ. The tool analyzed my 1099 and other documents, then gave me a clear breakdown of which treaty provisions applied to my situation. Saved me a ton of money since I was about to file without claiming any treaty benefits!

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Savannah Vin

•8M

You upload your documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) and it analyzes everything, then walks you through what forms you need to file and what treaty provisions apply to your specific situation. It's surprisingly thorough - it even explained which specific articles of the treaty I should reference on Form 8833. For international situations, it's been really helpful because it knows all the country-specific treaties and provisions. It doesn't just give generic advice - it actually cites the specific treaty articles and explains why they apply to your situation. For the US-Canada treaty, it correctly identified that my remote work qualified under Article VII since I didn't have a permanent establishment in the US.

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Makayla Shoemaker

•8M

I have to admit I was wrong about my skepticism! I gave https://taxr.ai a try after seeing several recommendations, and it really does know its stuff about international tax treaties. It identified three different provisions in the US-UK treaty that applied to my situation that I had completely missed. The tool specifically pointed me to Article 14 of the treaty that covered my independent personal services, and explained exactly how to document it on Form 8833. I was about to pay over $3,200 in unnecessary taxes before using it. The step-by-step guidance for filling out the 1040 NR (since the NR-EZ is indeed gone) was incredibly clear. I've been dealing with cross-border taxes for years and usually end up paying an international tax specialist, but this actually gave me more detailed explanations than my previous accountant did!

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Christian Bierman

•8M

For those struggling with IRS questions about nonresident filing or treaty benefits, I highly recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to get clarification on my 1040 NR situation (after discovering the NR-EZ was eliminated) and couldn't get through on the international taxpayer line. Claimyr got me connected to an IRS rep in about 20 minutes after I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to confirm exactly which treaty provisions applied to my situation and how to properly claim them on my 1040 NR. Totally worth it for the peace of mind alone.

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Christian Bierman

•8M

It uses a system that continually redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets a spot in the queue. Once it gets through, it calls you and connects you directly to the IRS agent. It's basically doing the annoying redial process for you. The service is legitimate - I was connected to the actual IRS international taxpayer line. You can verify this because they ask for your information just like when you call directly, and they have access to your tax records. I confirmed this by asking specific questions about my previous filings that only the real IRS would know.

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Lucas Lindsey

•8M

I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After continuing to fail getting through to the IRS on my own, I reluctantly tried the service, fully expecting it to be a waste of time. I was shocked when I actually got connected to a real IRS international tax specialist within 30 minutes. The agent confirmed that the 1040 NR-EZ was indeed eliminated after 2018, and walked me through exactly how to claim treaty benefits on the regular 1040 NR. She even explained that I was misinterpreting the $10,000 limit in the treaty - turns out that limit didn't even apply to my situation! I would have overpaid by nearly $2,000 if I hadn't spoken with them. I've spent three years doing this wrong and could potentially file amended returns now.

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Sophie Duck

•8M

Another option you might want to consider is looking at Article XV of the US-Canada tax treaty which covers "dependent personal services" if you're actually an employee rather than a contractor. If you're working remotely for a US company but physically present in Canada for the entire year, you might qualify for exemption from US taxes under this provision assuming you don't have US citizenship or green card. The key is determining whether you're considered an employee or independent contractor under the treaty definitions, which sometimes differ from how the company classified you on paper.

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Sophie Duck

•8M

The treaty doesn't specifically define employee vs contractor, so it generally follows the classification principles of each country. The IRS looks at factors like behavioral control, financial control, and relationship of the parties. Since you only work for one company, that's a factor that could potentially point toward employment, but there are many other factors. Do they control when and how you work? Do you use your own equipment? Do you have the opportunity for profit or loss? These all matter for classification.

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