Filing taxes as a non-resident alien with HSA and IRA contributions - need advice!

Non-resident alien tax filing can definitely be tricky, especially with HSA and IRA contributions in the mix. Let me help clarify both issues. For your Form 8889 question - yes, you can complete the Sprintax return and then manually complete Form 8889 for your HSA contributions. However, you'll need to make sure the numbers flow correctly to your main return. The HSA deduction should be reported on Schedule 1, Line 13. Since Sprintax doesn't support Form 8889, you'll need to manually adjust your Schedule 1 to include this deduction and ensure your total income calculations are updated accordingly. Regarding IRA contributions as a non-resident alien - this depends on your specific situation. Non-resident aliens can only claim IRA deductions if they have US earned income that's not exempt from tax under a treaty. If you're filing Form 1040-NR and have taxable compensation from US sources, you may be eligible. The deduction would go on Schedule 1, Line 20. Be aware that if you're from a country with a tax treaty with the US, different rules might apply to your situation.

After struggling with similar non-resident alien tax issues, I found an amazing service that saved me tons of time. I was trying to deal with investment income and retirement accounts as a non-resident and kept hitting walls with every tax software I tried. I came across https://taxr.ai which specializes in analyzing tax documents for complex situations like yours. It helped me identify exactly which forms I needed and how they should be filled out. For my situation, it confirmed I needed to manually complete certain forms that my tax software couldn't handle. The best part was uploading my prior year's returns and getting recommendations on what deductions I might be missing. In your case, they could help clarify both the HSA and IRA contribution issues with specific guidance for your non-resident status.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I decided to try it after posting here. It seriously saved my sanity with my non-resident alien tax situation! I uploaded my documents and it immediately identified that I needed to manually complete Form 8938 for my foreign accounts alongside my Sprintax return. What really helped was the specific guidance on how the forms interconnect - it pointed out exactly where numbers from my manually completed forms needed to be entered on my main return. For anyone dealing with non-resident alien tax issues, especially with HSAs or IRAs like the original poster, this tool provides surprisingly detailed advice about your specific situation. Going to use this every year now instead of spending hours researching or paying an international tax specialist $500+ for a consultation.

If you're still struggling with getting answers from the IRS about your non-resident alien status with HSA and IRA contributions, I had a similar nightmare trying to confirm how to handle my foreign pension contributions as a visa holder. After weeks of trying to call the IRS and getting nowhere, I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c showing how it works. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly how to handle my manually completed forms and whether my foreign income affected my US tax obligations. For your situation, you could get definitive answers about both your HSA form 8889 and IRA deduction eligibility directly from the IRS rather than guessing.

I owe everyone an apology - I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a scam, I was desperate enough to try it for my non-resident alien tax questions that no one could answer. It actually worked exactly as described and got me through to an IRS representative in about 15 minutes. The IRS agent I spoke with gave me crystal clear guidance on my specific situation - confirmed that as a non-resident alien I could claim my IRA deduction because my income was US-sourced and not exempt under my country's tax treaty. They also explained exactly how to handle forms that my tax software couldn't generate. Definitely worth it for complicated situations where you need authoritative answers. I've spent weeks trying to figure this out on my own and got a definitive answer in a 20-minute call.

One important thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - as a non-resident alien, your HSA eligibility depends on your specific visa status and how you're classified for tax purposes. Not all non-resident aliens can contribute to HSAs, even if their employer offers it. If you're considered a resident alien for tax purposes under the substantial presence test, then HSA rules apply normally. But if you're a non-resident under an F, J, M, or Q visa and using the closer connection exception, you might not be eligible to contribute to an HSA at all. Double-check your eligibility before claiming the deduction. Some visa holders inadvertently contribute to HSAs when they're not eligible and face penalties later.

Has anyone used both Sprintax and Glacier Tax Prep for non-resident returns? I'm in a similar situation with retirement accounts and wondering which handles these special cases better.

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a very similar situation last year. A few additional points that might help: For the HSA situation with Sprintax - when you manually add Form 8889, make sure you also update your state return if you're filing one. Some states don't conform to federal HSA deduction rules, so you might need different amounts on your state vs federal returns. Regarding IRA contributions as a non-resident alien - one thing to watch out for is the income phase-out limits. Even if you're eligible to make deductible IRA contributions, the deduction might be reduced or eliminated if your modified AGI exceeds certain thresholds. For 2024, if you're covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out begins at $77,000 for single filers. Also, since you mentioned you're almost done with the process - don't forget that as a non-resident alien, you might need to file additional forms like Form 8938 (FATCA) if you have foreign financial accounts or assets above certain thresholds. This is separate from FBAR reporting and has different filing requirements. The tax treaty considerations mentioned earlier are crucial. The US-Canada treaty has specific provisions about retirement savings that could affect both your IRA and any Canadian RRSP contributions you might have made.

As someone who recently navigated a similar non-resident alien tax situation, I wanted to share a few practical tips that helped me get through the HSA and IRA filing process. For the Form 8889 issue with Sprintax - I found it helpful to complete the Sprintax return first, then print out a draft to see exactly where the HSA deduction should flow. The key is making sure the deduction amount from Form 8889 gets properly reflected on Schedule 1, Line 13, and then recalculating your AGI manually. I used a simple spreadsheet to track the adjustments and make sure everything balanced. One thing I learned the hard way - if you're filing electronically through Sprintax, you'll need to print and mail your return anyway once you attach the manual Form 8889. The IRS systems can't process mixed electronic/paper filings, so you lose the e-file option. For the IRA deduction question - since you mentioned you're on a TN visa from Canada, you should definitely be eligible for the deduction assuming you meet the income requirements. The US-Canada tax treaty actually has favorable provisions for retirement savings. Just make sure you're not also claiming RRSP contributions in Canada for the same income, as that could create treaty complications. One final tip - keep detailed records of all your manual calculations and adjustments. If the IRS has questions later, you'll want to be able to show exactly how you arrived at your numbers.

I wanted to add another perspective as someone who dealt with a similar HSA/IRA situation as a non-resident alien. One thing that caught me off guard was the timing requirements for HSA contributions versus when you can actually claim the deduction. Even though you can contribute to your HSA through April 15th for the previous tax year, if you're manually filing Form 8889 with your non-resident return, you'll want to make sure all contributions are actually completed before you file. Unlike regular filers who might estimate and adjust later, the manual process makes corrections much more complicated. For your IRA situation on the TN visa - definitely confirm your contribution limits based on your earned income. As a non-resident alien, you can only contribute up to 100% of your US earned income or the annual limit ($7,000 for 2024), whichever is less. This is different from residents who might have other forms of compensation that count. Also, one practical tip for the Sprintax + manual Form 8889 approach - complete everything in Sprintax first, then print the entire return. Fill out Form 8889 separately, and physically attach it to the printed return before mailing. Don't try to modify the Sprintax PDF directly as it can cause formatting issues that might confuse IRS processing. The manual recalculation process mentioned by others is definitely doable - I found it helpful to work backwards from the final tax owed to make sure my adjustments were correct.