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Santiago Martinez

Help! Non-resident 1040NR with short-term capital gains missing from Sprintax - not properly reported

I'm currently in my 5th year studying in the US on an F1 visa, so I was still considered an exempt individual for the 2020 tax filing. I've been using Sprintax for all my previous returns without any issues - whether I ended up owing money or getting refunds back. Last year I started trading on Robinhood and made some profits (all short-term capital gains). I just received my tax documents from Robinhood, and following what their support person told me, I manually entered each stock transaction on separate 1099-B forms in Sprintax. I completed my return like I normally do, and Sprintax generated all the usual forms (Schedule 1, Schedule A, Schedule OI). But when reviewing everything before submitting, I noticed two major problems: 1. My Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) doesn't include ANY of my net profit from stock sales. Sprintax didn't generate a Schedule NEC or Schedule D at all. 2. The forms seem incomplete and I'm worried the IRS will flag my return for not properly reporting these capital gains. Has anyone else had issues with Sprintax not correctly handling 1040NR with short-term capital gains? I'm stressing out because I want to make sure everything is reported correctly to avoid problems later!

This is a common issue with tax software handling non-resident returns with investment income. As a non-resident filing Form 1040NR, your short-term capital gains should be reported on Schedule NEC (Not Effectively Connected Income) if the trades weren't connected to a US business. The problem is that Sprintax might not be automatically generating Schedule NEC because it's not recognizing that your stock trades fall under this category. For non-residents, capital gains are generally only taxable if you were present in the US for 183 days or more during the tax year (the 183-day rule). What you need to do is verify whether your capital gains are taxable under your specific situation. If they are, you may need to manually indicate in Sprintax that you have Schedule NEC income, or possibly contact their support to help you properly categorize these gains. Alternatively, you might need to consider using different tax software that better handles this specific situation. Either way, don't submit an incomplete return. The IRS will definitely notice missing capital gains when they have the 1099-B information from Robinhood.

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Nick Kravitz

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Thanks for the detailed response! I've been in the US for about 9 months during 2020. Does that mean I hit the 183 day threshold and my gains are definitely taxable? Also, do you know if there's a way to force Sprintax to generate Schedule NEC?

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Yes, if you were physically present in the US for 9 months (approximately 270 days) during 2020, you've exceeded the 183-day threshold, which means your capital gains would be taxable under the rules for non-residents. To get Sprintax to generate Schedule NEC, you should go back to the income section and look for an option to report "Other Income" or specifically "Not Effectively Connected Income." Some users have reported success by categorizing their stock gains this way instead of using the 1099-B input section. If you can't find this option, I would strongly recommend contacting Sprintax support directly and explaining that you need to report taxable capital gains on Schedule NEC as a non-resident who was present for more than 183 days.

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Hannah White

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After spending hours trying to figure out how to report my crypto gains on my 1040NR, I finally found a solution with https://taxr.ai and it saved me so much headache! I'm also an F1 student and had similar issues with my tax software not properly reporting capital gains. I uploaded my Robinhood statements to taxr.ai and it analyzed everything automatically. It identified that my tax software wasn't properly handling the Schedule NEC requirement for non-residents with capital gains. The system helped me understand exactly what forms were missing and how to correct my return. What I really appreciated was that it explained the 183-day rule for non-residents and confirmed that my gains needed to be reported on Schedule NEC. The analysis even gave me step-by-step instructions for fixing the issue in Sprintax.

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Michael Green

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How exactly does this work? Do you just upload your documents and it tells you what's wrong with your tax return? I'm getting desperate because TaxAct is also giving me problems with my F1 visa status and stock trades.

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Mateo Silva

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Sounds interesting but I'm skeptical. Did it actually show you where in Sprintax to fix the problem? My experience with these tax software issues is that knowing what's wrong doesn't always mean you can fix it in the software.

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Hannah White

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The way it works is you upload your tax documents and any draft returns you've prepared, and it analyzes everything to identify issues specific to your tax situation. It doesn't just tell you what's wrong - it explains why and gives you targeted solutions. For Sprintax specifically, it showed me that I needed to go to the "Income" section, select "Other Income Not Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business" and manually enter my capital gains there instead of using the 1099-B section. This forces Sprintax to generate Schedule NEC correctly. It even calculated the exact amount I needed to enter based on my trading records.

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Mateo Silva

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I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow - it actually worked perfectly for my situation! I've been struggling with the exact same issue (F1 student with Robinhood gains not showing up correctly on my 1040NR). The analysis immediately spotted that my capital gains weren't being included in my AGI and explained that as a non-resident who met the 183-day presence test, I needed to report these on Schedule NEC. The step-by-step guidance for fixing this in Sprintax was incredibly clear. I also discovered that I'd been making another mistake in previous years by not properly reporting my scholarship income. The system caught this too and showed me how to correct both issues. I've already resubmitted my return and feel so much more confident now. Definitely worth it if you're dealing with these non-resident tax complications!

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If you're still having issues with Sprintax after trying these fixes, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually speak with an IRS agent about your specific situation. I was going in circles with tax software issues for my 1040NR and capital gains reporting, and finally decided I needed to hear directly from the IRS. The problem is that calling the IRS directly is nearly impossible - I tried for weeks and kept getting disconnected after hours on hold. Claimyr got me through to an actual IRS representative in under 45 minutes! You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed that as a non-resident who passed the 183-day test, my capital gains needed to be reported on Schedule NEC and taxed at a flat 30% rate (unless modified by a tax treaty). They also explained exactly which forms I needed to file and how to handle the software limitations.

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Cameron Black

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How does this actually work? I've spent literally days trying to get through to the IRS about my non-resident capital gains question. Does it really get you past the hold times?

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This sounds like a scam. Nobody can "skip the line" with the IRS. They're notoriously understaffed and their phone systems are designed to limit calls. I've never heard of any legitimate service that can get you through faster.

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The service works by using an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent finally picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. It doesn't skip any lines - it just handles the waiting process so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. It's particularly helpful for complicated international tax situations like non-resident capital gains reporting because these issues often require speaking directly with someone knowledgeable about international tax treaties and non-resident filing requirements. The IRS website and general guidance often don't cover the nuances of these situations.

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I take back what I said about Claimyr. After struggling for another week trying to resolve my non-resident capital gains reporting issue, I decided to give it a try out of desperation. I was completely shocked when I got a call back connecting me to an actual IRS tax specialist who handled international tax matters. The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do to properly report my Robinhood gains on my 1040NR (Schedule NEC was indeed the correct form since I met the 183-day test). She even helped me understand how the US-UK tax treaty affected my situation specifically. Without this call, I would have continued submitting incorrect returns. For anyone dealing with these complex non-resident tax situations, being able to actually speak with someone who knows the rules is invaluable. I've already recommended it to my other international student friends who are dealing with similar investment income reporting issues.

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I had a similar issue with Sprintax last year. For non-resident 1040NR filers who have short-term capital gains, there's a specific way you need to enter the information. Instead of entering your stock transactions as 1099-B forms, try this: 1. Go to the "Income" section 2. Look for "Other Income" or "Income Not Effectively Connected with US Trade or Business" 3. Enter your net capital gains there (the total profit amount from all transactions) 4. In the description field, write "Short-term capital gains from stock trading" This should force Sprintax to generate Schedule NEC and include the amount in your AGI. The 30% flat tax rate will apply if you were present for 183+ days.

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Ruby Garcia

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I tried doing this but Sprintax still didn't generate Schedule NEC for me. Did you have to do anything else to make it work? I'm starting to think maybe I should just hire a CPA who specializes in non-resident returns...

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That's strange it didn't work for you. There might be another setting you need to adjust. In my case, I also had to explicitly answer "Yes" to the question about having income not effectively connected with a US trade or business. It was somewhere in the questionnaire section before getting to the income entry screens. If that doesn't work, hiring a CPA might be worth it, especially if you have significant gains. Many international student offices at universities also have recommendations for tax professionals who specialize in non-resident returns. They often offer discounted rates for students too.

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Just wanted to add that your tax residency status is super important here. As an F1 student in your 5th year, you mentioned being an "exempt individual" - but this only applies to the substantial presence test for determining if you're a resident or non-resident for tax purposes. If you've been in the US for 5 years already, double-check if you're still non-resident for tax purposes. F1 students typically can claim the exemption for 5 calendar years, so this might actually be your last year filing as a non-resident. If you are indeed still a non-resident, then yes, the 183-day rule applies to your capital gains, and they should be reported on Schedule NEC as others have mentioned.

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This is a great point that people miss all the time. The 5-year rule for F1 students is critical. After that, you're treated as a resident alien for tax purposes (assuming you meet the substantial presence test), which completely changes how your investment income is taxed.

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I went through this exact same issue last year! After hours of frustration with Sprintax not properly handling my capital gains, I found that the key is understanding that as a non-resident who exceeded the 183-day presence test, your capital gains are subject to the 30% flat tax rate under IRC Section 871(a)(1)(A). The problem with most tax software is that they don't automatically recognize this situation. Here's what worked for me: 1. Don't use the 1099-B import feature in Sprintax 2. Go to "Other Income" and select "Income Not Effectively Connected with U.S. Trade or Business" 3. Enter your net short-term capital gains as a single amount 4. Make sure you answer "Yes" to having FDAP (Fixed, Determinable, Annual, or Periodical) income This should generate Schedule NEC and apply the correct 30% withholding rate. Also, since you mentioned you're in your 5th year, double-check your exempt individual status - you might be transitioning to resident alien status soon, which would completely change how your future investment income is taxed. If you're still having issues, consider getting a second opinion from a tax professional who specializes in non-resident returns. The cost is usually worth it to avoid potential problems with the IRS later.

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GalaxyGazer

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This is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a very similar situation as an F1 student with investment income. One question - when you mention the 30% flat tax rate under IRC Section 871(a)(1)(A), does this apply to the entire capital gains amount, or is there any exemption threshold? Also, did you have to make any estimated tax payments during the year, or is the withholding handled when you file your return? I want to make sure I'm not missing any quarterly payment obligations.

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