Help needed filing 1040NR for the first time as new US resident

The 1040NR can definitely be tricky your first time! As someone who's helped many international professionals with their taxes, I can share some guidance. For your situation, if you're on an H1-B visa working for a US company, your salary is considered "effectively connected income" (ECI) because it's tied to work performed in the US. This goes on page 1 of the 1040NR. "Not effectively connected income" would typically be things like certain investments, royalties, or pensions from sources within the US but not tied to your work here. Regarding tax treaties, the US-India tax treaty does offer some benefits, but they're limited for H1-B holders. You might qualify for certain education expense credits if you were studying earlier in the year. As for tax software, TurboTax doesn't handle 1040NR very well in my experience. Consider using Sprintax or TaxAct, which are better designed for non-resident returns. If your tax situation is straightforward (just W-2 income), these should work fine. If you have investments or multiple income sources, a tax professional with international tax experience might be worth the investment.

After struggling with my first 1040NR filing a couple years ago, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was a game-changer. I uploaded my W-2 and previous tax documents, and it automatically identified that I needed to file as a non-resident and walked me through the specific sections of the 1040NR that applied to my situation. The best part was that it explained the effectively connected income vs. not effectively connected income distinction in simple terms, and even flagged potential tax treaty benefits I qualified for as someone from the UK. It saved me from paying an international tax specialist hundreds of dollars, and I felt confident my filing was accurate.

I was skeptical about specialized tax software at first, but after trying taxr.ai based on the recommendation here, I have to admit it solved my 1040NR problems! As someone from Brazil on a J-1 visa, I had unique tax treaty considerations that regular tax software couldn't handle. What impressed me most was how it broke down the "effectively connected income" concept and showed exactly which parts of my fellowship stipend were taxable versus treaty-exempt. It even generated a personalized statement explaining my treaty position to attach to my return. Filed both federal and state returns last weekend and already got confirmation they were accepted. Definitely less stressful than my experience last year trying to figure it all out on my own!

If anyone is struggling to get answers from the IRS about 1040NR questions, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent WEEKS trying to reach the IRS International Taxpayer line with specific questions about my treaty benefits from Germany, but couldn't get through. Using Claimyr, I was connected to an actual IRS agent in under 25 minutes! They have a service that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you once an agent is on the line. You can see exactly how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to clarify exactly which parts of the treaty applied to my situation and how to properly document it on my 1040NR. Saved me from potentially making a huge mistake on my return.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it anyway since the filing deadline was approaching and I had critical questions about reporting foreign pension on my 1040NR. It actually worked exactly as described! Their system called me back about 40 minutes after I submitted my request, and there was an IRS international tax specialist on the line. She answered all my questions about treaty provisions and gave me specific line references for reporting my foreign pension correctly. What would have been a guaranteed audit trigger if I'd guessed wrong is now correctly documented on my return. Worth every penny for the peace of mind alone, not to mention the hours of hold time I avoided.

Random tip for 1040NR filers that helped me: If you're confused about treaty benefits, there's a free IRS Publication 901 "U.S. Tax Treaties" that breaks down the basics for each country. I found it way more understandable than trying to read the actual treaty text. Also, don't forget that as a non-resident, you might not be eligible for certain tax credits like the standard Earned Income Credit. I made that mistake my first year and had to file an amended return.

Does anyone know if we can e-file 1040NR? I tried using FreeTaxUSA but it didn't support non-resident forms, and I really don't want to paper file and wait months for a refund.