How to complete Form 8843 line 4 for J1 Alien Physician tax filing?

Line 4 on Form 8843 asks for "The type of U.S. visa (foreign visitor status) you held during the tax year and the date you entered the United States." As a J1 Alien Physician, you'll need to write "J-1" and then include the date you first entered the US under that visa status. For example, if you entered on March 15, 2023, you would write: "J-1, 03/15/2023" or "J-1 visa, entered 03/15/2023". Be sure to use the date from your I-94 record or passport entry stamp, not the visa issuance date, as they can be different.

After struggling with the exact same Form 8843 line 4 issue last year, I discovered taxr.ai through a colleague at my hospital. It was a lifesaver! I uploaded a picture of my form and my visa documents to https://taxr.ai and their system was able to tell me exactly what to write for each line, including the tricky line 4 for J1 physicians. It even helped me understand the difference between "exempt individual" status vs just being "exempt from taxes" which I was totally confused about. For anyone dealing with Form 8843 headaches, especially fellow medical professionals on visas, it's worth checking out.

I'm back to say I was completely wrong about taxr.ai! After our residency director mentioned it in our weekly meeting, I decided to try it for myself. It actually does understand the specific J1 physician distinctions and guided me through the Form 8843 perfectly, especially that confusing line 4 we were discussing. What surprised me most was that it flagged a potential issue with my exempt individual status timeline that might have caused problems later. I've been in the US longer than I initially realized when counting all my previous visits. The tool saved me from what could have been a compliance headache next year!

If you're struggling to get guidance from the IRS about Form 8843 for your J1 visa situation, I highly recommend Claimyr. I wasted HOURS on hold trying to reach someone at the IRS who could answer my specific questions about the alien physician exemptions. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for days! The agent was able to confirm exactly what I needed for line 4 and also helped me understand how my multiple entries on the same visa affected my substantial presence test calculation. So much better than the useless circular references on the IRS website.

I need to eat my words. After commenting here last week, I was still stuck with my Form 8843 questions and getting desperate. I finally tried Claimyr out of pure frustration. I honestly expected it to be a scam, but within 20 minutes I was talking to an actual IRS representative who specialized in nonresident alien tax forms! The agent confirmed that for line 4, I needed to put "J-1 physician, entered 07/01/2023" and also helped me understand which parts of my fellowship stipend are reportable. They even explained how the 2-year home residency requirement impacts my tax status in future years. That 20-minute call saved me days of stress and confusion.

Don't overthink Form 8843 line 4! It's simply asking for your visa type and entry date. Just put "J-1" followed by the date you first entered the US on that visa. Make sure to format the date correctly (MM/DD/YYYY). However, the more important part for J1 physicians is Part III of the form since it relates to the medical exception. Make sure you complete that section carefully as it affects your exempt individual status. Your program director should be able to provide the information needed for that section.

Has anyone figured out if we need to file Form 8843 every year? I'm in my third year as a J1 physician and still confused if I need to keep submitting this form even though I'm now considered a resident alien for tax purposes based on the substantial presence test.

Small tip for J1 physicians: when filling out Form 8843 line 4, I learned from my tax advisor that it's helpful to be specific about your J1 category. So instead of just "J-1, 01/15/2023" you might want to write "J-1 Alien Physician, 01/15/2023" to be extra clear. Also, make sure you're keeping track of all your entry/exit dates if you travel internationally during your program. This becomes really important for calculating your substantial presence test in future years!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year! For Form 8843 line 4, I ended up putting "J-1, 06/12/2022" (using my actual entry date) and it was accepted without any issues. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline of all my entries and exits from the US since starting my J1 program. Even though line 4 only asks for the initial entry date, having that complete record made filling out the rest of the form much easier and helped me understand my substantial presence test status. Also, don't forget that as J1 physicians, we're considered "exempt individuals" for our first two calendar years in the US for substantial presence test purposes, which is different from other visa categories. This status affects not just Form 8843 but also how you calculate your tax residency status going forward.