IRS TAX TREAS 310 payment received as an NRA - what is this $1400 deposit and why did I get it?

So I'm really confused about a random deposit that just showed up in my account. I'm a Non-Resident Alien (NRA) on my OPT visa, having moved to the US in February 2022. Yesterday I noticed an unexpected deposit labeled "IRS TREAS 310" for $1,768 in my checking account. When I checked my IRS transcript online, this payment appears to be associated with my 2021 tax return. The weird thing is I already received my refund for that tax year back in March 2023. I don't understand why I'm getting another payment now. Looking at the transcript details, it shows this amount will be officially credited on January 6, 2025 (but somehow I already received the money?). I'm worried this might be a mistake and they'll want it back. Or maybe it's some kind of stimulus payment I didn't know I qualified for? Can anyone explain what IRS TREAS 310 actually means, why I might have received this as an NRA, and if I should be concerned about spending this money? I definitely don't want tax problems later if this was sent to me in error.

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18 comments

Zainab Abdulrahman

•8M

This sounds like you received the Economic Impact Payment (commonly called the stimulus payment) that was part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The $1,400 amount matches the third stimulus payment that many people received. As an NRA who filed a 2021 tax return, you might have been determined eligible for this payment retroactively. The IRS TREAS 310 code simply indicates a refund issued as a direct deposit - it's the standard code they use for electronic refunds and payments to taxpayers. The January 2025 date in your transcript is likely just the final settlement date in their system, but they've released the funds to you now. This is fairly common with IRS accounting systems.

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Zainab Abdulrahman

•8M

You're generally right that most NRAs aren't eligible for stimulus payments. However, eligibility rules had some exceptions based on residency tests and tax treaties. If you were physically present in the US for a certain period during 2021, the IRS system might have determined you met the "substantial presence test" for that year. I wouldn't rush to return the money, but it would be prudent to verify this is correct. You can call the IRS Economic Impact Payment hotline at 800-919-9835 to confirm if you were eligible. They can check your specific situation and tell you if this was issued correctly. Keep documentation of any conversations in case questions arise later.

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Connor Byrne

•8M

I went through something similar with unexpected IRS money! After weeks of confusion and waiting on hold with the IRS, I discovered https://taxr.ai which helped me figure out what was going on. You just upload your tax transcript and it explains all those weird codes like TREAS 310 in plain English. It helped me realize I had received a recovery rebate credit I didn't know I qualified for. The tool also explained why the deposit date was different from the "credit" date in my transcript - apparently that's normal with how the IRS processes these payments.

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Connor Byrne

•8M

It definitely works with NRA tax returns. The tool specifically has sections for international taxpayers, including F-1, J-1, H1-B visa holders, and people on OPT. It actually helped me understand some treaty benefits I didn't know applied to my situation. For security, they use bank-level encryption for all documents and don't store your information after analysis. There's no hidden fees - they're upfront about their pricing model on the site. I was hesitant too at first, but it saved me hours of confusion compared to when I tried calling the IRS directly. Their explanations are much clearer than what I got from the IRS representatives.

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Yara Elias

•8M

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the previous commenter recommended. It actually worked amazingly well for my situation! I uploaded my transcript showing an IRS TREAS 310 payment, and it immediately identified it as a correction to my 2021 tax withholding based on my non-resident status. The tool explained that as an NRA, there was a special provision that affected how my university scholarships were taxed, and the IRS had processed an automatic correction. That's why I received a similar unexpected payment. Would have never figured that out on my own, and saved me from the 3+ hour wait times when I tried calling the IRS helpline.

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Keisha Jackson

•8M

If you're still confused after looking at your transcript, I highly recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually speak with an IRS agent. I was in the same situation last year - random deposit, cryptic codes on my transcript, and couldn't get through on the phone. Claimyr got me connected to an IRS representative in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for DAYS on my own. The agent confirmed my payment was legitimate and explained exactly why I received it (turned out I had overpaid taxes through withholding due to an employer classification error). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

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Keisha Jackson

•8M

It's actually quite clever how it works. They use an automated system that continually redials the IRS using their phone network until they get through. Once connected, they immediately call you and connect you to the IRS line they've opened. They're not skipping any queues - they're just handling the frustrating redial process that most of us give up on. The IRS agents you speak to are 100% legitimate IRS employees. The service just handles getting you connected - once you're talking to the IRS, it's a direct conversation with an actual agent. I was skeptical too until I used it and the agent I spoke with answered questions about my specific tax account that only the real IRS would know.

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Amina Diop

•8M

I need to publicly eat my words here! After calling the IRS for three days straight with no luck, I broke down and tried Claimyr that I criticized in my earlier comment. Within 20 minutes I was talking to an actual IRS agent who confirmed my NRA status was correctly processed. The agent explained that my TREAS 310 payment was legitimate - apparently there was a special processing for certain visa holders from my country due to a tax treaty adjustment. This explanation matched exactly what my tax transcript showed, but I would have never understood that on my own. Sorry for being so skeptical before. Sometimes services actually do what they claim!

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Oliver Weber

•8M

As someone who works with international students, I can add some context here. The IRS TREAS 310 code just means it's a refund issued via direct deposit. The $1,400 amount matches the third Economic Impact Payment, but NRAs are generally not eligible for these unless they meet the substantial presence test. Given you arrived in August 2021, you likely wouldn't have been in the US long enough to qualify as a resident for tax purposes that year. However, there are situations where the IRS processes corrections to NRA returns: 1. Treaty benefits that weren't properly applied 2. Corrections to withholding on scholarships/fellowships 3. Adjustments from amended returns 4. Retroactive tax law changes affecting NRAs

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Oliver Weber

•8M

Scholarship withholding adjustments are a very common reason for unexpected refunds to NRAs. Educational institutions sometimes withhold at the standard 30% rate, but depending on your country's tax treaty, you might be eligible for a lower rate or even exemption from tax on certain scholarship portions. Receiving this refund doesn't change your immigration status or tax residency classification for 2021. The IRS making adjustments to your tax withholding doesn't reclassify you from NRA to resident - they're simply applying the correct tax rules to your NRA status. Your visa status remains completely separate from these tax processing adjustments.

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