SOS please help with Form 8802 - line 4A instructions unclear, not sure how to proceed
I'm trying to fill out Form 8802 (Application for U.S. Residency Certification) to get a certificate of residency for a foreign tax authority, but I'm completely stuck on line 4a. If you check the box for "Individual" it asks for additional information, but the instructions are super vague about what exactly needs to be included here. I'm applying because I work remotely for a company based in Singapore, and they need this form to avoid withholding taxes twice. I've never had to deal with this form before, and the IRS instructions might as well be written in hieroglyphics for how helpful they are. Has anyone successfully completed this form recently? Specifically what did you put for line 4a if you selected "Individual"? I've already had to pay $85 for this application and I'm terrified of messing it up and having to start over. My submission deadline is in two weeks!
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Henry Delgado
Line 4a on Form 8802 is where you indicate your filing status. If you check "Individual," you need to provide your name as it appears on your tax return. If you filed jointly, you'd need to include both names exactly as they appear on your returns. The key is making sure the name matches your tax return precisely. The IRS uses this to verify your U.S. tax residency status. Since you're working for a Singapore company, you'll want to make sure your application aligns with how you've been filing taxes domestically. Also important - make sure line 4a is consistent with the tax form copies you're submitting with your 8802. If you've been filing as "single" on your 1040, then that's what should be reflected here. The IRS gets very particular about consistency across all documentation.
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Olivia Kay
•Thanks for this explanation, but I'm still confused. Do I need to include my Social Security Number on line 4a too? And what about the years I'm requesting certification for? Does that go on line 4a or somewhere else on the form?
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Henry Delgado
•Your Social Security Number goes on line 3, not line 4a. Line 4a is just for indicating your tax filing status and name as it appears on your return. The years you're requesting certification for go on line 7 of the form. You'll check boxes for each tax period you need certification for. Most foreign tax authorities require the current or immediately preceding tax year, but some might require multiple years.
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Joshua Hellan
After struggling with international tax forms for months, I finally found something that actually helped me figure out the Form 8802 confusion. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my situation and it walked me through exactly what I needed for line 4a and the rest of the form. It can review tax forms, analyze your specific situation, and give you personalized guidance. For me, I was going back and forth between checking "Individual" vs "Partnership" since I have some side income from a small business. The tool analyzed my full tax situation and confirmed I should check "Individual" and exactly what supporting documentation to include. Saved me a ton of stress!
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Jibriel Kohn
•How does this taxr thing handle privacy? I'm always nervous about uploading my tax docs to random websites. Does it store your information or is it just a one-time analysis?
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Edison Estevez
•Did it help with knowing what years of tax returns to include with the form? The instructions say to attach copies of your most recently filed tax returns, but doesn't specify how many years worth I need to send.
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Joshua Hellan
•It doesn't store your documents after processing - they get deleted from their servers after analysis. They use the same encryption standards as the major tax prep companies. I was nervous about that too, but they explain their security protocols on their site. For the tax return question, yes it definitely helped with that. It told me exactly which years to include based on what country I was submitting to. For Singapore specifically, you need to include your most recently filed return, but some countries require more. The tool specifically told me which pages of my return were necessary vs just sending the whole thing.
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Edison Estevez
Just wanted to update about my Form 8802 experience. I decided to try that taxr.ai site mentioned earlier and it was honestly a game-changer. I uploaded my partially completed 8802 and my last tax return, and it immediately flagged issues with how I completed line 4a. Turns out I was overthinking it. For my situation (single filer with W-2 income), I just needed to check "Individual" and write my name exactly as it appeared on my 1040. The tool also pointed out that I needed to include Schedule C from my tax return since I had some freelance income, which I would have completely missed. Got my certification back in about 4 weeks with no issues! Definitely recommend this approach if you're stuck on international tax forms like I was.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
I had the exact same problem with Form 8802 last year and wasted so much time trying to get through to the IRS for clarification. After sitting on hold for literally hours, I discovered https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is ready to talk. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with was super helpful about line 4a (which apparently causes problems for lots of people). They explained exactly what I needed to write based on my specific situation and what supporting documents to include. Worth every penny to not waste an entire day on hold.
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James Johnson
•How does this actually work? Do they have some special access to the IRS that regular people don't have? I've been on hold for 2+ hours multiple times trying to ask about this same form.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•This sounds like a scam. I don't believe for a second that anyone can get through to the IRS faster than just calling them directly. They probably just take your money and you still wait the same amount of time.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
•They don't have special access to the IRS. What they do is use technology to continuously dial and navigate the IRS phone system for you. Think of it like having someone wait on hold for you, but it's an automated system. When they finally get through to an agent, they connect the call to your phone. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after waiting on hold for almost 3 hours and getting disconnected. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 24 minutes. The agent confirmed they work with the regular IRS phone line - they just handle the frustrating waiting part. Much better than losing your whole day on hold.
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Sophia Rodriguez
I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After posting my doubtful comment, I was still struggling with Form 8802 questions and had an upcoming deadline, so I decided to try it anyway. Amazingly, I got connected to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes. The agent walked me through exactly what I needed for line 4a based on my situation (I was confused because I had both W-2 and 1099 income). Turns out I needed to check "Individual" and provide the name exactly as it appeared on my Form 1040, plus I needed to include specific schedules from my tax return. I submitted my 8802 last week and already got confirmation it was received and is being processed. Would have never figured this out without actually speaking to someone at the IRS.
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Mia Green
For what it's worth, I had to fill out Form 8802 for work in Japan last year. On line 4a, if you check "Individual," you just write your name exactly as it appears on your most recently filed tax return. Don't overthink it! If you filed jointly, you'd include both names. If you filed as single, just your name. The key thing the IRS is looking for is consistency between your 8802 application and your actual tax filings. They're verifying you've been paying taxes as a US resident.
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Emma Bianchi
•Do you remember if there were any other common mistakes people make on this form? I'm filling it out for the first time and want to avoid any potential delays.
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Mia Green
•The biggest mistake I see people make is not including copies of their filed tax return with the application. You absolutely must include a copy of the return for verification. Also, make sure you're using the current version of Form 8802 (Rev. 6-2021 as of now). Another common issue is forgetting to sign the form or using an electronic signature, which the IRS doesn't accept for this form. It needs a physical signature. Finally, double check you included the correct fee payment - it's $85 for individual applications but goes up if you need multiple copies.
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Lucas Kowalski
I think the IRS intentionally makes these forms confusing lol. Has anyone had their Form 8802 rejected? How long did it take to get a response? I'm supposed to start a position in Korea in 6 weeks and I'm worried about timing.
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Olivia Martinez
•Mine took exactly 4 weeks from submission to receiving the certificate. My friend who applied around the same time but had some discrepancies between his application and tax returns had his rejected after about 3 weeks, then had to resubmit with corrections. The IRS is actually fairly quick with these compared to other services. If you're in a real rush, there's an expedited process, but you need to provide proof of urgency (like a letter from your employer with a deadline).
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Layla Mendes
I went through this exact same nightmare with Form 8802 about 6 months ago! For line 4a when you check "Individual," you literally just need to write your full name exactly as it appears on your most recent tax return - nothing more, nothing less. Don't add your SSN, don't add extra info, just your name. Since you're working for a Singapore company, make sure you're also including copies of your most recently filed 1040 and any relevant schedules (like Schedule C if you have any self-employment income). The IRS uses this to verify your U.S. tax residency status for the foreign tax authority. One tip that saved me - call the IRS practitioner priority line if you get stuck. The regular customer service line is useless, but the practitioner line (even though you're not technically a practitioner) sometimes gets you through to someone who actually knows about international forms. Good luck with your deadline!
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Justin Trejo
•This is super helpful! I had no idea there was a practitioner priority line. Do you happen to know the number for that line? I've been trying the regular customer service number and like you said, it's been completely useless. Also, when you say "exactly as it appears on your tax return" - does that include middle initials if that's how you filed, or just first and last name?
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Mae Bennett
•The practitioner priority line is 866-860-4259, but heads up - they might ask if you're an enrolled agent or CPA. I just said I was calling on behalf of a client (which is technically true since you're your own client, right?). For the name on line 4a, include everything exactly as it appears - so if you filed with your middle initial, include it. If you used your full middle name, use that. The IRS computer system matches character by character, so "John A. Smith" is different from "John Smith" to them. I learned this the hard way when my first application got delayed because I abbreviated my middle name differently than on my 1040. Also make sure you're looking at the "name" field on line 1 of your 1040, not the signature line - sometimes people sign differently than they fill out the form.
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