I work at a tax prep office (not giving tax advice, just sharing experience). We see this situation ALL the time lately. The IRS is severely backlogged with amended returns. The key thing most people miss: if your amended return involves a refund AND you've been waiting over 45 days from when it was received, you're actually entitled to interest on that refund amount! The IRS is required to pay interest on refunds not issued within 45 days of the filing deadline or receipt date, whichever is later.

Has anyone successfully gotten their amended return expedited? Mine has been "in process" for over 10 months now and I need it completed because I'm trying to get a mortgage and the lender needs my correct tax information.

This is exactly the kind of confusion I went through when I first became a tax resident! The key thing to remember is that even though you're getting a 1042-S, you're now filing as a US tax resident, so this interest gets treated just like any other US bank interest. For TaxSlayer specifically, you'll want to look for the "Interest and Dividend Income" section when you're going through the interview process. Just enter the $5.25 as interest income - you don't need to specify it came from a 1042-S form. The software will automatically put it on Schedule B if your total interest exceeds $1,500, or just include it in your total income if it's under that threshold. Also, since there was no federal tax withheld, you won't have any additional refund coming from this - it's just taxable income that gets added to your return. Keep the 1042-S with your tax records, but you don't need to attach it to your filing.

I had a similar situation a couple years ago when I transitioned from F-1 status to becoming a tax resident. The 1042-S forms can be really confusing at first! Since you're now a tax resident under the Substantial Presence Test, that $5.25 in interest income gets reported exactly like any other domestic bank interest. In TaxSlayer, you'll find this in the "Interest and Dividends" section during the interview process. Just enter it as regular interest income - no need to indicate it came from a 1042-S versus a regular 1099-INT. The reason you're getting a 1042-S instead of a 1099-INT is just because Bank of America still has you classified in their system as a foreign person from when you first opened the account. Once you update your tax status with them (bring a W-9 form and documentation of your current status), they should start issuing 1099-INTs going forward. Don't worry about this triggering any red flags with the IRS - they receive copies of all 1042-S forms and expect to see this income reported on your return. As long as you include that $5.25 in your interest income total, everything will match up perfectly in their systems.

Anyone else think its ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to pay our taxes? The system is broken af 🤡

I feel your pain! I went through the same nightmare last year with my 4883C letter. Here's what finally worked for me: I called the practitioner priority line (1-866-860-4259) instead of the regular taxpayer line. You're supposed to be a tax professional to use it, but they don't really verify and the wait times are way shorter. Also, try calling around 2-3 PM on weekdays - seems to be a sweet spot when call volume drops. Don't give up, you'll get through eventually! 💪

everyone stressing bout codes n stuff meanwhile i'm still tryna figure out how to even get my transcript 💀

Just went through this same situation last month! Those codes are actually good signs - means your return is in the system and being processed. The 150 code is key because it shows they accepted your return. With PATH act, you're right that EITC and ACTC refunds get held until mid-February, but since we're past that now, you should see movement soon. I got mine about 10 days after my processing date updated. Hang in there!

Just wanted to add that the W-7 ITIN process has changed a bit recently. The IRS is now being more strict about documentation verification. Sometimes one of those letters might be about acceptable ID verification methods if they couldn't verify from what you submitted initially. My brother got two letters - one was notification that they received his application, and the other (which came the same day) was a request for additional documentation. He almost missed the request because he assumed both letters were the same thing.

I went through this exact situation two years ago! Got two IRS letters while traveling abroad and was stressed about what they contained. Based on my experience and what others have shared here, you're likely looking at one letter with your actual ITIN assignment and another with instructions or confirmation. Here's what I'd recommend: Have your mail service scan at least one of the letters to see if there's any urgent action required. The privacy concern is understandable, but missing a potential 30-45 day deadline for additional documentation would be much worse than the temporary privacy risk. In my case, both letters were good news - ITIN approved and usage instructions. But I've heard of cases where one letter requests additional docs with a strict deadline. Since you're filing jointly as a nonresident alien spouse situation (same as mine was), these letters are probably routine processing communications, but better safe than sorry when you're stuck overseas. If you do get the scans and they're confusing, the AI tools others mentioned here like taxr.ai could help interpret the IRS language quickly without another privacy concern since you'd already have the digital copies.