Something nobody mentioned yet - if you're claimed as a dependent on someone else's return (like if you're a student and your parents claim you), your standard deduction is much lower. I learned this the hard way when I got my first job in college and was surprised at my tax bill.

Just a heads up for seniors - if you're 65 or older there's an additional standard deduction amount you can claim! My mom didn't know this and had been missing out for years.

Also make sure you check if your home country has a tax treaty with the US that might affect how your investment income is taxed. Some treaties have specific provisions for students that override the general nonresident alien rules.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I had a similar situation last year as an F-1 student with crypto losses. After going through all the research and even consulting with a tax professional, I can confirm what others have said: your crypto and stock losses generally don't need to be reported on Form 1040-NR since they're not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. However, I'd strongly recommend keeping detailed records of all your transactions anyway. Even though you're not reporting them this year, if your tax status changes in the future (like when you potentially become a resident alien), having that transaction history will be crucial for calculating your basis in any remaining positions. Also, regarding the missing Coinbase 1099 - they sometimes don't issue them if your total proceeds are under certain thresholds or if you only had losses. You can usually download your transaction history directly from their platform for your records. One last tip: if you're worried about the IRS questioning why you received a 1099 but didn't report the transactions, you can attach Form 8833 (Treaty-Based Return Position Disclosure) if your home country has a relevant tax treaty, or just include a simple statement as others mentioned.

To all those having trouble reaching a human at IRS. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

This message means the IRS has approved your refund but there's a debt that needs to be paid first - could be child support, state taxes, student loans, or other federal debts. The Bureau of Fiscal Service will automatically deduct what you owe from your refund and send you the remainder (if any). You'll receive a notice in the mail explaining exactly what was taken and the contact info for the agency you owed. The "Where's My Refund" tool will update with your final refund amount after the offset is processed. If you're not sure what debt this could be, you can call the Treasury Offset Program at 1-800-304-3107 to find out which agency is claiming the debt.

ya irs is a mess right now honestly. i filed on paper (big mistake) in march and am still waiting. at least you efiled so youll probably get urs before me 😂

I'm in a similar boat - filed February 5th and still waiting! The frustration is real. What's helped me understand what's going on is checking my tax transcript regularly. You can access it through the IRS website if you can get through their identity verification process. The transcript shows specific codes that explain why your refund might be delayed. For example, code 570 means there's a hold on your refund, and code 971 usually means they're sending you a notice requesting additional information. Also, if you claimed any credits like the Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit, or education credits, those automatically trigger additional review which can add months to processing time. The IRS has to manually verify these credits. Keep checking your transcript weekly and don't give up! Some people are getting refunds after 4-5 months with no explanation for the delay. The system is definitely overwhelmed right now.

I had exactly the same issue 27 days ago and was terrified I'd done something wrong! Called the IRS exactly 14 times before getting through. The agent told me it was flagged because I reported exactly $12,489 in business expenses on Schedule C which apparently triggered an automatic review. They verified everything within 16 days and my refund of $2,874 was deposited exactly 5 days later. Sometimes it really is just a random check like others have said!

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This is really helpful. I'm dealing with Tax Topic 151 for the first time and was panicking thinking I'd made some major error. Reading through all your stories makes me feel much better - sounds like it could just be routine verification. I did claim some home office expenses for my remote work setup this year, which I didn't have in previous years, so that might have triggered the review. Going to wait for the official notice before taking any action, but it's reassuring to know others have gone through this successfully. Will update the thread once I hear back from the IRS!