I would like to file from abroad. I withdrew my pension and need to report the coronavirus check. How can I receive help with Turbo Tax with no US phone number?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
January 8, 2021
2 replies
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I lived in the US in 2019 as a resident alien, but not in in 2020. The help packages require US phone numbers and I don't have it any longer. Can I receive help via e-mail, Zoom or messenger?

TurboTax Free Edition Online

Best answer by ssolyom1

Daniel, you are not correct. The link you gave is absolutely no use. How many foreigners do you think have a US phone number? Because it requires one. I do not have any since I left the US. Just think about it! So this is exactly the place to uncover how you guys trip foreigners. They can't delete their account. On facebook messenger, they just keep repeating the same thing. I'm talking with a mindless bot. This is my last warning before I take action against this buisness. Instead of copy-pasting useless advice, delete my account immediately!

Shame on TurboTax! They do not respond on facebook AT ALL, except for automatic messages of bots. Foreigners from Europe are unable to get in touch with them without purchasing abroad an American phone and getting a US phone number (impossible).

If you look at their facebook page, it's a wall of shame! It's full of complaints. They are tripping their customers over.

Here, the "experts" have ready made answers that do not help anyone, but they pretend they do. This is a big scam. Nobody has helped me removing my account from abroad. In fact, it is admitted here on the forum, that foreigners are lured here thinking that they can use TurboTax, when in fact in many instances they shouldn't. Stay away from this fraudulent service and report it to the authorities.

linaj20201

If you are overseas and do not have a US phone number, I would suggest you to leave any questions here on the Community where we can communicate and answer to all your tax questions.

To see other possible ways to contact TurboTax, click here: What is the TurboTax phone number?

Please also note that both the first and second stimulus payments are not taxable hence you do not need to report on your tax return.

ssolyom1Author

Thank you very much for your response, LinaJ2020.

I'm already stuck on the first page of TurboTax online, so there will be tons of questions f I do everything on my own. It claims the site is not to be used by non-resident aliens. I was on a H1-B visa and can't remember which alien status it was, so I sent an e-mail to my employer back in 2019. (I lived in the US twice, and I was first non-resident, then resident alien on J-1, but now I Just can't find this information with the H-1 visa.) Importantly, at the moment of filing, I am none of these, as I don't live in the US any longer, so can I use Turbo Tax at all?

If I can, is it feasible to ask a US friend of mine to be called by your help team while I have a Zoom call with him and do all the steps according to your instructions simultaneously?

I have another question: I received the second stimulus check and it was deposited on my account on 1/1/2021. I thought I needed to report it in 2022. A CPA wrote me that "it gets reported in the sense you tell irs that you received it", however you suggested it doesn't need to be done, or at least not here on Turbo Tax. Is it positive I don't need to report the two stimulus checks anywhere?

Thanks again.

DaveF1006

It depends on if you were a resident alien at the time you were H-1 visa holder. If you meet the Substantial Presence Test , you can file as a resident.

To meet this test, you must be physically present in the United States (U.S.) on at least:

31 days during the 2020 year, and
183 days during the 3-year period that includes the current year and the 2 years immediately before that, counting:
- All the days you were present in the current year, and
- 1/3 of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and
- 1/6 of the days you were present in the second year before the current year

If you did not meet these requirements, you will need to file a Non-Resident return. You will not be able to file this using Turbo Tax Online. To file this non-resident return, you will need to file with one of our affiliates, which is sprintax.com.

As far as reporting both stimulus payments, if you received the full stimulus payment, you do not need to report the payments. If you did not receive the full amount, then you report your partial amounts so you can receive credit on the unpaid portions of your payment. For more information on this, please refer to this IRS link.

Unfortunately we will not be able to call your friend.

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jxinleblanc1

Starting Oct 2024, TurboTax Live Expert can call and talk to you on your computer using your computer's speaker and microphone (no US phone number needed). You can even make video calls so you can see the expert on your computer. Please note: this feature is only available if you signed up for Full Service. That is, an expert will sign and do your taxes for you.