Infopass meeting a waste of time

[Donal78 0]

I just arrived home from my infopass meeting in manchester,NH. They have no way of checking my MSV case so he couldnt tell me why the rfe hadnt come yet or what they might need.He told me to write to lee's summet,MO and explain my problem and they will get back to me straight away.

So day 18 without no rfe coming since the original date they said they sent the notice. I am out of ideas and the only thing i can do is wait and write to the immigration center in MO. I cannot believe they didnt send the rfe. I sent in everything they asked for and i explained why i dont have tax forms for 2004 and 2005 and still i get an rfe. I gave them 2003 as my wife lived abroad for 2 and a half years.I am sick of complaining on vj but this is the only place where i can get good info.

[Donal78 0]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Widge 0]

Unfortunately can't really offer any useful info but felt compelled to reply so u know someone is listening to you rant.

it did occur to me that just maybe the weekends and holiday plus date they enter it on file and ddate they produce it usually vary could all account for you not having recieved it yet ...... I'm entering your desparation mode. Other than that the only option is to do as they say and request the info from Lees Summit which may be the quickest option. i do know how you feel waiting for an RFE we had one with our K-1 and it sucks!

Pure ignorance on my part but if you don't have tax returns for 04/05 do you have to line up a co-sponsor and I always thought americans filed whether they were in the USA or not. But it's more than likely when you get to the bottom of it it will be something either stupid you overlooked or something they already have just hang in there get that letter off and at least look on the bright side ...... your together through this mess

[Donal78 0]

Unfortunately can't really offer any useful info but felt compelled to reply so u know someone is listening to you rant.

it did occur to me that just maybe the weekends and holiday plus date they enter it on file and ddate they produce it usually vary could all account for you not having recieved it yet ...... I'm entering your desparation mode. Other than that the only option is to do as they say and request the info from Lees Summit which may be the quickest option. i do know how you feel waiting for an RFE we had one with our K-1 and it sucks!

Pure ignorance on my part but if you don't have tax returns for 04/05 do you have to line up a co-sponsor and I always thought americans filed whether they were in the USA or not. But it's more than likely when you get to the bottom of it it will be something either stupid you overlooked or something they already have just hang in there get that letter off and at least look on the bright side ...... your together through this mess

It states on the irs website You qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion only if your tax home is in a foreign country throughout your period of bona fide residence or physical presence abroad. My wife lived in ireland for 2 and a half years. She tried to file for 2005 but her family accountant spewnt months messing us aroudn and eventually he told us there is nothing he could do. He didnt know how to file tax returns if the person earned their income abroad. We are still going to file for 2004 and 2005 but my wife didnt have any US income. It is crazy esp since she earned 60k $ in ireland annually. We have tried finding out what needs to be done to file for those years. We tried the irs international tax helpline but the guy hadnt a clue.

Its a rant out of pure frustration as we have been here 4 months surviving on one income.

[Peter Miami 0]

I am sorry I have no idea what you can do outside of what you have done and the letter that you are writing. Eighteen days for an RFE letter to arrive, that sucks.

Good luck,

Peter Miami

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I just arrived home from my infopass meeting in manchester,NH. They have no way of checking my MSV case so he couldnt tell me why the rfe hadnt come yet or what they might need.He told me to write to lee's summet,MO and explain my problem and they will get back to me straight away.

So day 18 without no rfe coming since the original date they said they sent the notice. I am out of ideas and the only thing i can do is wait and write to the immigration center in MO. I cannot believe they didnt send the rfe. I sent in everything they asked for and i explained why i dont have tax forms for 2004 and 2005 and still i get an rfe. I gave them 2003 as my wife lived abroad for 2 and a half years.I am sick of complaining on vj but this is the only place where i can get good info.

Same thing happened to us. I ended up writing to have the RFE resent.

[Yodrak 7]

galwayman,

I had a similar problem with an accountant - he didn't know how to report foreign earned income properly and almost cost me several thousand dollars in un-owed taxes. I had to tell him how to do it, gave him a completed Form 2555, and the SOB still had the balls to charge me for doing the 2555.

Look on the IRS web site for Form 2555, Form 2555EZ, and Publication 54. Also type 'foreign earned income' into the search function and you can find a number of simplified information pages discussing various aspects.

Then, because it can be confusing, you may want to call around to different tax accountants until you find one who has done 2555.

Yodrak

It states on the irs website You qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion only if your tax home is in a foreign country throughout your period of bona fide residence or physical presence abroad. My wife lived in ireland for 2 and a half years. She tried to file for 2005 but her family accountant spewnt months messing us aroudn and eventually he told us there is nothing he could do. He didnt know how to file tax returns if the person earned their income abroad. We are still going to file for 2004 and 2005 but my wife didnt have any US income. It is crazy esp since she earned 60k $ in ireland annually. We have tried finding out what needs to be done to file for those years. We tried the irs international tax helpline but the guy hadnt a clue.

....

[Mand 1]

Galwayman,

Sorry to hear things are at a roadblock for you. But the RFE is probably looking for your wife's tax returns.

She can file her tax returns for the years spent in Ireland using the 1040 form, and Form 2555 (foreign income earned exclusion) together. She won't have to pay any late fines or back taxes as she was working abroad. Even though she was only in Ireland for part of her last year there, she can still file the 2555 as she has a full year of residency in Ireland under her belt.

I'm probably not explaining this very well...still knackered from our late July4th BBQ this weekend. I had to sit down for a few days and read through the IRS publication on foreign earned income to get my head around it all. Once you read it, you'll actually know more about foreign earned income exclusion than the professionals! I think the publication is the one Yodrak mentions. Read this info, fill out the 2 forms, post off and unfortunately you may have to wait about 1 month before being able to get a copy of the filed transcripts...or will they take your copy of these forms as proof of filing?

I hope this helps and again apologies if I haven't explained it very well, but do read the publication!

Amanda

[meauxna 15]

galwayman,

I had a similar problem with an accountant - he didn't know how to report foreign earned income properly and almost cost me several thousand dollars in un-owed taxes. I had to tell him how to do it, gave him a completed Form 2555, and the SOB still had the balls to charge me for doing the 2555.

Look on the IRS web site for Form 2555, Form 2555EZ, and Publication 54. Also type 'foreign earned income' into the search function and you can find a number of simplified information pages discussing various aspects.

Then, because it can be confusing, you may want to call around to different tax accountants until you find one who has done 2555.

Yodrak

dang, were we separated at birth? Same thing happened to me, except I wouldn't qualify my (ex) accountant as actually *having* balls.

galawayman, caution when you call around. People *lie*.

[Donal78 0]

Galwayman,

Sorry to hear things are at a roadblock for you. But the RFE is probably looking for your wife's tax returns.

She can file her tax returns for the years spent in Ireland using the 1040 form, and Form 2555 (foreign income earned exclusion) together. She won't have to pay any late fines or back taxes as she was working abroad. Even though she was only in Ireland for part of her last year there, she can still file the 2555 as she has a full year of residency in Ireland under her belt.

I'm probably not explaining this very well...still knackered from our late July4th BBQ this weekend. I had to sit down for a few days and read through the IRS publication on foreign earned income to get my head around it all. Once you read it, you'll actually know more about foreign earned income exclusion than the professionals! I think the publication is the one Yodrak mentions. Read this info, fill out the 2 forms, post off and unfortunately you may have to wait about 1 month before being able to get a copy of the filed transcripts...or will they take your copy of these forms as proof of filing?

I hope this helps and again apologies if I haven't explained it very well, but do read the publication!

Amanda

Thank you amanda,

The good news is that now after clarification from irs which i knew already regarding forms 1040 and 2555. We explained this to the accountant and where to look on the irs website. He will have the returns done for 2004 and 2005 by the end of the week. That should be good enough then for USCIS if tax returns were indeed the reason why an rfe was sent to us. The returns will show her income she made in ireland. At least now my wife will be covered.

On the advice of the immigration officer in the manchester office. I wrote a letter and included the email i got as well and sent it to US immigration in MO. I sent it through express post so hopefully i will be get something back very soon.

So the big thing is wait again for the rfe and then send back the required documents. Its day 19 since the email. Thank you everyone for your advice. Yodrak,Kezzie etc I know i moan alot on here lol. I am irish afterall!!!!.

[Mand 1]

Ah it's not cos your Irish, the AOS would try the patience of a saint. Good news bout the tax returns though! Hope all goes smooth from here on in!

[Donal78 0]

Ah it's not cos your Irish, the AOS would try the patience of a saint. Good news bout the tax returns though! Hope all goes smooth from here on in!

Well so far it has done its best.Hopefully i will get the rfe so the case can move on. So how is life back home? I heard the weather is rather bad now well in Galway anyways.

Its thunder and ligtning here in NH after been so hot and humid lately.

[newinamerica 0]

Hey,

you can also avoid an RFE or respond to it, by finding a joint sponsor who earns enough to support you

and submitting Form 864. This way USCIS will not need the Tax Return of your spouse.

[Yodrak 7]

newinamerica,

Having a Joint Sponsor does not relieve the spouse of the requirement to submit an income tax return.

The only valid reason for the spouse to not submit an income tax return is if they were not required by the tax code to file a tax return with the IRS.

Yodrak

Hey,

you can also avoid an RFE or respond to it, by finding a joint sponsor who earns enough to support you

and submitting Form 864. This way USCIS will not need the Tax Return of your spouse.

[Mand 1]

Well so far it has done its best.Hopefully i will get the rfe so the case can move on. So how is life back home? I heard the weather is rather bad now well in Galway anyways.

Its thunder and ligtning here in NH after been so hot and humid lately.

It's lovely here in Cork today and was all weekend EXCEPT Saturday when it lashed rain and we had to bring the BBQ into the garage! Although I really pitied the people at the Oxygen Festival