Certified copies of the income tax forms that you both filed for the past three years,

[B&T 0]

Hi all, hope you can help answer my question. I am planning to send my naturalization application on 4/05. I intend to include IRS tax transcripts for last 3 years. I already requested them, but they haven't arrived yet. In the guide, an alternative to IRS tax transcripts are IRS certified copies of the income tax forms. So, what are they exactly? Are they the form 1040s or 1040As that we signed and sent off to IRS? Are they just plain copies of those forms or something else? You 2 cents will be very muchc appreciated. Thank you

[ELW 5]

I'm not sure exactly what the certified tax form copies are, but I think you may be correct, that they are plain copies of the 1040s we sent in. Also, they are quite expensive to order and they take two months or more to come! Besides that, whenever you send in 1040s as proof, the USCIS is always sending RFEs requesting the W2s and 1099s also. With tax transcripts being free, coming within a week or two, and no other proof necessary, they are the better deal.

Good luck with your Citizenship application! We are planning to apply in July. We filed taxes in mid-February and I called in for tax transcripts a few days ago, but the auto message said tax transcripts for 2009 are not available. Maybe I tried too soon after sending them in...

[milimelo 4,574]

I'm not sure exactly what the certified tax form copies are, but I think you may be correct, that they are plain copies of the 1040s we sent in. Also, they are quite expensive to order and they take two months or more to come! Besides that, whenever you send in 1040s as proof, the USCIS is always sending RFEs requesting the W2s and 1099s also. With tax transcripts being free, coming within a week or two, and no other proof necessary, they are the better deal.

Good luck with your Citizenship application! We are planning to apply in July. We filed taxes in mid-February and I called in for tax transcripts a few days ago, but the auto message said tax transcripts for 2009 are not available. Maybe I tried too soon after sending them in...

We filed taxes on 2/19 - I called two days ago (3/30) and managed to speak to an operator and she ordered the transcripts for me. Maybe if you call and speak to an operator you'll be able to get them now?

[ELW 5]

Thanks for the tip! I might just try that.

[JAX1 1]

B&T,

The IRS transcripts usually take 10 business days, when did you request them? With regard to your certified copies, when I sent my I485 I sent the signed 1040's that my accountant gave me when he did my taxes. That seemed to work fine. IF you're second guessing yourself, just wait for the transcripts to come in. Its just a matter of days anyway.

[NickD 203]

We use to get certified copies from our register of deeds, but they don't do that anymore, too busy sitting around doing nothing. There is no place that I am aware of to get certified copies of anything. Well in the USA at least, can pay a notary a fortune for those in Venezuela or Colombia.

As critical as my wife's IO was, had no problems with our own tax returns, I paste on the original label and only send copies of that to the feds and state. Fed and state have no problem with that or cashing our enclosed check. Wife complains she has to sign each copy, why can't she sign it once and I make copies of that? Ain't legal I tell her, has to be an original signature on each copy.

So we brought in our original taxes, the ones we made copies of for the feds and the state, with the original IRS label on it, our W 2's and 1099's, and our original signatures. That was accepted without problems. Could try transcripts, like a type written short form, not even the original forms, but whatever turns on your IO. Could bring both.

[v333k 59]

Hi all, hope you can help answer my question. I am planning to send my naturalization application on 4/05. I intend to include IRS tax transcripts for last 3 years. I already requested them, but they haven't arrived yet. In the guide, an alternative to IRS tax transcripts are IRS certified copies of the income tax forms. So, what are they exactly? Are they the form 1040s or 1040As that we signed and sent off to IRS? Are they just plain copies of those forms or something else? You 2 cents will be very muchc appreciated. Thank you

One other option is to call them again and ask them to fax a copy - they are willing to do that. Actually, some VJ members have mentioned that when they requested the fax, they asked the operator to wait until they receive the fax and confirm it... for USCIS, I don't think they mind faxed copies as long as they are the transcripts.

Edited April 2, 2010 by v333k

[NickD 203]

One other option is to call them again and ask them to fax a copy - they are willing to do that. Actually, some VJ members have mentioned that when they requested the fax, they asked the operator to wait until they receive the fax and confirm it... for USCIS, I don't think they mind faxed copies as long as they are the transcripts.

What's a fax machine? LOL, still have one, under a pile of dust, some still use them, but haven't heard of sending an attachment to an e-mail.