Tax Transcript from the IRS

[Siam Sam 6]

Monday will make four weeks since I ordered my tax transcript from the IRS, and it's still not here. Someone mentioned it's been taking three weeks to get them, and possibly the recent holidays have slowed the mails down somewhat, but I'm getting a little antsy. If I don't receive it in the next couple of days, I may call the IRS to see if they can tell if they sent it. Has anyone else had it take this long?

Reestablishing my domicile in the US and this tax transcript are the only two items missing in my wife's visa application.

[gradtaai 8]

Just a thought-- what was the address on your tax form. Was it your Thailand address? I think they send it to the address you have on record.

[Siam Sam 6]

Yes, my Thailand address. It's the only address I have in the world. That's why I have to go reestablish a US domicile before they'll approve my wife's visa. That and the tax transcript are the only things lacking now.

[Siam Sam 6]

An acquaintance is an immigration-law paralegal in Chicago, and I've been informally consulting her from time to time during this process. I mentioned this tax-transcript problem, and today she said she found it odd for them to require that. Said usually just a copy of the return worked fine.

[gradtaai 8]

They like the transcripts because it is proof that you filed the return. Anyone can fill out a return but not send it in. The reason I mentioned the address was in case you had someone that did your taxes and the IRS had their address as the contact location. I will guess it will show this week. It takes about a week to get it when you are in the US. Taking the prep time for them to send and the Thai holiday in to account, this week sounds about right

Edited May 9, 2016 by gradtaai

[Siam Sam 6]

My accountant is here in Thailand (although he's a fellow American farang). My address is on the form, but I may ask him for advice if I don't get the transcript soon. Am also going to call the IRS tonight and see if they can tell me whether it has actually been sent.

What's especially frustrating is the income listed on the return is no longer representative of my income, which is now zero, and they know it. I'm just living off assets now, as we've already reported to them. So this should not even matter.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Siam Sam

[Siam Sam 6]

I just spoke with the IRS. It turns out there was no record of my requesting a tax transcript and no record of one going out. !!! But the lady I spoke with was very helpful. She put my request through again while I waited, confirmed for me that her computer said it took and gave me a tracking number to follow it. So hopefully this time it will get here, and in less than four weeks.

My phone bill will see a bump though. This was not a toll-free call. I waited for 15 minutes before I could be attended to, and then that took another 10 minutes. But again, the lady I spoke with seemed efficient and on the ball.

[gradtaai 8]

I guess it was a good thing you called--- I wonder what happen the first time? It seems that the embassy is really wanting to see the latest tax returns. Since I did the i-864 in Feb, I sent in the transcripts for 2012-2014. On the two week interview reminder thay said they wanted the 2015. At the interview, They misplaced the 2015 transcript. They asked my wife twice why it wasn't brought which she replied it was. (they also misplaced her original birth certificate)

OFF TOPIC. About the displacements. The two week reminder has a cover check list of things they want, and a place on the bottom for an official to check off if it is all there. Some of it is new stuff (the 2015 tax) and some of it, SOME of the stuff they want from packet 4 (birth certificate, name change). So I put the two week reminder requests in one packet with their cover letter, and the rest of the packet 4 requests in a separate packet. I think they need to clean up their system and just send a two week reminder with ONLY what they have not already asked for------ I think they are only confusing themselves.

Edited May 10, 2016 by gradtaai

[Siam Sam 6]

That's odd. My wife did not receive a two-week reminder.

As for the tax transcript, I requested it initially through the IRS website. I did it correctly, a message even said the request was completed and would be fulfilled as soon as possible. I guess there was just a glitch somewhere. So if anyone is waiting for his, I would recommend not waiting four weeks to call like I did. It supposedly takes 5-10 days to receive it inside the US, so maybe give it an extra week for international.

[Siam Sam 6]

Hotcha! My tax transcript from the IRS arrived today, just nine days after calling them. Who said these were bad people? That completes everything we need ... except for a US address, which will hopefully come in August. Plus there's a good chance my wife will have to retake her physical, as those are good for only six months. She took hers at the end of March, so she must be in the US by the end of September. That will depend on how quickly I can secure an apartment once in Honolulu and then how long until her next appointment. But no big deal if she does have to take it again.

So anyone who has not gotten theirs in a couple of weeks, call them. Don't wait four weeks like I did.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Siam Sam

[gradtaai 8]

Great! I wonder what happen on that site. I have used it many times without a problem.

We fly out next Wednesday Battening down the house.

[Siam Sam 6]

Good luck. I won't be flying out until August 1.

[Siam Sam 6]

Huh. Today, I received another tax transcript from the IRS. It came with a letter saying it's the one I requested on May 9. That was the night I called the IRS, and that was just over four weeks ago. So I guess the one I received earlier was the one I'd requested via the IRS website in April after all. So be warned, these are taking 4-6 weeks to show up.

[gradtaai 8]

Huh. Today, I received another tax transcript from the IRS. It came with a letter saying it's the one I requested on May 9. That was the night I called the IRS, and that was just over four weeks ago. So I guess the one I received earlier was the one I'd requested via the IRS website in April after all. So be warned, these are taking 4-6 weeks to show up.

I had the same experience. When I was in the States a year ago I had my wife send me a doc I needed for my Thai visa. A month went by and I had not received it and figured it got lost it the mail. So I asked her to send it again, In about a week+ I receive the package and didn't look at the mailing date, so I figured like yourself that it was the second mailing. About a week after that, I did receive the second mailing.