Tax returns (1040) signed and filed online

[Olga&Jared 267]

Hey guys!

 

My fiancé has started preparing financial documents. He sent me his 1040 forms for the past few years but they are not originals. He says that he never dealt with originals and only filed and signed everything online using electronic signature. Those docs he showed me don't contain his actual signature, there's a line saying that it was signed online. There's also "Copy Only Do Not File" watermark over each page. 

 

My question is if these will work when I got to an interview? Or should he somehow find originals? He says that he doesn't even know how to get them because it's been his process for years and he only has originals of W-2 which are sent to him. 

 

Did anyone have a similar situation? I just want to make sure so that once I'm there they won't send me away with these docs

 

Olga

[rocklobstermass 41]

IRS Transcripts work best - and can be downloaded online. Your fiance would need to select "Get Transcript Online" at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript and then create an account to access the information. 

Transcripts serve as a record of the tax return that was filed with the IRS and processed... quick and easy - no need for any other attachments - just include the transcripts with your document package.

 

I think you might have trouble with the document copies - especially with the watermark ("Copy Only Do Not File"). The copies with a watermark do not prove that the return was filed with the IRS - but a transcript does. 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

1 hour ago, Olga&Jared said:

Hey guys!

 

My fiancé has started preparing financial documents. He sent me his 1040 forms for the past few years but they are not originals. He says that he never dealt with originals and only filed and signed everything online using electronic signature. Those docs he showed me don't contain his actual signature, there's a line saying that it was signed online. There's also "Copy Only Do Not File" watermark over each page. 

 

My question is if these will work when I got to an interview? Or should he somehow find originals? He says that he doesn't even know how to get them because it's been his process for years and he only has originals of W-2 which are sent to him. 

 

Did anyone have a similar situation? I just want to make sure so that once I'm there they won't send me away with these docs

He probably used tax prep software to prepare his return and then filed electronically, so there aren't any true "originals"; the copies of mine that I've got saved have the same "Copy Only Do Not File" watermark.

 

They're probably fine, but I'd recommend doing as others suggested and getting tax transcripts, unless for some reason you really want to show his 2018 return (I suspect you might not be able to get transcripts for that yet even if he's already filed his 2018 tax return). They'll definitely be accepted, and transcripts are a lot shorter unless he had just one W-2, no other income, and could file a 1040EZ.

[Olga&Jared 267]

 

 

Thank you for your replies! He just sent me transcripts for 2016-17, 2018 hasn't yet been filed as Dave said. I think I'm just going to take everything he sent me with me and hopefully it will work

 

Also, is a scan of I-134 (Affidavit of Support) enough or should he mail me the original via DHL?  

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

9 hours ago, Olga&Jared said:

Also, is a scan of I-134 (Affidavit of Support) enough or should he mail me the original via DHL?  

I still haven't seen a clear answer one way or another on this. I ended up sending it along with some Christmas/New Year's presents via regular mail, though that took over a month to get there.