Tax returns for Interview

[John+Lourdelie 28]

Transcripts are preferred

Transcripts are free

Transcripts are much less paperwork to send overseas

Transcripts took 3 days to arrive after I called to request them.

John

[Nicole-N-Nattoy 24]

what do you think inky, he is an accountant, asking us for experience on taxes,

She never said she was an expert on immigration.. This should have been kept to yourself!!!! Like this one... What do you think Nicole,,, his dream was to be an accountant, but he never could learn how to add and subtract.

I got ur back Dimples

Edited February 18, 2011 by Nicole-N-Nattoy

[Aztec&Taino 144]

I went to my local IRS office today and I did have to wait a bit (I am guessing around an hour), but I was able to get tax transcripts for the last 3 years in less than 5 minutes of first speaking to the attendant. Easy and free. I recomment this method

[Dimples28 4]

She never said she was an expert on immigration.. This should have been kept to yourself!!!! Like this one... What do you think Nicole,,, his dream was to be an accountant, but he never could learn how to add and subtract.

I got ur back Dimples

lol...thanks!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Jim: im not berating anyone. Im merely responding to someone who was being a jerk. Period. When return is efiled the irs and state provide acknowledgement receipt indicating return was received and process. That is proof that return was filed. I will sign return and attach receipt to be safe. No time to order transcripts and i still prefer t/r...thanks

Dunno. Maybe someone was being a jerk. Maybe they were just being light hearted or playful. Sometimes it's difficult to tell someone's intentions through the text they post. I guess that's why they invented emoticons.

Anyway, there was no mistaking your response. You called two members derogatory names. One of the names was apparently so bad that it was censored by the forum software. Personal attacks are a violation of the TOS for this site. If you think either of those posters personally attacked you then the proper course of action is to report their post to the moderators. Responding in kind just derails the thread, which doesn't get you the information you're looking for. 'Nuff said about that.

I don't want you to misunderstand what I said about transcripts vs. tax returns. I'm not saying that the consulate will question the validity of a tax return. I'm simply saying that they can. Even including a copy of the acceptance notice from the IRS or your state's tax authority isn't enough to convince some consulates. Yes, it is proof that you electronically filed a tax return, but it's not proof that the tax return you filed electronically is the same one that the consulate is looking at. Some consulates are adamant about this. They clearly state in the interview instructions that an IRS transcript should be submitted, and that it's up the consular officer's discretion whether to accept a copy of a tax return instead. This is one of the reasons I said you should follow the instructions from the consulate, and provide the evidence they request. There is no universal answer to this question because the fundamental rules vary from one consulate to another, and the consular officer always has discretion with an I-134.

One thing that is known to be relatively constant is that pretty much all consulates will accept a transcript, even those that will also accept a copy of a tax return. The reverse is not always true.

The IRS is pretty busy this week because the window on tax returns that include a schedule A just opened up on Monday, so getting transcripts might mean waiting on the phone for a while. However, if you've got a FAX machine they'll usually FAX them to you the same day.

[pushbrk 12,110]

By the way, I was told to have a complete copy of the taxes by someone I trust to know what they are talking about. He told me to make sure to include all forms, schedules, W-2's, and 1099's. I don't think a summary would even come close to that.

-James

Just for clarity, context is King here. You were told that if you include a copy of a tax return it should be a complete copy including W2's and 1099's. A tax return transcript is also acceptable and even preferred. Unless something has changed, TODAY, you may find that a 2010 tax transcript is unavailable, so a copy of the complete return is your only option.

To the OP, signing the copy of the return is advised but I've certainly seen approvals anyway, particularly in association with an I-134 signed under penalty of perjury. Other than the self employed, people are qualifying as sponsor on I-134 forms based primarily on the evidence of current income, not the tax return(s).