Submitted explanation for not filing taxes but NVC asking for tax transcript

[kalikala 32]

Hi everyone

 

I submitted all the AOS and supporting docs and Civil Docs to CEAC a couple of weeks ago and they have sent this message:

 

"Additional support documentation is required. Please upload and submit XXX's 2017 IRS transcript. A transcript can be obtained on the IRS's website: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. If a tax transcript was not required to be filed, submit an explanation for not filing."

 

In CEAC where it asks for the Tax Transcript - I put a note saying to refer to the "Explanation for not filing taxes" document type which has an uploaded signed statement explaining why taxes were not filed.

 

This document type has been accepted so I'm not sure why it's still asking for the 2017 transcript.

 

Can someone please advise what I should do in this case? I am not sure if I should re-submit the "Explanation for not filing taxes" document again or??

 

I'm just feeling a bit deflated because I spent soo much time making sure I got this right.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[kalikala 32]

I had also uploaded my joint sponsors tax returns from 2015, 2016, 2017 and all the 1099s and these have been accepted. 

I don’t know what to do

 

[C90 376]

3 hours ago, kalikala said:

Hi everyone

 

I submitted all the AOS and supporting docs and Civil Docs to CEAC a couple of weeks ago and they have sent this message:

 

"Additional support documentation is required. Please upload and submit XXX's 2017 IRS transcript. A transcript can be obtained on the IRS's website: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. If a tax transcript was not required to be filed, submit an explanation for not filing."

 

In CEAC where it asks for the Tax Transcript - I put a note saying to refer to the "Explanation for not filing taxes" document type which has an uploaded signed statement explaining why taxes were not filed.

 

This document type has been accepted so I'm not sure why it's still asking for the 2017 transcript.

 

Can someone please advise what I should do in this case? I am not sure if I should re-submit the "Explanation for not filing taxes" document again or??

 

I'm just feeling a bit deflated because I spent soo much time making sure I got this right.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

Did you call NVC? I would start with that if I were you. I don't have experience with CR-1/IR-1 (I'm a K1er) so I can't advise you based on personal experience. I'm pretty sure it happens sometimes that they sent out REF's by accident, I would just call them to figure out what to do before you re-submit the explanation.

[pushbrk 12,109]

Call them.

[rodasclepius 1]

14 hours ago, kalikala said:

I had also uploaded my joint sponsors tax returns from 2015, 2016, 2017 and all the 1099s and these have been accepted. 

I don’t know what to do

 

I have a very similar situation. If you happen to find the answer could you post it on here please.

 

If it has been sent to the embassy then NVC just says "we did our job now you need to deal with the embassy."

 

 

[carmel34 3,531]

Accepted only means that the document was uploaded properly, it doesn't mean that they can't ask for tax transcripts after they reviewed the explanation.  If they are asking for tax transcripts, then file tax returns with the IRS for the last three years and submit them as requested, or wait until they have been processed by the IRS and then get the transcripts from the IRS website.  Give them what they asked for.  Maybe they have a reason to suspect that you should have filed.

[kalikala 32]

6 hours ago, rodasclepius said:

I have a very similar situation. If you happen to find the answer could you post it on here please.

 

If it has been sent to the embassy then NVC just says "we did our job now you need to deal with the embassy."

 

 

I called NVC and they advised that I need to upload the statement for not filing document as the “federal income tax return or transcript” document type or label. 

 

Even though I had uploaded this already with the “explanation for not filing taxes” document type or label, it needed to be labeled as the tax return or transcript (even though it’s not actually the tax return or transcript). 

 

I asked them why and they said it needed to be that label so it can be sent to the embassy. 

I asked why this wasn’t made more clear so I could have done this properly the first time but all they said was that the system isn’t that advanced yet. 

 

So I am a bit annoyed that it’s now going to take another 2-3 weeks for them to review this. But I hope it helps anyone in the future. 

[SABB 2]

On 2/2/2019 at 10:30 AM, kalikala said:

I called NVC and they advised that I need to upload the statement for not filing document as the “federal income tax return or transcript” document type or label. 

 

Even though I had uploaded this already with the “explanation for not filing taxes” document type or label, it needed to be labeled as the tax return or transcript (even though it’s not actually the tax return or transcript). 

 

I asked them why and they said it needed to be that label so it can be sent to the embassy. 

I asked why this wasn’t made more clear so I could have done this properly the first time but all they said was that the system isn’t that advanced yet. 

 

So I am a bit annoyed that it’s now going to take another 2-3 weeks for them to review this. But I hope it helps anyone in the future. 

Did they accept Your statement after YOu changed the "title"  to what they mentioned i have similar situation?

Edited May 13, 2019 by SABB

[kalikala 32]

27 minutes ago, SABB said:

Did they accept Your statement after YOu changed the "title"  to what they mentioned i have similar situation?

Yes the statement document was accepted when I uploaded it as the “tax return or transcript”. 

 

So it was uploaded twice. As the “statement for not filing” and as the “tax return/transcript”.   

 

[SABB 2]

4 minutes ago, kalikala said:

Yes the statement document was accepted when I uploaded it as the “tax return or transcript”. 

 

So it was uploaded twice. As the “statement for not filing” and as the “tax return/transcript”.   

 

Can i label it like "statement for not filing tax return or transcript" or Just "tax return or transcript" is enough?
Did You upload it in additional document? didn't You upload something under option | Federal income tax return or transcript | ? why it is showing accepted there if u didn't upload anything?

[kalikala 32]

8 minutes ago, SABB said:

Can i label it like "statement for not filing tax return or transcript" or Just "tax return or transcript" is enough?
Did You upload it in additional document? didn't You upload something under option | Federal income tax return or transcript | ? why it is showing accepted there if u didn't upload anything?

 

In reference to the image below:

 

 

On the first submission in the top section which are the required documents I did not upload anything - I just put a comment saying taxes weren’t filed so please refer to additional document “explanation for not filing taxes”. 

I do not know why it shows accepted which is why I was so confused. 

 

 

Then I uploaded the statement for not filing under the additional documents section with the label “explanation for not filing” as it is highlighted in the image above. 

 

But when I got the RFE, it says to please upload the tax return or transcript. 

 

For the second submission I just uploaded the statement for not filing in the top required docs section where it says “federal tax return or transcript” as they instructed. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by kalikala

[SABB 2]

4 minutes ago, kalikala said:

 

In reference to the image below:

 

 

On the first submission in the top section which are the required documents I did not upload anything - I just put a comment saying taxes weren’t filed so please refer to additional document “explanation for not filing taxes”. 

I do not know why it shows accepted which is why I was so confused. 

 

 

Then I uploaded the statement for not filing under the additional documents section with the label “explanation for not filing” as it is highlighted in the image above. 

 

But when I got the RFE, it says to please upload the tax return or transcript. 

 

For the second submission I just uploaded the statement for not filing in the top required docs section where it says “federal tax return or transcript” as they instructed. 

Oh so You uploaded the statement for not filing under the option showing in below image.

did You remove YOur statement from " Additional documents " or not?

[kalikala 32]

Just now, SABB said:

Oh so You uploaded the statement for not filing under the option showing in below image.

did You remove YOur statement from " Additional documents " or not?

Yes that’s right. 

No I did not remove the statement from additional documents.

 

Hope that helps. 

[pushbrk 12,109]

We never asked the OP why they didn't file the tax return or returns but usually it's because the income was below the filing threshold.  This whole issue could have been avoided and can be avoided by others, by simply hand writing on the available space " See last page" or "Not required to file.  Income below threshold."  If you say see last page, type "Not required to file.  Income below threshold." in the available space for additional information.  Unless the reason for not filing is so complicated an actual letter is needed to explain it, my recommendation works every time it has been tried.  

[kalikala 32]

21 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

We never asked the OP why they didn't file the tax return or returns but usually it's because the income was below the filing threshold.  This whole issue could have been avoided and can be avoided by others, by simply hand writing on the available space " See last page" or "Not required to file.  Income below threshold."  If you say see last page, type "Not required to file.  Income below threshold." in the available space for additional information.  Unless the reason for not filing is so complicated an actual letter is needed to explain it, my recommendation works every time it has been tried.  

On the I-864 Part 6 No. 25 there is a checkbox that says "I was not required to file a Federal income tax return as my income was below the IRS required level and I have attached evidence to support this".

And this was checked for my petitioners I-864. There was a comment in CEAC saying to refer to the explanation for not filing taxes statement which was uploaded as an additional document which was also accepted. I dunno what is the point of being able to provide a comment if it is not being read or followed?

 

On first submission I also uploaded self-employed joint sponsors complete tax return, 1099s for the past 3 years and these were accepted. Also a written statement on the nature of her business was uploaded, business license, bank statements for past 6 months.

 

Even when you feel like you were meticulous with what you have uploaded, something like this makes you feel very deflated.

there would have been no way to know they wanted the statement for not filing taxes uploaded as the tax return/transcript from their message in CEAC so I had to call them to ask  

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by kalikala