I used to work in Germany before I came to the US, and Germany and the US have a Tax Treaty, which means I don't need to pay federal taxes the first two years that I live in the US. for the first two years. Thats why my W2 form is blank for most boxes. Wh

[bine22]

What is your visa status and when did you come to the US exactly? Did you get a 1042s?

[pvtilstam]

Thank you for your quick comment. My Visa Status is J1 and I started working in the US March 1st 2015. Also I did get a 1042s.

[bine22 · Accepted solution]

On J1 you are a nonresident alien for 2 years (nonstudent) or 5 years (student). As a nonresident alien you would need to file form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ plus form 8843 for your federal return (plus a a state return, if applicable). Turbotax does not support these forms. However, they have to proper boxes to claim treaty exemptions.

You can download the forms from the IRS website. Sometimes, universities provide access to tax preparation software for their foreign students/postdocs etc.