As a nonresident alien you should have filed Form 1040NR, but the tax return you filed with TurboTax is Form 1040. What you have to do now is file an amended return, Form 1040X, to replace your Form 1040 tax return with a Form 1040NR. You attach the correct Form 1040NR to the Form 1040X amended return. You cannot do this with TurboTax. Download Form 1040X and its instructions from the following links on the IRS web site. You can easily complete the Form 1040X by hand.
Form 1040X: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040x.pdf
Instructions: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040x.pdf
Here is what the IRS instructions for Form 1040X say to do if you filed Form 1040 and you should have filed Form 1040NR instead.
- Enter your name, current address, and social security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) on the front of Form 1040X.
- Don't enter any other information on page 1. Also, don't complete Parts I or II on page 2 of Form 1040X.
- Enter in Part III the reason why you are filing Form 1040X.
- Complete a new Form 1040NR return (see below).
- Across the top of the new Form 1040NR return, write "Amended."
- Attach the new Form 1040NR return to the back of Form 1040X.
You cannot prepare a Form 1040NR tax return with TurboTax. Since you are a scholar, you should be able to use Sprintax to prepare your Form 1040NR return. TurboTax has a partnership with Sprintax to prepare a 1040NR federal tax return and corresponding state tax return for certain categories of nonresident aliens. Go to the following link for details and to get started.
https://www.sprintax.com/non-resident-alien-tax-1040nr-turbotax.html
An amended return cannot be e-filed. You have to print it and file it by mail. It takes the IRS up to 16 weeks to process an amended return. Don't file the amended return until your first return has been processed by the IRS and you have received the original refund (if you are getting a refund).
