In today’s Radio Ranch, we stayed practical and focused: helping listeners navigate IRS season and state-tax blow‑ups without losing their footing. I walked through how to keep calls with agencies tight and effective (stick to the right terms and the right jurisdiction), why you build your defense in the administrative record, and how to buy time with appeals while you wait on federal responses. We compared approaches like using Form W‑8BEN vs. Form 8233, when 1040‑NR applies, how to handle banks that demand a W‑9, and why a Privacy Act/records request to State can confirm what’s in your passport file. We also revisited Al Adask’s “ask better questions” mindset, and heard real‑world updates from listeners dealing with state notices, dismissed citations, and refunds they’re still chasing. Big picture, this was a confidence-builder: stand on facts, cite the agency’s own materials, and keep everything in writing. I shared specific steps for replying to state revenue letters, organizing an affidavit of fact and exhibits, and using precise language like “nonresident alien” when that’s the status you’re asserting. We closed with resources, upcoming programming notes, and encouragement for anyone new to the process—fear is their main weapon; documentation and clarity are ours. Euro Folk Radio (syndication platform): https://eurofolkradio.com/ Global Voice Radio Network (platform carrying the show): https://www.globalvoiceradio.net/ RadioSoapbox (mirror/relay stream): https://radiosoapbox.com/ FreeConferenceCall (our conference system provider): https://www.freeconferencecall.com/ U.S. Department of State – Get Copies of Passport Records (Privacy Act/records request): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/passport-records.html IRS – Instructions for Form W‑8BEN (foreign status/treaty benefits for individuals): https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben IRS – About Form 8233 (treaty‑exempt compensation for nonresident alien individuals): https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8233 IRS – Instructions for Form 8233 (how to complete and process): https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8233 IRS – About Form 1040‑NR (U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return): https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-nr IRS – Taxation of Nonresident Aliens (overview): https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxation-of-nonresident-aliens IRS – Forms for Foreign Beneficial Owners (W‑8 series context): https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/forms-for-foreign-beneficial-owners Cornell LII – Cheek v. United States, 498 U.S. 192 (1991) (willfulness/good‑faith misunderstanding): https://www.law.cornell.edu/