We kick off a chilly Saturday at the Radio Ranch with a hard start, tech gremlins, and a clear focus: tax season tactics for listeners navigating nonresident alien filings and state pushback. With callers sharing real-world hurdles, we dig into when and how to use Form 1040‑NR, what an OI/“other information” attachment can do, how to respond to “frivolous filing” notices, and why process variability at the IRS means patience and clean paper trails matter. We also cover asset protection basics—irrevocable trusts, stepping down as trustee when trouble looms, separating operating entities from holding companies, and using LLCs for 1099 work—plus practical cautions about W‑8BEN vs. W‑9/W‑4, Form 8233, and the meaning of “effectively connected” income. The conversation widens to strategy: documenting status under 8 USC 1101, avoiding unsupported claims, leveraging 18 USC 911 in limited contexts, considering federal court when states won’t recognize status, and using the Privacy Act to retrieve passport-file evidence. Along the way we touch on workplace forms, doctrine of necessity notes on compelled filings, and how to keep calm when agencies get “feisty.” If you’re facing IRS/state letters, garnishments, or just want a clearer path before you file, this episode is your field guide—minus the fear and the fluff. 'IRS: About Form 1040-NR (U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return)': https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-nr 'IRS: Instructions for Form 1040-NR': https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040nr 'IRS: Instructions for Form W-8BEN': https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben 'IRS: About Form 8233 (Exemption From Withholding for Nonresident Individuals)': https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8233 'IRS: About Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Certificate)': https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4 'IRS: About Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification)': https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9 'LII: 18 U.S.C. § 911 (False Claim of U.S. Citizenship)': https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/911 'LII: 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (Definitions — incl. “national” and “national of the United States”)': https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1101 'HealthCare.gov: Coverage for U.S. citizens & U.S. nationals': https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/us-citizens-and-nationals/index.html 'U.S. Department of State: Get Copies of Passport Records (Privacy Act/FOIA)': https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/passport-records.html 'Zoom (official site)': https://www.zoom.com/ 'Microsoft (official site)': https://www.microsoft.com/ 'Rumble (official site)':