[Charlot]

Thank you MrNiceGuy and Bev.

MrNiceGuy: Good to know it’s not just France. Thanks so much for trying out the VPN. VERY good to know.

Bev: Thanks for confirming the hanging browser and attempting the IRS route. Helps narrow the possibilities. I did try to load OLT during US hours from Tuesday until today but I’ll give it a last go on Monday before calling. I’ll post back when I have some info.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

[Charlot]

Called OLT just now. A nice woman answered immediately. She was aware of the problem and said that due to the installation of security measures, a VPN is the only way to access their site from France (and perhaps from elsewhere outside the US). I wasn't speaking with tech support so I don't have any detailed info. She was surprised to learn that I could access the site last Monday sans VPN. I will look into purchasing a VPN and see how it goes. Thanks to all who responded. To be continued....

 

[Charlot]

Thanks Neptoon for sharing your experience. And thank you Google! I got the impression a VPN would be necessary, though I don't know why they've created a block only to allow it to be bypassed?

Here are their telephone numbers (hope that's ok Bev?). Maybe if enough people call, they'll find a way. I agree, their site is easy to use and has been mistake-free. it seems a shame that they may lose expat customers over this. Plus I don't want to resort to asking a relative for their credit card number in order to use one of the other companies.

(816)232-0095 this is the number I called
(888)OLT-4-TAX
(877)658-4776 this is for professional accounts

 

[Charlot]

Thanks Papaia. Good idea, particularly Proton which is, I believe, highly rated for security. I also support Moulard's idea to wait a bit in case the problem is simply resolved. However, in my case, I need to get things done soon. So I'll have a look around and compare options. Thanks again!

 

[Charlot]

The denouement : Happily Ever After with Online Taxes (OLT):

While ukReturner was able to login from Portugal, France continued to be a no go for me. I purchased a VPN and was able to access the site using a USA location without a problem.

OLT sends a verification code during the login process. I chose to have it sent via email as I wasn’t sure they would send it to a foreign telephone number. The email arrived but couldn’t be loaded unless I used the VPN. This is turn meant that I had to do a round robin of backup email providers who no longer recognized me. Things were sorted quickly enough and leaving the initial email provider’s cookie meant I was recognized the next time.

This is my third year using OLT and I continue to be highly satisfied. I did have some trouble finding where to input one item. Dashed off an email to OLT and had a practically immediate response and solution. Email confirmation of the acceptance of your return by the IRS is also swift.

So it’s done and I can now look forward to doing my foreign taxes! Thanks to those who replied and good luck to all!

 

[Charlot]

Hi, ExpressVPN, set to a USA location, works with OLT. If you haven't tried other paid subscription services, perhaps less expensive options like NordVPN and SurfShark will as well. I think all come with a 30-day trial and tech support.