For those who are in the USA: Taxes

[krokobazuka]

Hi everyone!

Well another year is gone, so is a tax year :) And now we all need to prepare our tax forms. I have several questions for those with a good experience:

1) Are citizen's of Uzbekistan exemp from Federal Taxes in general? Are we eligible for federal tax refund?
2) If not, are some type of students who've been in the USA less than 180 days exempt from taxes?
3) If yes for any of q#1 or 2, do you know a reference to particular tax treaty according to which we are exempt?

Thanks!!!!

[Gerkules]

Yes, we are eligible for federal tax refund. They returned me some money last year.

[Mamothy]

I found the link, so I will just change my message accordingly.
1)Yes. There is a tax exemption treaty.
Here is a link: http://www.windstar-tech.com/public/Uz5.HTM
It says that everyone from Uzbekistan is eligible for tax
exempt for the amount of $10,000.00 which
means you are paying taxes only if your income exceeds 10K.
You may claim those money back in your tax form.

2) The same. You pay taxes only if your income exceeds 10K.

3) Link is given above.
PS. You may use tax exemptions based on treaty (STUDENTS AND TRAINEES Article VI) only during first 5 years
of your staying in US. But it is up to you. After 3 years of permanent staying
you may actually file the taxes as a resident and include exempts for dependents
and property in your tax forms.



Hi everyone!

Well another year is gone, so is a tax year :) And now we all need to prepare our tax forms. I have several questions for those with a good experience:

1) Are citizen's of Uzbekistan exemp from Federal Taxes in general? Are we eligible for federal tax refund?
2) If not, are some type of students who've been in the USA less than 180 days exempt from taxes?
3) If yes for any of q#1 or 2, do you know a reference to particular tax treaty according to which we are exempt?

Thanks!!!!

[Queen]

Hi everyone!

Well another year is gone, so is a tax year :) And now we all need to prepare our tax forms. I have several questions for those with a good experience:

1) Are citizen's of Uzbekistan exemp from Federal Taxes in general? Are we eligible for federal tax refund?
2) If not, are some type of students who've been in the USA less than 180 days exempt from taxes?
3) If yes for any of q#1 or 2, do you know a reference to particular tax treaty according to which we are exempt?

Thanks!!!!
Hi krokobazuka (how hard to write :)) !
I am not sure, but I can answer from my own experience.
1) citizens of Uz are not exempt from Federal Taxes. we are just exempt from Social Security and Medical Taxes. I have been paying Fed tax and then getting it back part of it after that filling in Tax Form in 15th April.so we are elegible for fed tax refund.
2) I don't think that students who have been less than 180 days are exempt from taxes. Because, I began working after 1 month since I came, and fed tax was applied to my paycheck. One exemption is when person earns too little. I think in that case, no fed tax is taken from him.
3) search in www.irs.gov .Also u can ask your International Advisor, he must know answer to all of your questions and probably he got that irs brochure for reference.
once again I may be wrong, I am just telling from my own experience, but I am don't have full knowledge of all these tax stuff.
Good luck in filling tax forms.

[krokobazuka]

Thanks appreciate it

[krokobazuka]

thanks.. will try..
Actually there is a special seminar for those whose income is less than 50K..
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program

I will just go there...

[Samimiy]

thanks.. will try..
Actually there is a special seminar for those whose income is less than 50K..
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program

I will just go there...

Krokobazuka, congrats on the nat'l championship :) It was so bad, I stopped watching after the third quarter.
A couple of advices about taxes:
- When filing your federal taxes, file them as a US resident. Residency for tax purposes is different from residency for immigration purposes. You become a "tax" resident if you have lived in the US for any part(s) of 5 years. I am not sure if the 5 years must be consecutive. You you should fill out from 1040 (or 1040 EZ), as opposed to 1040 NR. That way you get a bigger refund. I have a feeling people at VITA won't tell you this though :)

-I am not sure about your state, but in PA you don't normally get a refund for the state. But some departments give their students a letter saying that the student goes to school there, earns X amount of money and so on. When you attach this letter to your state tax return, you get a full refund. If you don't get a refund in your state, this may be worth trying.

Good luck in getting a fat check from uncle sam :)

[krokobazuka]

Krokobazuka, congrats on the nat'l championship :) It was so bad, I stopped watching after the third quarter.
A couple of advices about taxes:
- When filing your federal taxes, file them as a US resident. Residency for tax purposes is different from residency for immigration purposes. You become a "tax" resident if you have lived in the US for any part(s) of 5 years. I am not sure if the 5 years must be consecutive. You you should fill out from 1040 (or 1040 EZ), as opposed to 1040 NR. That way you get a bigger refund. I have a feeling people at VITA won't tell you this though :)

-I am not sure about your state, but in PA you don't normally get a refund for the state. But some departments give their students a letter saying that the student goes to school there, earns X amount of money and so on. When you attach this letter to your state tax return, you get a full refund. If you don't get a refund in your state, this may be worth trying.

Good luck in getting a fat check from uncle sam :)


Salom sbornaya :) Konechno USC rulez :) I bet you pulled for OU :) Just kidding :) Too bad you didn't watch everything.. you could have seen OU's main squad play our second squad...

Thanks for info - but I was wondering how can I claim that I am resident for tax purposes? As far as I have seen, you must pass substantial presence test..

Substantial Presence Test:

You must pass both the 31-day and 183-day tests.

31 day test: Were you present in United States 31 days during current year?
183 day test:
A. Current year days in United States x 1 =_____days
B. First preceding year days in United States x 1/3 =_____days
C. Second preceding year days in United States x 1/6 =_____days
D. Total Days in United States =_____days
If line D equals or exceeds 183 days, you have passed the183-day test.

Exceptions: Do not count days of presence in the U.S. during which:
Student on F, J, M or Q visa;
must wait 5 calendar years before counting 183 days;
the 5 calendar years need not be consecutive; and once a cumulative total of 5 calendar years is reached during the student’s lifetime after 1984 he may never be an exempt individual as a student ever again during his lifetime;
---------------
So I can't claim residency status...

However, according to the tax treaty between USSR-USA which still applies to Uzbekistan:

Income that residents of a C.I.S. member receive
for performing personal services in the United States is exempt from U.S. income tax if those residents are in the United States for no more than 183 days during the tax year.
-------------------
So then I can get a full refund on the Federal taxes?


Also, Samimiy how do you file for the state taxes? Same way? Or should I look in California governors web page?

Thanks!!!

[Samimiy]

OK, so you don't qualify for the residency status - officially. ;) I know people who have claimed the residency even after 1 year in the states, and it worked - they got a bigger refund. I am sure there is no way IRS verify your status.

As for the tax treaty being applicable to the CIS members, I have no clue. When I asked at the tax office here, they said Uzbekistan didn't have any treaties with the US. Also, "residents of a C.I.S. member receive
for performing personal services in the United States is exempt from U.S. income tax" - what is "personal services"? Does your working at Burger King qualify? :shock: Just kidding, but of course you know what I mean. Let me know if you find out more about this.

I googled the state taxes for you:
How to file state taxes:
http://www.taxes.ca.gov/index1.html

Forms:
http://www.taxes.ca.gov/index3.html

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed for the Steelers-Eagles Super Bowl!!! :D

[krokobazuka]

Thanks dude :)
I was thinking of personal service as being a TA.

As for the NFL :) No way all Philadelphia Super Bowl...

Falcons > NFC :)
then

Falcons > Steelers :)

just kidding :)


OK, so you don't qualify for the residency status - officially. ;) I know people who have claimed the residency even after 1 year in the states, and it worked - they got a bigger refund. I am sure there is no way IRS verify your status.

As for the tax treaty being applicable to the CIS members, I have no clue. When I asked at the tax office here, they said Uzbekistan didn't have any treaties with the US. Also, "residents of a C.I.S. member receive
for performing personal services in the United States is exempt from U.S. income tax" - what is "personal services"? Does your working at Burger King qualify? :shock: Just kidding, but of course you know what I mean. Let me know if you find out more about this.

I googled the state taxes for you:
How to file state taxes:
http://www.taxes.ca.gov/index1.html

Forms:
http://www.taxes.ca.gov/index3.html

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed for the Steelers-Eagles Super Bowl!!! :D

[Samimiy]

Krokobazuka,
Both Pennsylvania teams are still in the hunt ;) Steelers- Eagles SB prospect is looking good, isn't it? We'll see.
Anyway, I have an update about the tax situation. My school just changed its policy- most grad students won't have state and local taxes deducted from their paychecks:

Effective January 1, 2005, the University's tax treatment of graduate assistantships will be modified to discontinue taxing stipends for state and local tax purposes when a student is only performing services that are required of all degree candidates in his or her program. This could increase your monthly take home pay by 3-8%.

Hopefull, USC will also adopt this policy soon :)

[Martingale]

Krokobazuka,
Both Pennsylvania teams are still in the hunt ;) Steelers- Eagles SB prospect is looking good, isn't it? We'll see.
Anyway, I have an update about the tax situation. My school just changed its policy- most grad students won't have state and local taxes deducted from their paychecks:

Effective January 1, 2005, the University's tax treatment of graduate assistantships will be modified to discontinue taxing stipends for state and local tax purposes when a student is only performing services that are required of all degree candidates in his or her program. This could increase your monthly take home pay by 3-8%.

Hopefull, USC will also adopt this policy soon :)

Got nothing about taxes. Just wanna ask if Eagles are ready to face Falcons tomorrow? are u going to the game?
Samimiy, d'you live in Philly?

[Samimiy]

Got nothing about taxes. Just wanna ask if Eagles are ready to face Falcons tomorrow? are u going to the game?
Samimiy, d'you live in Philly?

No, I live in State College, which is the midpoint between Phila and Pittsburgh. In fact the governor of PA proposed holding the Super bowl in State College if both Eagles and Steelers go that far - my school's stadium holds 108000 ;)
I couldn't go to the Eagles game even if I wanted to- too much snow right now.
I guess you are a Falcons fan. I think Eagles will win with some help from the weather. They are not used to playing in this kind of snow. :)
Not so sure about the Steelers' chances, though. But they may pull one off, too.

[Alesser]

No, I live in State College, which is the midpoint between Phila and Pittsburgh. In fact the governor of PA proposed holding the Super bowl in State College if both Eagles and Steelers go that far - my school's stadium holds 108000 ;)
I couldn't go to the Eagles game even if I wanted to- too much snow right now.
I guess you are a Falcons fan. I think Eagles will win with some help from the weather. They are not used to playing in this kind of snow. :)
Not so sure about the Steelers' chances, though. But they may pull one off, too.

My personal experience, I have filed my taxes for 2004 myself. I filled out a form called 1040 NR form. This is a tax form for alien workers, including this you can also add 2106 form. In 2106 form you deduct all your business expences, you tickets and maybe some kind of program fees, also misseleniuos fees. The citizens of the former Soviet Union Countries will get an exemption on their 10,000 dollar yearly income. I hope that information will help you a little bit.

[John Abraham]

The best way to file your income is by doing it online(e-filing). Just go to IRS.GOV;there you can get answers to any questions you have regarding taxes.

[-Resident-]

I know it is too late but anyway I should tell I am here with j-1 visa and I returned my taxes they deposited to my account couple days before but I paid only federal tax and I got it back!

My friends who I know personally they were in another states and they paid state tax too and they returned both of them!:)