RESOURCES FOR NONRESIDENT INCOME TAX FILERS

Frequently Asked tax Questions

Q: Who needs to file an income tax return?

 A: If you are visiting the U.S. from another country on a F, J, M or Q visa and are classified as a nonresident for U.S. tax purposes, you are required to file an income tax return each year that you have U.S. source income.

If you did not earn any income, you must file IRS Form 8843.

Form 8843 must also be filed for every family member who is in the US on an F-2 or J-2 visa.

Q: Should I file Form 8843 for my dependents with no income?

A: No.However, if you are a resident of Canada, Mexico, South Korea or India and want to claim your dependents on Form 1040NR, you can apply for an ITIN if your dependent does not have an SSN.

Q: What documents do I need to file Form 8843?

A: Social Security or ITIN Number, passport with I-94 information, address and phone number of your university if you are a student, teacher or trainee; name and phone number of your dean or program director if you are a student, teacher or trainee.

Q: What documents do I mail the IRS?

A: Completed form 1040NR-EZ (if applicable), completed Form 8843 and Form W-2

Q: What is the mailing address for Form 8843?

A: Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Center Austin, TX 73301-0215

Q: Since I already had taxes withheld from my paycheck, do I need to file an income tax return?

A: Yes.                                                                                                                               

The US tax system is considered a “pay as you go” plan.  Therefore, taxes are withheld from your pay as you earn it.  You file a federal (IRS) income tax return after the end of the calendar year to reconcile the with holdings from your paycheck with your actual tax liability.

Q: I did not have enough money taken out of my paycheck.  What can I do?  What happens if I do not pay all of my taxes?

A: If an insufficient amount of money was withheld from your paycheck, you must pay the additional tax when you file your income tax return.  Please note that the IRS receives copies of all W-2 and 1099 and matches these forms against your income tax return.  If the IRS determines that you did not report some of your income, this may result in severe penalties.

The amount you receive in your paycheck is determined by two factors: the information you enter on your Form W-4 and how much money you make each pay period.

You can choose between a receiving a larger tax refund or more money in your take home pay.  Allowances are easily determined with the IRS W-4 calculator. The important thing to remember is to have enough tax withheld so you don’t end up with a big tax bill when tax time comes around.

You can manually work through Form W-4 2011 provided by the IRS or you can use the IRS W-4 calculator for free.  The more allowances you claim, the less tax is withheld and the larger your paycheck.  The opposite is also true: the fewer allowances you take, the more money is withheld from your paycheck and the larger your tax refund.  How many allowances you decide to take on the form W-4 is up to you. Having additional tax withheld is also an option.

The W-4 calculator will walk you right through the process to help you make the wisest choice for your personal situation. There is no need to wonder if you will owe a lot of money to the IRS or if you’re going to get a tax refund this year. Tax planning is very important and can make a big difference in your budget.  Don’t be surprised by the final outcome of your income tax return.

 Office of International Programs
203 Union East Bldg * (915) 747-5664 * oip@utep.edu * Hours: Monday-Tuesday 8-6 Wednesday-Friday 8-5
Monday-Friday 8-5 when classes are not in session.