U.S. Tax Guide For Aliens

There are two classifications of people that the United States uses in regards to taxes tax residents and non-tax residents. If you have immigrated into the United States, you may be wondering how to figure out how immigration and taxes apply to you.

There are many situations in which you may be required to pay United States taxes even if you are not a United States citizen. Whether you have to file and pay taxes depends on whether the government has classified you as tax resident or not. For example, all permanent residents or green card holders are considered to be tax residents. Not all non-immigrant visa holders are tax residents, however. Even if you are not a tax resident, it may still be a good idea to file an income tax return if you have been working for an employer that withholds taxes from your wages – you might get a tax refund.

U.S. tax residents must report their entire income to the IRS and pay taxes. It does not matter whether the money was earned within the country or internationally, all income must be reported to the IRS.

Reporting all your income to the IRS does not mean that all of your income will be taxed by the government. Those decisions are governed by internationally taxes treaties.

GREEN CARD HOLDERS

If you are a Green Card Holder, you may be wondering how your immigration status and taxes will work. On the date that you acquired your status as a green card holder, you were considered to be a tax resident, but this is only true for people who are in the country under the non-immigrant visa status, not green cards. If you have a green card and you do not travel abroad all year, you still must report all of your income to the IRS.

Like almost every other taxpayer in the United States, Green Card Holders must file an IRS Form 1040 each year by April 15th. If you fall to file you U.S. taxes as a Green Card Holder, you may hurt your chances of becoming a U.S. citizen. Additionally, if you intentionally do not file your taxes, you may also be charged and guilty of a crime which could result in the loss of your Green Card and you may be deported from the United States. You can find out more about your situation by visiting the IRS website and navigate to IRS Form 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, which can answer many of your questions.