Did you know...?
Texas has one of the lowest state tax burdens in the country.
Office of International Students & Scholars
Lovett Hall, Entrance A, Second Floor
Rice University, Houston TX Phone: (713) 348-6095 Fax: (713) 348-6058
Tax Information and Resources
Filing taxes in the United States can be a confusing responsibility,
without the right resources and information. While Rice cannot do your tax
filings, we can provide the following resource information. Listed below
are numbers you can call and resources to help you get the proper
information that are needed to file your taxes.
CINTAX is a free web-based software program designed to assist internationals with tax form preparation. It is available to Rice international students & scholars who have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years and are considered non-residents for tax purposes.
It is available between February 15 - June 1 for use in preparing tax documents. Check back during that time of year for details of how to sign up.
All international students and scholars in F, J, Q, or M status
must file Internal Revenue Service (IRS)Form
8843.
If there was income from a US source (including scholarships,
fellowships, salaries, income on investments, as well as other types of
income), you must file
Form 8843 and a tax return on IRS Form
1040NR or
1040NR-EZ along with any corresponding schedules no later than April
15.
Failure to comply with IRS regulations can produce serious
consequences. Even if no taxes are owed, it is required by law to
comply with filing procedures. Penalties range from additional costs plus
interest for any tax not paid to incarceration if convicted of tax fraud
or evasion.
IRS International Tax Help Telephone Number
On June 4, 2001, the IRS inaugurated a new telephone number dedicated
solely to international tax questions. The new number is 215-516-2000
(not toll-free). Follow the instructions and an agent that specializes
in international tax questions will be available for assistance. The
number will be operational for 20 hours a day (from 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Eastern Time).
University of Houston VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program Since 1998, the Houston CPA Society has sponsored and staffed a VITA site at the University of Houston's Main Campus. There, CPAs and accounting student volunteers provide free tax return preparation assistance to foreign students. Help dates for 2008 will be posted soon, check back often.
Schedule of Tax Events for 2008
January 31:
W-2 and/or 1099 mailed.
March 13:
Tax Seminar from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Location will be Keck Hall 100. The tax expert will be speaking mainly on tax law for
internationals. From 4:00-5:30 the focus will be on 1st & 2nd year students, from 5:30pm - 7:00pm will be focused on tax questions for everyone else.
March 15:
Form 1042 and 1042-S due to IRS by Payroll
April 15:
Forms 1040NR and 1040NR-EZ due to IRS by student/scholar
(if Nonresident Alien receives compensation).
June 15
Forms 1040NR and 1040NR-EZ due to IRS
(if Nonresident Alien does not receive compensation)
Addresses, Phone Numbers, Websites
Address for sending tax returns: IRS Center, Philadelphia, PA
19255-0607.
Toll-free IRS number: 1-800-829-1040 (live telephone
assistance) or 1-800-829-4477 (recording).
This is a general number. Be sure to mention that you will be filing as
foreign national.
Problem Resolution Program: 713-209-3660 (in Houston) or
1-877-777-4778.
See Publication 1546: See Publication 1546: How to Get Help with
Unresolved Tax Problems.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1546.pdf
To order IRS forms: 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676)
Fax number for obtaining forms: (703) 368-9694. Please note that the
call must be made from a telephone that is connected to a fax machine,
and forms must be copied onto plain paper. Download IRS forms from
http://www.irs.gov/formspub297144729297144729s/index.html
Automated Refund Information: 1-800-829-4477.
Call if 8 weeks has gone by since you mailed your return and you expect
a refund. Have a copy of your tax return in hand. You will be asked to
supply your SSN, filing status, as well as the exact amount of refund.
Tax Treaty Office: 202-874-1460
Helpful Websites
Guide for preparing Federal Tax Return for International Students,
Scholars and Researchers.
In order to file a 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ, you must have a Social Security
Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). To be
able to include your spouse and/or dependents on a tax return they will
need an ITIN or SSN as well.
2)Attach a certified or notarized copy of one or more identity documents to the W-7 application before mailing it to the IRSServiceCenter in Austin. Attach a certified or notarized copy of an unexpired passport or a certified or notarized copy of an unexpired (choose 2 from following list) national identification card, driver’s license, civil birth certificate, military identification card, voter’s registration card, visa, US Citizenship and Immigration Services photo identification or medical or school records (children under 14 only).
3) Visit an IRSTaxpayerAssistanceCenter. A list of IRS centers can be found at http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/article/0,,id=98337,00.html. The closest locations are 1919 Smith Street in downtown Houston and 8701 S. Gessner just off the Southwest Freeway.
To learn more about the ITIN application process, click here.
If you are on an F-1 or J-1 status at Rice, you are employed, and do not have a Social
Security Number, contact OISS about making arrangements to apply for one
as soon as possible.If you are on F-1 or J-1 student status and you do not have an on-campus job, you will need to apply for an ITIN.
Please note: The OISS staff is not trained nor qualified to give
any tax advice.
