Taxes

If you received any income in the year 2011 you may be required by federal and/or state law to file your taxes. Please note that scholarships are sometimes counted as income.

Note: The Office of International Programs does not have a tax professional on staff. The information below is only a brief overview of taxes in the U.S. and Kentucky – it is not professional tax advice.

Do you need to file?

If your income is more than the personal exemption ($3,700 for 2011) you will need to file your federal taxes. Generally, if you file federal taxes you will also need to file your state return.

To determine your income:

  • Use your W-2: look for “total wages, salaries, tips, etc.”
  • Use your 1098-T: subtract box 5 from box 2

What you will need

  • Any tax documents from your employer (frequently a W-2)
    • If you work for Georgetown College your W-2 is available on the portal
  • Form 1098-T from Georgetown College (also available on the portal)
    • This reports the amount of scholarships you received
  • Passport (including visa)
  • I-94

The Forms

To file federal taxes you’ll need to complete the following forms:

  • 1040NR-EZ
  • 8843
  • W7 (only complete a W7 if you do NOT have a Social Security Number)

Be sure to see the instructions for the 1040NR-EZ.

To file your state taxes you’ll need to complete the following:

  • If your first semester in Kentucky was Fall of 2011: 740-NP
  • If you have been in Kentucky for previous semesters: 740-EZ

How to file

The Office of International Programs is not qualified to answer tax questions. You may make an appointment for general questions; however, any advice given should not be considered professional tax advice.

We encourage you to find a local Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to file your taxes – you will need to pay for this service. The Office of International Programs can assist you in finding a local CPA.

If you can make it to Lexington, the University of Kentucky College of Law will do your taxes for free. You can set up an appointment here.

Note: Most online tax preparation websites are NOT meant to handle non-resident taxes. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to find a website that will do non-resident taxes for free. If you do choose to use a website to file your taxes, we suggest you make sure the correct forms are submitted.

 

 

Last updated 3.22.12