From: Stanford International Student Updates <intl-student-update@lists.stanford.edu>
Date: March 25, 2008 3:00:33 PM PDT
To: Stanford International Student Updates <intl-student-update@lists.stanford.edu>
Subject: [intl-student-update] Bechtel International Center: Tax Information
Dear Students,
With the tax-filing deadline coming up on April 15, we wanted to provide some additional information that may not have been covered during the recent tax workshops.
For your convenience, Payroll has prepared a Federal Tax Filing Help Sheet for Non-Residents that was passed out at yesterday's workshop. Please see the attached file if you would like a copy of this handout.
The topics covered in this email are:
Social Security Number
If you do not have a Social Security number, please
check the website link to see if you qualify for an SSN and for specific
instructions on how to apply for one. Since not all international students
necessarily qualify for an SSN and you determine that you are not eligible
for one now, you will need to apply for an ITIN (please see the ITIN section
below for instructions).
ITIN - Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
You should first review
our website to read more about
what an ITIN is, the application process and to download the required
application form (Form W-7). You should know that part of the ITIN application
requires a letter written by the I-Center which we issue ONLY after
you submit a written request to us (see the website for details on the
content of your written request).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Since the tax deadline is coming soon and it takes the IRS between 4-6 week to issue you an ITIN, you do not need to file for an extension just to wait for your ITIN number to be issued. You can simply submit your ITIN application and notarized copies of the supporting documents (i.e. passport, visa, I-94 card, I-20/DS-2019) along with your tax return.
CINTAX Tax Return Preparation Software
Just as a reminder, Stanford has purchased this tax preparation software
designed exclusively for foreign students, scholars, teachers, researchers,
trainees, and their dependents who are nonresident aliens to aid in
preparing U.S. federal income tax forms. The software is free for you
to use in preparing your federal tax return and is available now. NOTE:
CINTAX does not file the forms electronically! You MUST print out the
forms and mail them.
Also,unfortunately, it does not assist in preparing state tax returns, but information on filing a California state tax return can be found here: http://www.ftb.ca.gov/.
For more details and how to access CINTAX, please click here.
Additional Resource For How to File Your Taxes
The International Office at the University of Texas at Austin has an excellent
website for the international students and scholars community. They have
a great FAQ and other practical information that could be helpful to you
in preparing your taxes.
http://www.utexas.edu/international/taxes/
http://www.utexas.edu/international/taxes/levelofhelp.html
Upcoming Tax Workshop
The next tax workshop is on Wednesday, April 2 at 2:30pm-5:00pm at the Graduate Community Center in the Havana Room located at 750 Escondido Road in Escondido Village: http://glo.stanford.edu/gcc/index.html
Please double check the workshop website before you attend for the most up-to-date information in case of any changes.