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-   -   Tax refund for Indian OPT student on F-1 visa (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=736877)

  • Mar 1, 2013, 03:31 PM
    abondr01
    Tax refund for Indian OPT student on F-1 visa
    Hello,

    I am a non-resident alien, Indian national on F-1 visa and currently working at Tufts University, Boston MA from June 28, 2012. My OPT started on June 17, 2012 and ends on June 16, 2013. My monthly gross income is about $ 3321. I had discussed with the payroll office after getting hired regarding Social Security and Medicare taxes, and they have not been deducted.

    I just wanted to know which forms I need to fill for filing the tax return and what would be the tax refund (after calculation, taking the standard deduction into account)?.

    AB
  • Mar 1, 2013, 07:02 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    AB,

    If you are from India, you get to claim the standard deduction. Otherwise, no, but you may have other treaty exemptions.

    You will file Forms 1040NR-EZ and 8843, plus the Massachusetts tax return.

    Give us the Box 1 income and federal taxes withheld from your W-2, and I can give you a refund estimate.
  • Mar 1, 2013, 07:56 PM
    abondr01
    Thank you.

    My annual income is $39,858 and I am paid weekly $766.5. That is, for 35 hours a week and 52 weeks starting from June 28, 2012. The federal and state tax deducted every week are $115.28 and $40.24 respectively. I hope that information helps?.
  • Mar 1, 2013, 08:21 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    You are making this harder than it has to be.

    Please give me the Box #1 and #2 figures on your W-2, and do NOT make me manually add up your weekly figures.
  • Mar 1, 2013, 08:29 PM
    abondr01
    Box # 1 - $26827.5
    Box # 2 - $4034.8
  • Mar 1, 2013, 08:59 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    Your federal refund is $1,909.
  • Mar 1, 2013, 09:03 PM
    abondr01
    Thank you
  • Mar 1, 2013, 09:17 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    Glad to help!
  • Mar 11, 2013, 02:35 PM
    abondr01
    Sorry, could you please tell me the way you calculated the refund - the formula or arithmetic.. I just looked at my form W2 and the figures in Boxes 1 and 2 are different.
  • Mar 11, 2013, 03:09 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    If you are not using tax software, you have to be able to look up the tax owed on a tax table, after subtracting your personal exemption ($3,800) and the $5,950 standard deduction.
    .
    $26,828 - $9,750 = $17,078. Look at the SINGLE tax table to determine what the tax liability is, then subtract that from the Box #2 figure $4,035.

    The result is the $1,909 refund.
  • Mar 11, 2013, 06:16 PM
    abondr01
    Thank you, so I am just confirming:

    In my case, it's actually $19,469 (box 1) - $9,750 = $9,719

    the tax is $870 plus 15% of excess over $8700 = $1,022.85

    and box 2 is $2882.3, which changes the refund to $1,859.45... I hope that's right?.
  • Mar 15, 2013, 03:12 PM
    Nausheel
    Are you sure the itemized deductions is $5950 for this year for US-India Income tax treaty?

    Same thing with exemption of $3800? Are these values mentioned anywhere to verify?

    Just making sure, these figures are right so that I don't get caught up in filing wrong tax return!
  • Mar 15, 2013, 08:50 PM
    AtlantaTaxExpert
    It is not itemized deductions; it is the STANDARD deduction that Article 21(2) of the tax treaty allows student and business apprentices to claim as the treaty exemption. Print on the left of the $5,950 "standard deduction allowed by U.S.-India Tax treaty".

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