I am an Indian National and I have been in US on F1 since Aug 2001.
My F1 expired on June 2006 and I was on OPT till my H1 began in Oct 2006 (havent got H1 stamped as yet).
I had filed 1040NR for the past five years but read that after 5 years, I should start filing as a resident. Is this correct, do I file as resident for 2006? Also, the other main question is that I had been on an internship from Jan-Mar 2006 in UK while I was still on my F1. I don't know if I should report this income in my taxes. I was taxed in UK anyway and I don't know if I should present that income again here to be taxed?
Someone responded earlier mentioning that I should file as resident and present my foreign income and take foreign credit. In that case I am still left with some questions:
1. Should I report it in the "other income" question? Wouldn't that lead to me being taxed for it again? Is there a specific exchange rate that I am supposed to use to convert the income in pound to $ ?
2. When I left for the internship while on F1, I was told at school that I was allowed a maximum absence of 5 months from US while on F1 to maintain my status; so my doing an internship for 3 months outside the country was more like a vacation for their records and they didn't even have to (work) authorize me for that. Does this mean that I can also choose not to report the income from that intership outside US?
This would just make my taxes complicated. So I am trying to see if I really need to mention this foreign income, given that I have already been taxed for it!
Please... Any help to these questions would be very very helpful.
Thanks!