Hi,

I arrived in US on H1B Oct 1st, 2006 and had zero income till the end of the year dec 2006. From jan I started earning.

Now do I need to file for return even my earnings were nil.

Please advise.

How can you not have an income when you are on H1B? Please talk to your H1B sponsor. I think you are supposed to be a full-time salaried employee.

Thank you for your kind and prompt reply . I am glad to receive your response.

Initially I agreed with my company to work as consultant on hourly basis and failed to get any project till dec 2006 and for 3 months my earning was zero in 2006.
In Jan 2007 I agreed to become full time salaried employee and started working.

Do I need to ask w2 to my employer for Oct to Dec 2006. Even I my earningw was zero.

Do it have impact for if don't pay tax for oct to dec 2006 when I apply for my green card.

Please guide me what to do now as April 15th will be the end of date to file for return.

I am not 100% clear about it but I think you need to be paid while you are on an H1B visa. You have the visa only because you are working. I am not very knowledgeable about this. This is something only an immigration attorney or a tax expert can help you with.

Thank you for kind reply.

Can u recommend any tax experts or hook me to them.

Regards
Mazhar

I think some people don't file at all but I don't know the legality of it.

Contact 'Atlanta Tax Expert' who posts here. He seems to be knowledgeable. I have no links with him and I don't know him at all. I am basing this on his posts here and its only my opinion and not an advice.

Student2Worker:

Thanks for the endorsement!

Mazhar:

If you have no W-2 and did in fact earn no income in 2006, you have NO requirement to file a tax return. It IS a bit unusual, but not unprecedented.