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Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Which Is My Tax Home of Them All? – Foreign Students Face Dilemma in the U.S.

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Which Is My Tax Home of Them All? – Foreign Students Face Dilemma in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of State administers the Exchange Visitor Program, which designates sponsors to provide foreign nationals with opportunities to participate in educational and cultural programs in the U.S. and return home to share their experiences. These students receive taxable stipends, file tax returns, and reduce taxable income by costs associated with participation. Unfortunately, a recent Tax Court case, Liljeberg v. Commr., has determined that the travel and lodging costs of these individuals could not be deducted. Neha Rastogi and Beate Erwin explain that while home is where the heart is, a “tax home” is where a person is expected to live taking into consideration the person’s principal place of employment.

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The F-1 Visa – Privileged U.S. Tax Status and How to Keep It

The F-1 Visa – Privileged U.S. Tax Status and How to Keep It

Foreign students leaving their home country and arriving in the U.S. for higher education may come across many things that seem alien to them – like the accent, culture, and inexplicably large food portions. But one area where they are treated as the aliens is under U.S. Federal income tax law, where foreign students holding F-1 visas are treated as nonresident aliens who are subject to special tax provisions.  Neha Rastogi and Beate Erwin discuss tax residence status, Federal income tax consequences, and U.S. reporting requirements for holders of F-1 visas.

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