[1]What is a non-resident alien?
An alien is any individual who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national. A nonresident alien is any individual who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national and who has not passed the green card test or the substantial presence test.
Must non-resident alien file tax returns?
If you are any of the following, you must file a return:
- A nonresident alien individual engaged or considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the United States during the year. However, if your only U.S. source income is wages in an amount less than the personal exemption amount (see Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information [2]), you are not required to file.
- A nonresident alien individual who is not engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. and has U.S. income on which the tax liability was not satisfied by the withholding of tax at the source.
- A representative or agent responsible for filing the return of an individual described in (1) or (2),
- A fiduciary for a nonresident alien estate or trust, or
- A resident or domestic fiduciary, or other person, charged with the care of the person or property of a nonresident individual may be required to file an income tax return for that individual and pay the tax (Refer to Treas. Reg. 1.6012-3(b)).
NOTE: If you were a nonresident alien student, teacher, or trainee who was temporarily present in the United States on an “F,””J,””M,” or “Q” visa, you are considered engaged in a trade or business in the United States. You must file Form 1040NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return [3] (or Form 1040NR-EZ, U.S. Income Tax Return for Certain Nonresident Aliens With No Dependents [4]) only if you have income that is subject to tax, such as wages, tips, scholarship and fellowship grants, dividends, etc. Refer to Foreign Students and Scholars [5] for more information.
For more information or for questions about your tax filing responsibilities, contact a ShindelRock tax professional [6] today.
Reference:
https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Taxation-of-Nonresident-Aliens [7]