Spring has sprung, which means the U.S. tax filing deadline is looming upon us as well! The deadline to file your U.S. tax return is April 17, 2018. This means you must have your tax return postmarked and in the mail on April 17, 2018 or earlier to be considered on time.
Where to File
If you are filing the Form 1040NR, Form 1040NR-EZ, or the Form 8843, and you are receiving a refund or do not owe money, then mail your tax return to the following address:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Austin, TX 73301-0215
U.S.A.
If you are filing the Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ and you are making a payment based on additional taxes owed, then mail your tax return to the following address:
Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 1303
Charlotte, NC 28201-1303
U.S.A.
Late Filing
What happens if you cannot or do not file on time? It depends on whether you are receiving a refund or if you owe taxes.
There are no penalties for filing a U.S. tax return late if the taxpayer is due a refund!
If the taxpayer owes money to the IRS, then there are two separate penalties:
- Late Filing Penalty
- The failure to file penalty is 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late. The penalty won’t exceed 25% of your unpaid taxes.
- If both a failure to file and a failure to pay penalty are applicable in the same month, the combined penalty is 5% (4.5% late filing and 0.5% late payment) for each month or part of a month that your return was late, up to 25%.
- The late filing penalty applies to the tax that remains unpaid after the due date. Unpaid tax is the total tax shown on your return reduced by amounts paid through withholding, estimated tax payments, and allowed refundable credits.
- The maximum total penalty for failure to file and pay is 47.5% (22.5% late filing and 25% late payment) of the tax.
- However, if your return was over 60 days late, the minimum failure to file penalty is the smaller of $210 or 100% of the tax required to be shown on the return.
- Late Payment Penalty
- The late payment penalty is 0.5% of the tax owed after the due date, for each month or part of a month the tax remains unpaid, up to 25%.
- The penalty rate is 0.25% for each month or part of a month in which an installment agreement is in effect
Confused? The IRS will automatically calculate any penalty due and send you a bill to your mailing address listed on your tax return. If you know you will have to file late, then consider filing an extension by completing Form 4868 to give yourself more time to complete your US tax return. Filing for an extension is not necessary if you are due a refund on your tax return. Avoid paying unnecessary penalties by filing on time!
Tax Filing Assistance
GLACIER Tax Prep will continue to be available even after the tax filing deadline. The International Office will also continue to host both Tax Lab and tax appointments for those who need assistance completing their US tax returns until April 12th.
Tax Lab takes place in FAC 327 from 10 – 12 PM every Wednesday through April 11, 2018. Tax Lab is an opportunity for international students and scholars to complete their tax returns using GLACIER Tax Prep with a tax volunteer available for any questions that may come up during the tax filing process. Tax Lab operates on a walk-in basis and no appointment is necessary to attend.
There are also a few spots left to meet with a tax volunteer to review your tax return or to ask other tax questions that prevent you from completing the GLACIER Tax Prep software. You can make an appointment via the Symplicity software: https://utexas-insight.symplicity.com/
- Once inside, click on the “Events” tab.
- Search through the tax events for the appropriate service.
- Reserve a spot convenient for your schedule to see a tax volunteer.
Please note that the International Office is only able to assist nonresident aliens for tax purposes with simple income. Complex income scenarios, such as cryptocurrency, rental income, and advanced payments on the Premium Tax Credit cannot be answered by the International Office. Questions that cannot be answered by the International Office may be directed to the IRS at (267) 941-1000.
Further questions can be directed to taxadvisor@austin.utexas.edu.