Help with Completing Your Tax Forms
(For Tax Year 2007)

For the third year, the ISSS has purchased a license with CINTAX to allow BU international students, alumni, scholars and faculty to use CINTAX to compute and print the federal income tax forms. CINTAX is a web-based tax preparation system designed exclusively for international students, scholars and faculty who file forms 1040NR or 1040NR EZ as non-residents for tax purposes. For information on CINTAX click here:http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/cintax.htm

CINTAX is designed to prepare and produce only federal non-resident forms. CINTAX does not complete state income tax forms. Other options include attending an ISSS-sponsored income tax workshop as noted below, or using a qualified volunteer or professional tax preparation preparer.

Income Tax workshops are on-line this year, and may be viewed 24/7 at the following link :http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/webworkshp.htm.
 
These workshops are for F and J students who have been in the U.S. in F or J status for five years or less (2003 or later).

With the availability of CINTAX, the focus of the yearly income tax workshops has changed.  They will now emphasize how to file New York State tax forms.  The workshops will not address filing federal income tax forms, except as a general overview. If you plan to view one of the New York State income tax workshops, it's important for you to have already filled out your federal income tax forms using CINTAX, and then view the workshop with a copy of your completed federal forms with you.

The deadline for filing your income tax returns is April 15, 2008.

OTHER RESOURCES:                

•  FOR ASSISTANCE WITH FEDERAL NON-RESIDENT TAX FORMS:
Call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-215-516-2000 (this is not a free call, available 6am to 2am Eastern Time Monday-Friday). You may also send an e-mail message with your income tax question to the IRS. Go to http://www.irs.gov/help/page/0,,id=133197,00.html http://www.irs.gov/help/page/0,,id=133197,00.html and scroll down to the e-mail message box. Be sure to check the “Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad” Category before sending your message.

•  FOR ASSISTANCE WITH FEDERAL RESIDENT TAX FORMS:
Call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-829-1040 (free call)
Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Or, visit their website, http://www.irs.gov/help/page/0,,id=120294,00.html

Additional help is available by calling New York State Tax at
1-800-225-5829 (free call) or 518-485-6800 (outside the U.S. and Canada)
Assistance is available from 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday. Or, visit their website, http://www.nystax.gov

•  You may also obtain free income tax help (for resident forms only) from volunteers who have received training from the IRS. Help is available at the Broome County Library, 185 Court Street, walk-in or by appointment. Monday through Saturday, 10am to 2pm. Call 778-6400 to confirm these times.

•  Visit the self-help tax web site of the University of Texas at Austin International Office: http://www.utexas.edu/international/taxes/ The site contains step-by-step instructions and examples of the required forms.

•  Contact a tax preparation service, professional tax accountant, or tax attorney. Be sure that whomever you visit is knowledgeable about non-resident tax laws. (Note that a fee will be charged by anyone hired to prepare your tax forms.)

International Student & Scholar Services Staff are neither qualified nor permitted to give individual tax advice. Tax information is available only at tax workshops.