US tax return deadline day
Thousands of Irish students are being reminded that today is the deadline to file their US tax return.
Anyone who travelled to America on a J-1 visa last year must submit theirs by the end of the day.
By not fulfilling US obligations, those who don't could be putting future visa applications in jeopardy.
Tax filing specialists Sprintax say:
“In January 2018, a new tax bill came into force - the ‘Tax Cuts & Jobs Act 2017’. This means that J-1 students from Ireland (& elsewhere) now have to pay 10% tax from the first dollar earned when working in the States.
"This means that the refunds traditionally claimed by these students once they have returned home will now reduce significantly.
"We believe there is widespread confusion about the impact of this change in the tax law. Firstly, many students will still be eligible for a refund of some form – it will be lower than the historical average, but it’s still worth claiming.
"Secondly however, and this is more important in the long run, any student who has taken part in the J-1 working holiday visa programme is legally obliged to file a tax return for the 2018 tax year.
"Failure to comply with these tax obligations may affect future visa applications."
"You never know what future opportunities may arise for you in the US. That’s why it is so important to have your tax in order if you like the idea of working in the US in future.”
