Taxes and Legal Matters
TAXES
There are numerous tax systems in the U.S. and everyone has certain tax obligations. There is federal income tax, state income tax, state sales tax, vehicle tax, property tax, and other taxes assessed for different things. International scholars may be exempt from paying certain taxes (varies by country of citizenship, length of time in the U.S., visa type, amount of earnings, etc) or have reduced tax liability in some situations, but taxes are inescapable. If you are employed and paid by NC State University (or another U.S. based employer), you are required to file an annual federal tax return each year and may be required to file state and other tax forms as well. It is important to fulfill tax filing obligations and pay all required taxes – it is a condition of one’s nonimmigrant status and failure to file tax returns could prevent future entry into the U.S., fines and penalties, garnishment of wages, and/or denial of future visa applications.
When you first begin employment with NC State University, you must make an appointment with NC State’s Foreign National Tax Specialist to complete the paperwork necessary to set up your tax withholdings correctly. Please e-mail foreignnationaltax@ncsu.edu to request an appointment.
TAX SEMINAR – MARCH 2011
In order to assist international students and scholars with their annual tax filing, OIS sponsors a yearly Non-Resident Tax Seminar. We invite international students and scholars at NC State to listen to presentations by tax experts. This year’s seminar will be held on Friday, March 4 from 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Nelson Hall Room 3400. International students and scholars must sign up in advance using OIS Online (https://ois.ncsu.edu/).
Following the event, OIS will post the presentation material used during the Tax Seminar below:
- Federal Taxes – Kent Greer Powerpoint Presentation (March 2011)
- State Taxes – Michelle Anderson Powerpoint Presentation (March 2011)
NC State also offers the use of Windstar Tax Software to assist students and scholars in submitting their federal tax return. For more information, please visit this link: http://www.ncsu.edu/human_resources/payroll/pdfs/WindstarTaxPrep.pdf
Please visit the following website to obtain the federal tax forms you may need: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96477,00.html
To obtain the state tax forms, please visit here: http://www.dornc.com/downloads/individual.html
LEGAL MATTERS
For a comprehensive list of local attorneys specialized in immigration matters, please visit the AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) website: http://www.aila.org/
For your convenience, below you can also find an alphabetized list of local attorneys recommended by NC State’s Office of Student Legal Services:
Immigration Attorneys:
John Pinnix: 919-755-0505
Ann Robertson: 919-834-7004
Criminal Attorneys:
David Coolidge: 919-239-8448
James Crouch: 919-282-5778
George Kelley: 919-846-6919
Patrick Roberts: 919-838-6643
Bill Young: 919-856-3940