Recent content by germanInUS

Hi, it's been a while since the last post :) I have left the US after less than 183 days, so I am a non-resident alien in 2020. Unfortunately the contest staff did not send me any forms or other documentation about the prize. They also did not reply to my e-mail asking for documentation...

Sorry, I wrote that not clearly. When writing about the FICA taxes I meant the OASDI and Medicare payments that my US employer withheld from my salary due to the possibility that I become a resident alien. If I am a non-resident alien in 2020 they refund me the withheld FICA taxes (maybe that is...

I think I was the first one who tried to use a W-8 instead of a W-9, so they did not know. Does the IRS know about the award automatically or do they only know if I mention the award on my tax forms next year? What happens if I forget that and end up not paying the 30%? Does that depend on the...

I have now received the full amount from the contest. They accepted the W8-BEN form. They did not withhold the 30%. Will I have to pay these 30% next year when I file my taxes? What if I become a resident alien this year, will I not have to pay the 30%? But in that case I would have to pay...

For some reason the contest people ignore all my mails and calls. Very weird... I hope it's just because of Corona and not because they don't want to struggle with the W8 form.

Is it legal to require in the contest rules that the participant must be a US citizen?

Thank you so much! With all the information from this forum, other online resources, official IRS information and information from my employer, I conclude: - I am not a resident alien yet => I am not allowed to use the W-9 now - I will probably become a resident alien - I should use the W8-BEN...

Is it correct that US citizen or resident aliens don't pay taxes on awards (and get 100%) while others pay 30% tax?

Thanks! I am already in the process of finding an affordable attorney. However, if people here could give me advice or point me in directions, that would be a good starting point for further research and a consultation by an attorney. By the way, let's assume I use a wrong form, e.g. I use the...

Thank you! I currently do not meet the substantial presence test because I was in the US in 2018 and 2019 in J-1 status. These were my first two years in the US (Nov 18 - May 19 and Sep 19 - present). So I can not count the days from these two years (J-1 is exempt for the first two years), but...

Hi, I have participated in a coding contest in the US and I have won a prize for reaching a very high score. The prize is more than 600$ and that is why I need to fill out a W-9 form in order to receive the money. The problem now is that I am not a US citizen and in the W-9 form I have to...