Taxes and Social Security

Taxes

It is tax season in the United States. If you were physically present in the United States for any part of 2008, you must complete at least one 2008 tax form by April 15, 2009. If you were not present in the United States at all during 2008 you do not need to complete any tax forms at this time.

To help you meet your filing obligations the Harvard International Office (HIO) has purchased CINTAX, a tax preparation software. CINTAX will determine which forms you need to complete and will complete them for you as you answer questions. CINTAX is designed only for non-resident aliens for tax purposes. Most of our international students would fall into this non-resident category.

All international students and scholars at Harvard will receive an email describing CINTAX, including a password to access CINTAX. If you do not receive that email by February 4, 2009, please write to us at internationaloffice@harvard.edu requesting that the CINTAX email be resent to you. You should receive a reply within 72 hours of your request. Please indicate your Harvard affiliation in your email message.

We are pleased to add a valuable feature to our tax website. In reviewing our past efforts to assist our constituents with their tax obligations we tried to find a way to complement what CINTAX does for non-residents. Paula Singer, a noted tax attorney and co-owner of Windstar Technologies, Inc., created a web site for us that would address the issues not covered by CINTAX. These include Massachusetts state returns for residents and non-residents, federal resident returns, as well as dual status returns. We are very excited to introduce her work to you and hope you will find it helpful.

Users will need their HUID and PIN to access the site.

The web site is designed to provide accurate information regarding the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, readers are advised to employ the services of competent professionals in such matters. For a list of paid tax preparers who charge accordingly for services please click here. If you would like to hire Paula Singer for tax advice, please contact her at 617-964-0500, Vacovec, Mayotte & Singer, 255 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02158.

If you are unable to complete your tax return on time, it is possible to apply for an extension, using IRS Form 4868. This form can be found at the Internal Revenue Service website.