Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Hi everyone,

And happy new year!

So this will be my first time filing taxes in the US :blink: So far I'm thinking it's going to be pretty simple as I'll be filing as single and my only form of income has been from my US employer. I have no other ties to the UK.

I figured that I pass the substantial presence test for 2014 since I arrived here March 5th 2014 so that's way over 183 days so I will be filing as resident alien for the year 2014. (someone please correct me if I have misunderstood this rule?!)

Since I will be filing as resident alien, the IRS website states I must follow the same tax laws as US Citizens so I need to declare worldwide income earned in 2014. Before moving to the US, I had my UK salary paid into my bank account for January and February before moving out here. Does this mean I have to declare this to the IRS or does it not matter since it was paid to me before arriving in the US?

Thanks for your help!

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

No - because you activated your PR status when you arrived on March 5th 2014. Only count income earned from then and yes tick the resident alien box.

The substantial presence test is to do with the amount of time you have spent in the US as a resident for tax purposes. As you were not previously a US citizen/resident etc, you don't have to take into account income earned before then for the year 2014 (unless it was US income, then that is different).

Hoffage

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

You will need to file a 'dual status' tax return. This will allow you to not declare your income prior to entering the US to the IRS. You will have the mundane task of printing out your return and mailing it to the IRS as you cannot e-file dual status returns.

FWIW, IMHO you should have an accountant perform your first years tax return for you. My tax return for last year (when I was dual status) was around ~60 pages.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Urgh, really ... I did not know this and just looked it up (thanks Horace for alerting us all) Taxation of Dual-Status Aliens

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

What happens if you have not been in the country yet for 183 days, what do you file then?

ANy recommendations for a tax accountant in NY?

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Peter Newton.

US - UK Tax Preparation and Advice | BritishExpatsTax.Com

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Then I believe you need to file a Form 1040NR/1040NR-EZ, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.

Taxation of Nonresident Aliens

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

The biggest annoyance with being dual status is having to itemise any deduction, rather than being able to use the standard deduction.

It also means that your spouse can _not_ take the standard deduction either and must itemise, regardless as to your filing status.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Well that just sucks!! Thanks for the information

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Like I said, get a CPA to do your dual status return. It's going to be far easier for you. Then next year, when you've been here for the whole year your tax return will be nice and 'standard'.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

If some has a green card, then they have to file as a resident (Form 1040) dual status. The substantial presence teat only applies to non immigrants.

The Green Card Test and the Substantial Presence Test

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

Yes I think I will do that. My company have advised I get a consultation with Deloitte at my companies expense and they also pay for my first years tax return. I'm just waiting to confirm exactly what this covers.

One question though... definition of Dual Status tax filing explains the following "For the part of the year you are a nonresident alien, you are taxed on income from U.S. sources and on certain foreign source income treated as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business"

I arrived in the US on March 5th. The 183rd day is September 4th so this is the day I became a resident alien. Based on the explanation on the IRS website, does this mean for tax purposes I file as Non Resident for March 4th through September 4th and then resident from September 4th through December 31st? :confused::blink:

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

I believe you file as a resident for the whole year (form 1040) and declare both foreign (form 2555) and US income for the whole year. You then take foreign tax credits for earned income up to March 5th and foreign tax credits for unearned income throughout the full year (form 1116) to offset US taxes owed and write "Dual Status" on the top of the tax return.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

We had our first year taxes done by Deloitte through a corporate relocation deal. What they did was run the calculation all possible legal ways - filing as non-resident (we hadn't met substantial presence), filing dual status, and electing to file as resident for the whole year - then picked the one that gave us the financially best result.

Re: Income Earned In UK BEFORE moving to USA - Taxable?
 

That makes sense as this is what I have read and understood so far:

Because I am classed as Resident Alien on the last day of the tax year, I have to file Form 1040 and write DUAL-STATUS RETURN on the top and attach a statement that shows the income earned for the part of the year I was a non-resident. For the purpose of the statement I can attach Form 1040NR-EZ but must clearly write at the top DUAL-STATUS STATEMENT.

So does this mean in theory I am taxed as a resident even though I'm filing as dual status? The only exception is that I can't claim the standard deductions, I HAVE to itemise? How does this affect my refund eligibility? Why do I have to fill form 2555 to declare foreign income since I have not earned any income from the UK since I've been here. I received it before entering the US, does this matter? Definitely not going to attempt filing by myself for my first year, I'd rather not mess anything up!