I hate to post a new thread about it but its the best place I can get answers short of ringing up the IRS (which I dread and doubt I'd ever get through). I also suspect people will hijack this closer to the closing date for submissions.
Basically, I'm an Irish citizen who moved to the US for a year.
I found a job as a psychology research assistant for a start up medical device company.
The job is technically freelance, although I work there 35 hours a week most weeks. I earn 16$ an hour, and since working there (October 26th) I've earned 3000 bucks.
I get my gross pay, and well, thats it. I haven't known what I've meant to been doing with it and have just stored away 15% of every pay check in a savings account for tax.
Any research I've done on the internet (especially the IRS website) has been either super confusing, vague or just plain contradictory. I tried using TurboTax, but because I wasn't in the country for full year,plus I'm a foreign citizen,it just got super complicated.
Oh! and as per my visa I don't have to pay social security or medicare. I only have to pay federal and state tax (which I assume I can do both at the same time?)
In Ireland, chances are I wouldn't have to pay any tax on that amount of income because it not being above my tax credits (each person gets X figure of their income that can't be taxed).
Any help would be appreciated. Would rather not have to go to an accountant because chances are the fees would be more than my tax contribution. Also would rather not have the IRS deport me.
P.s I pity ye for having to do this every year, especially if you happen to be more complicated than me (e.g. have children, own home, investments etc).