US tax rebate for nonresident alien?
Like you, I’m a non-resident alien in terms of immigration but resident for tax purposes. My understanding is that if you’re considered a resident by the IRS then in their eyes you’re considered the same as a citizen or permanent resident. There is always the possibility that the law for the rebate will say “citizen or permanent resident only” and the IRS would have to act accordingly so the short answer is nobody knows yet. If the purpose is to stimulate the economy then yours or my spending should be just as umm, … “stimulating” than anyone else’s but … you never know. Perhaps it’s different for me with a H1-B visa but I’ve been doing regular 1040’s since my second year. The first year was different because I was dual status. I haven’t heard or read anything about being here 5 years before you do a 1040. I had a tax accountant do it for the first few years and I’m pretty sure they knew what they were doing.
Huh, I’d be interested to know the answer to this question. If the IRS doesn’t know from their own forms that you’re a nonresident, then how would they know to not give you the rebate? The likelihood that they would be cross-checking your tax return with your immigration status seems kind of low (Just from an MIS perspective). But maybe. Also, when you file as a nonresident you’re operating under a different set of tax rules, so it makes a little more sense that a refund would behave differently. So I can see why you might think it would work out differently now.
