Calling all gringos

jojocho

New member
Jul 10, 2002
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OK, so it's my turn to be on the other side and be the one asking questions.

I moved back to Santo Domingo in September after living in the US for three years, and now as tax season approaches I'm not sure about how to proceed. I know that I should be getting a reimbursement as I did not complete the year working and did not make all the money that Uncle Sam thought I was going to make, but I'm not sure how I should be filing my taxes.

If you have any information regarding this, or the contact info for a person who could help me with this, could you please send it this way? I would really appreciate it!

Thnx!

Jojocho
 

andy a

Bronze
Feb 23, 2002
532
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I'm not sure that I understand the question.

If you're referring to possibly getting the foreign tax exemption, the answer is a definite no - you can never get that from Stateside income.

You imply that you're not working in the DR, so you don't have any partial year earnings either, to be excluded retroactively after you qualify for the foreign exclusion (by residence or physical presence). No conflict there.

If you simply wonder how your tax return can get done, you should be able to find a tax accountant in the phone book to do that for you - even remotely, if he can somehow get the necessary statements.
 

WendyPavo

New member
Dec 13, 2002
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I'm not sure that I understand correctly either.

If you're talking about getting a US tax refund:
1) do whatever it takes to get your US employer to mail your W2 tax statements to your current location in the DR
2) inquire with the US Consulate in Santo Domingo about obtaining tax forms (they have a Web page that might be the most efficient route)
3) file for your return via the internet or telephone (or the postal system if you're not in a hurry)

If you couldn't be bothered with this process, then surf the Internet to locate a tax firm in the States that can do the leg work for you (but be advised that they will still likely need your signature in order to file for you).

And keep in mind that "not working for a full year" does not mean that you'll get a refund. A refund is based on how much tax was taken out of your paycheck (based on how many exemptions you claimed), versus how much SHOULD have been taken out of your paycheck. If too much tax was taken out of your paycheck, you will likely receive a refund. If an insufficient amount of tax was taken out of your paycheck, you will likely owe money.
 

m65swede

New member
Mar 18, 2002
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If I understand your question correctly, it should be a fairly simple matter.

Step 1 is to get your W2's from your former employer in the States. You can then download and print out any forms you need directly from the IRS website.

You can even file your returns electronically which normally requires no paperwork to be sent, and receive your refund in the form of a check or a direct deposit to your bank account.

I've been using Turbo Tax for the Web for the past several years with great success. It cost me $20 this year, but cost is dependant upon the complexity of your return. If your AGI is less than $27,000, the cost is zero!

Refunds take about 2 weeks to arrive when using direct deposit.

Swede