Taxes, Mail, and Other Tips
The American Revolution started over a dispute about taxes more than 250 years ago, so it may not be a surprise that taxes are still a topic of interest. Here are a few resources to make paying taxes a little less painful.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides many resources for new immigrants and non-residents. Most pages on their website are available in seven languages; Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole. An additional thirteen languages are available for basic resources.
Links that may be helpful:
Tax information and responsibilities for new immigrants to the United States.
Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities.
Foreign Students, Scholars, Teachers, Researchers and Exchange Visitors
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
It can be confusing when the IRS refers to residents and nonresidents. Remember that being a “resident” for tax purposes is not only defined as being a “permanent resident” or green card holder, but it is also someone who meets the “substantial presence test.”
USA.Gov
USA.Gov also has many guides to tax laws, forms, and other guides and resources for new international neighbors.
Find out if you need to file a federal tax return.
Get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file your tax return.
YouTube International Taxpayers Videos
The following videos are now available on the IRS YouTube page, and several more of interest to taxpayers abroad are in development.
- First video helps non-U.S. citizens determine if they need an IRS-issued tax reporting number, known as an ITIN, and how to apply for one. International taxpayers-Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- Second one is about discover filing status options if you are married to a nonresident alien. International taxpayers-Filing status if married to a nonresident alien
- Third one will make you learn here if you can claim a foreign tax credit for the foreign tax you paid. International taxpayers-Foreign Tax Credit
Did you know that you can arrange for the U.S. Postal Service to hold your mail while you are on vacation, forward your mail to a new address, or send you a picture of your incoming mail all from the U.S. Postal Service website?
Have you ever wondered what the little flag is on the side of a mailbox? If the flag is standing up vertically, like the picture below, it means that there is outgoing mail in the box for the U.S. Postal Service to take away and deliver. If the flag is laying down, or horizontal, it means that there is no outgoing mail and the mail carrier can simply put your new mail in the mailbox without looking inside the mailbox first for any outgoing letters.
Other Tips and Links
Hurricanes and Other Disasters useful Pdfs.
Other Regional Guides
School Report Cards
They also publish yearly School and District Report Cards. “Not to be confused with student report cards, these Report Cards provide information about each school and district, including test performance, teacher qualifications, student safety, awards, parent involvement and much more.”
School Attendance Zones
Public schools have attendance zones, or school attendance boundaries. “School district administrators create attendance areas to help organize and plan district-wide services, and districts may adjust individual school boundaries to help balance the capacity of local schools with changes in the local school-age population.” National Center for Education Statistics
Many new home buyers consult school attendance zone maps and school report cards before they choose a home.
Berkeley Country School District:
Charleston County School District:
Dorchester School District Two:
Learn More and by Subdivision
Dorchester School District Four:
Family Resources
The district websites are rich sources of information for new families. They include important topics like student registration, the academic calendar, the bell schedule, and multilingual student support. Each website has special pages for family resources:
Transportation - School Buses
The school district websites also explain the free school bus transportation that is available for your neighborhood. That includes the bus stops in your neighborhood. Parents are not required to use school buses for their children, they are not mandatory, but they are a free service that students are provided regardless of citizenship or visa status. They are available to all children in South Carolina who live more than 1.5 miles from school per South Carolina Title 59 – Education, Chapter 67, Transportation of Pupils; School Buses, Article 3.
Private Schools
Private schools are also listed on the SCDE website:
From this page, click “Directory Exports” for the spreadsheet titled, “Private Schools Listing.” Private schools in the Charleston-metro area are listed below. Unlike public schools, students must apply to be accepted into private schools. They charge tuition fees, often have a dress code that includes required uniforms, and transportation is usually provided by parents or guardians. The Charleston-metro area has several excellent private schools from which to choose. Some are single-gender only, refer to their websites for additional eligibility and admission information.
Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools funded by taxpayers so usually do not have tuition fees. They are sometimes known for special academic emphases. They are also listed by the SCDE website by district under the heading, “Charter.” In the Charleston-metro area, currently only the Charleston County School District offers charter school options. They are:
International Baccalaureate® Programs
“The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.”
The Charleston-metro area has three IB schools, one for each level. Please see the list below. Families sometimes choose the IB diploma because it is accepted in other countries as a university entrance qualification when school-issued diplomas are not. In Germany, for example, an IB diploma is accepted as a qualification to begin study at a German university, thus avoiding additional preparatory courses at Studienkollegs or Arbitur examinations that are required for students who apply from the United States.
Three IB Schools
Memminger Elementary School
(Primary Years Programme)
Buist Academy for Advanced Studies
(Middle Years Programme)
James Island Charter High School
(Diploma Programme)
