Note, this guide is only for U.S. Citizens, and it is designed for simple tax situations, not overly complex ones. Also, this guide refers to 2003 taxes, and the tax code might have changed since it was written. Please do not rely on only this guide.

For links to the latest tax forms, search http://irs.gov. For a more recent explanation of the tax system, try the Tochigi JETs forum.

This guide contains links to PDF files that you can fill in yourself to give your tax return a more professional look than handwritten returns. The IRS says handwritten returns are more likely to be audited, so I prefer to type mine in the PDF forms. Please note, however, that you can't save the PDF files with the information in them using the free reader. If you plan on typing up a form, make sure you can print it then. Also, e-filing is available for a fee by many firms and tax software programs.

Before starting, you will need the following things:

  • A statement of how much you were payed by your Japanese Contracting Organization in 2003 (you should have received this in January) (example form)
  • W-2s, a statement from each job you had in the U.S. stating how much you were payed
  • 1099-INTs, a statement from each bank you earned interest from, detailing how much interest you earned
  • 1099-DIVs, a statement from each stock or mutual fund you own, detailing how much you earned in dividends and capital gains
  • a pencil
  • a calculator

Now, let's start. Are you a first year JET?

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