Tax returns

[Batzella]

Hi, I’m a student filling out my tax returns and it looks like I owe just shy of 700 in state taxes to Illinois, can anyone please help me to understand why this is the case? I worked for a few months during the summer and don’t have any deductibles beyond the standards.

[AmyC]

Take a look at your return. If you are a resident, you have health insurance and other answers to be sure you got right. If your family lives in IL, you are probably a resident. If your family is elsewhere and you are in IL for school, temp job, then you are a nonresident.

Double check that you are filing the correct return. Take a look that the income is correct along with the tax withheld. Typos do exist. Look for any extra  taxes on your return. It could boil down to the employer just did not withhold enough tax.

To see your forms:

• In desktop, switch to Forms Mode. 
• For online, see How do I preview my TurboTax Online return before filing?

See Why Do I Owe on My Tax Return?

[Batzella]

Hi Amy,

thank your for your response. I will definitely go over all my details again to make sure that I am filling out the return correctly. 

I am an Irish student who worked in Illinois last summer, but I live in Ireland and I am a bit confused on the US tax withholding system. What does “the employer did not withhold enough tax” mean, is it possible that my paychecks were taxed at an illegal rate? I worked for a very big company so I presumed this would not be the case. Sorry to bother you when you already responded to my query, I just wanted to get some clarity on the situation. Thanks again.

[DawnC]

US companies withhold tax based off Form W-4.   Did you give your employer a W-4 form?  

Are you a US citizen or resident alien?   Form 1040 is used by U.S. taxpayers to file an annual income tax return.   IRS Tax Residency

Nonresident aliens who are required to file an income tax return must use Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.  If you need to prepare a return for a US-nonresident, see Sprintax.