I am on post-comp. OPT and doing some consulting as a contractor. Do I have to pay self-empl. tax? Am I a nonresident alien if I am in the US for less than 183 days?

I am doing the work mostly remotely, so am not physically present much in the US. Does this mean I am exempt from the self-employment tax? And do I have to file estimated taxes every quarter for income taxes?

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New Member

Mar 30, 2020 11:14:04 AM

I am not a tax expert, but an expat living in MX. I worked as a contractor for my USA company. Yes, I was responsible for paying self employed SS taxes, however you do get a partial credit for it. You may want to check whether you qualify for the foreign income exclusion if you live overseas for most of the year. Turbotax deluxe can handle it. Good luck!

New Member

Apr 5, 2020 2:07:30 PM

Thank you! I do live abroad most of the time, however I was not sure how the whole thing interacted with the student/OPT status. I will check out turbotax deluxe 🙂

Expert Alumni

Apr 7, 2020 7:22:25 AM

Please advise what visa you are on. I assume it is an F1 visa. When did you first arrive in the US with this visa?

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I am on post-comp. OPT and doing some consulting as a contractor. Do I have to pay self-empl. tax? Am I a nonresident alien if I am in the US for less than 183 days?