IRS Tax Forms  
Instructions for Form 1040NR-EZ 2001 Tax Year

U.S. Income Tax Return for Certain Nonresident Aliens With No Dependents

Payments

Line 18 - Federal Income Tax Withheld. Add the amounts shown as Federal income tax withheld on your Form(s) W-2 and 1042-S. Enter the total on line 18. The amount(s) withheld should be shown in box 2 of your Form(s) W-2 and box 7 of your Form(s) 1042-S.

Line 19 - 2001 Estimated Tax Payments. Enter any payments you made on your estimated Federal income tax (Form 1040-ES (NR)) for 2001. Include any overpayment from your 2000 return that you applied to your 2001 estimated tax.

Name Change. If you changed your name because of marriage, divorce, etc., and you made estimated tax payments using your former name, attach a statement to the front of Form 1040NR-EZ. On the statement, explain all the payments you made in 2001 and the name(s) and identifying number(s) under which you made them.

Line 20 - Credit for Amount Paid With Form 1040-C. Enter any amount you paid with Form 1040-C for 2001.

Line 21 - Total Payments. Add lines 18 through 20. Enter the total on line 21.

Amount Paid With Request for Extension of Time To File. If you filed Form 4868 to get an automatic extension of time to file Form 1040NR-EZ, include in the total on line 21 the amount, if any, you paid with that form. On the dotted line next to line 21, enter Form 4868 and show the amount paid. Also, include any amount paid with Form 2688 if you filed for an additional extension.


Refund

Line 22 - Amount Overpaid. If line 22 is under $1, we will send a refund only on written request.

TAXTIP:If the amount you overpaid is large, you may be able to decrease the amount of income tax withheld from your pay. See Income Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments for 2002 on page 8.

Refund Offset. If you owe past-due Federal tax, state income tax, child support, spousal support, or certain Federal nontax debts, such as student loans, all or part of the overpayment on line 22 may be used (offset) to pay the past-due amount. Offsets for Federal taxes are made by the IRS. All other offsets are made by the Treasury Department's Financial Management Service (FMS). You will receive a notice from FMS showing the amount of the offset and the agency receiving it. To find out if you may have an offset or if you have any questions about it, contact the agency(ies) you owe the debt to.

Lines 23b Through 23d - Direct Deposit of Refund. Complete lines 23b through 23d if you want us to directly deposit the amount shown on line 23a into your account at a bank or other financial institution (such as a mutual fund, brokerage firm, or credit union) in the United States instead of sending you a check.

Why Use Direct Deposit?

  • You get your refund fast.
  • Payment is more secure - there is no check to get lost.
  • More convenient. No trip to the bank to deposit your check.
  • Saves tax dollars. A refund by direct deposit costs less than a check.

TAXTIP:You can check with your financial institution to make sure your deposit will be accepted and to get the correct routing and account numbers. The IRS is not responsible for a lost refund if you enter the wrong account information.

Line 23b. The routing number must be nine digits. The first two digits must be 01 through 12 or 21 through 32. Otherwise, the direct deposit will be rejected and a check sent instead. Sample check

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On the sample check above, the routing number is 250250025.

Your check may state that it is payable through a financial institution different from the one at which you have your checking account. If so, do not use the routing number on that check. Instead, contact your financial institution for the correct routing number to enter on line 23b.

Line 23d. The account number can be up to 17 characters (both numbers and letters). Include hyphens but omit spaces and special symbols. Enter the number from left to right and leave any unused boxes blank. Sample check

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On the sample check above, the account number is 20202086. Be sure not to include the check number.

Line 24 - Applied to 2002 Estimated Tax. Enter on line 24 the amount, if any, of the overpayment on line 22 you want applied to your estimated tax for 2002. This choice cannot be changed later.


Amount You Owe

Line 25 - Amount You Owe. Include any estimated tax penalty from line 26 in the amount you enter on line 25.

Make your check or money order payable to the United States Treasury for the full amount due. Do not send cash. Do not attach the payment to your return. Write 2001 Form 1040NR-EZ and your name, address, and SSN or ITIN on your payment. You do not have to pay if line 25 is under $1.

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To help us process your payment paragraph

Do not include any estimated tax payment in your check or money order. Instead, make the estimated tax payment separately.

TAXTIP:You may need to (a) increase the amount of income tax withheld from your pay or (b) make estimated tax payments for 2002. See Income Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments for 2002 on page 8.

What if You Cannot Pay? If you cannot pay the full amount shown on line 25 when you file, you may ask to make monthly installment payments. You may have up to 60 months to pay. However, you will be charged interest and may be charged a late payment penalty on the tax not paid by the date due, even if your request to pay in installments is granted. You must also pay a fee. To limit the interest and penalty charges, pay as much of the tax as possible when you file. But before requesting an installment agreement, you should consider other less costly alternatives, such as a bank loan.

To ask for an installment agreement, use Form 9465. You should receive a response to your request for installments within 30 days. But if you file your return after March 31, it may take us longer to reply.

Line 26 - Estimated Tax Penalty. You may owe this penalty if:

  • Line 25 is at least $1,000 and it is more than 10% of the tax shown on your return or
  • You did not pay enough estimated tax by any of the due dates. This is true even if you are due a refund.

Exception. You will not owe the penalty if your 2000 tax return was for a tax year of 12 full months and line 21 of your 2001 return is at least as much as the tax liability shown on your 2000 return. Your estimated tax payments for 2001 must have been made on time and for the required amount.

Figuring the penalty. If the Exception above does not apply and you choose to figure the penalty yourself, see Form 2210 to find out if you owe the penalty. If you do, you can use the form to figure the amount. In certain situations, you may be able to lower your penalty. For details, see the Instructions for Form 2210.

Enter the penalty on line 26. Add the penalty to any tax due and enter the total on line 25. If you are due a refund, subtract the penalty from the overpayment you show on line 22. Do not file Form 2210 with your return unless Form 2210 indicates that you must do so. Instead, keep it for your records.

TAXTIP:Because Form 2210 is complicated, if you want to, you can leave line 26 blank and the IRS will figure the penalty and send you a bill. We will not charge you interest on the penalty if you pay by the date specified on the bill.


Third Party Designee

If you want to allow a friend, family member, or any other person you choose to discuss your 2001 tax return with the IRS, check the Yes box in the Third Party Designee area of your return. Also, enter the designee's name, phone number in the United States, and any five numbers the designee chooses as his or her personal identification number (PIN). But if you want to allow the paid preparer who signed your return to discuss it with the IRS, just enter Preparer in the space for the designee's name. You do not have to provide the other information requested.

If you check the Yes box, you are authorizing the IRS to call the designee to answer any questions that may arise during the processing of your return. You are also authorizing the designee to:

  • Give the IRS any information that is missing from your return,
  • Call the IRS for information about the processing of your return or the status of your refund or payment(s), and
  • Respond to certain IRS notices that you have shared with the designee about math errors, offsets, and return preparation. The notices will not be sent to the designee.

You are not authorizing the designee to receive any refund check, bind you to anything (including any additional tax liability), or otherwise represent you before the IRS. If you want to expand the designee's authorization, see Pub. 947.

The authorization cannot be revoked. However, the authorization will automatically end no later than the due date (without regard to extensions) for filing your 2002 tax return.


Other Information
(Page 2)

Item E

You are generally required to enter your date of entry into the United States that pertains to your current nonimmigrant status. For example, the date of arrival shown on your most recent INS Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record.

Exception: If you are claiming a tax treaty benefit that is determined by reference to more than one date of arrival, enter the earlier date of arrival. For example, you are currently claiming treaty benefits (as a teacher or a researcher) under article 19 of the tax treaty between the United States and Japan. You previously claimed treaty benefits (as a student) under article 20 of that treaty. Under article 22 of that treaty, the combination of consecutive exemptions under articles 19 and 20 may not extend beyond 5 tax years from the date you entered the United States as a student. If article 22 of that treaty applies, enter the date you entered the United States as a student in item E.

Item J

If you are a resident of a treaty country (that is, you qualify as a resident of that country under the terms of the residency article of the tax treaty between the United States and that country), you must know the terms of the tax treaty between the United States and the treaty country to properly complete item J. You may download the complete text of most U.S. tax treaties from the IRS Web Site at www.irs.gov/prod/ind_info/treaties.html. Technical explanations for many of those treaties are also available at that site. Also, see Pub. 901 for a quick reference guide to the provisions of U.S. tax treaties.

If you are claiming treaty benefits on Form 1040NR-EZ, you must provide all of the information requested in item J.

CAUTION:If you are claiming treaty benefits and you failed to submit adequate documentation to a withholding agent, you must attach all information that would have otherwise been required on the withholding document (for example, all information required on Form W-8BEN or Form 8233).


Reminders

Sign and Date Your Return

Form 1040NR-EZ is not considered a valid return unless you sign it. You may have an agent in the United States prepare and sign your return if you could not do so for one of the following reasons:

  • You were ill.
  • You were not in the United States at any time during the 60 days before the return was due.
  • For other reasons that you explained in writing to the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255, U.S.A., and that the IRS approved.

A return prepared by an agent must be accompanied by a power of attorney. Form 2848 may be used for this purpose.

Be sure to date your return and show your occupation in the United States in the space provided. If you have someone prepare your return, you are still responsible for the correctness of the return.

Child's Return. If your child cannot sign the return, you may sign the child's name in the space provided. Then, add By (your signature), parent for minor child.

Paid Preparer Must Sign Your Return. Generally, anyone you pay to prepare your return must sign it by hand in the space provided. Signature stamps or labels cannot be used. The preparer must give you a copy of the return for your records. Someone who prepares your return but does not charge you should not sign your return.

Address Change

If you move after you file, always notify the IRS in writing of your new address. To do this, you can use Form 8822.

Income Tax Withholding and
Estimated Tax Payments for 2002

If the amount you owe or the amount you overpaid is large, you may be able to file a new Form W-4 with your employer to change the amount of income tax to be withheld from your 2002 pay. For details on how to complete Form W-4, see the instructions for Form 8233.

In general, you do not have to make estimated tax payments if you expect that your 2002 Form 1040NR-EZ will show a tax refund or a tax balance due the IRS of less than $1,000. If your total estimated tax for 2002 is $1,000 or more, see Form 1040-ES (NR). It has a worksheet you can use to see if you have to make estimated tax payments. However, if you expect to be a resident of Puerto Rico during all of 2002 and you must pay estimated tax, use Form 1040-ES.

How Long Should Records Be Kept?

Keep your records as long as they may be needed to carry out any Internal Revenue law. Records of income, deductions, and credits shown on your return, as well as any worksheets you used, should be kept until the statute of limitations runs out for that return. Usually, this is 3 years from the date the return was due or filed or 2 years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. Keep some records longer. For example, keep property records (including those on your own home) as long as they are needed to figure the basis of the original or replacement property. Also, keep copies of your filed tax returns and any Forms W-2, 1099, and 1042-S you received as part of your records. For more details, see Pub. 552.

Requesting a Copy of Your Tax Return

If you need a copy of your tax return, use Form 4506.

Amended Return

File Form 1040X to change a return you already filed. Also, use Form 1040X if you filed Form 1040NR-EZ and you should have filed a Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ, or vice versa. Generally, Form 1040X must be filed within 3 years after the date the original return was filed or within 2 years after the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. But you may have more time to file Form 1040X if you are physically or mentally unable to manage your financial affairs. See Pub. 556 for details.

Interest and Penalties

TAXTIP:You do not have to figure the amount of any interest or penalties you may owe. Because figuring these amounts can be complicated, we will do it for you if you want. We will send you a bill for any amount due.

If you include interest or penalties (other than the estimated tax penalty) with your payment, identify and enter the amount in the bottom margin of Form 1040NR-EZ, page 1. Do not include interest or penalties (other than the estimated tax penalty) in the amount you owe on line 25.

Interest. We will charge you interest on taxes not paid by their due date, even if an extension of time to file is granted. We will also charge you interest on penalties imposed for failure to file, negligence, fraud, substantial valuation misstatements, and substantial understatements of tax. Interest is charged on the penalty from the due date of the return (including extensions).

Penalty for Late Filing. If you do not file your return by the due date (including extensions), the penalty is usually 5% of the amount due for each month or part of a month your return is late, unless you have a reasonable explanation. If you do, attach it to your return. The penalty usually cannot be more than 25% of the tax due. If your return is more than 60 days late, the minimum penalty will be $100 or the amount of any tax you owe, whichever is smaller.

Penalty for Late Payment of Tax. If you pay your taxes late, the penalty is usually ½ of 1% of the unpaid amount for each month or part of a month the tax is not paid. The penalty cannot be more than 25% of the unpaid amount. It applies to any unpaid tax on the return. This penalty is in addition to interest charges on late payments.

Penalty for Frivolous Return. In addition to any other penalties, the law imposes a penalty of $500 for filing a frivolous return. A frivolous return is one that does not contain information needed to figure the correct tax or shows a substantially incorrect tax because you take a frivolous position or desire to delay or interfere with the tax laws. This includes altering or striking out the preprinted language above the space where you sign.

Other Penalties. Other penalties can be imposed for negligence, substantial understatement of tax, and fraud. Criminal penalties may be imposed for willful failure to file, tax evasion, or making a false statement. See Pub. 17 for details on some of these penalties.

Gift To Reduce the Public Debt

If you wish to make such a gift, make a check payable to Bureau of the Public Debt. You can send it to: Bureau of the Public Debt, Department G, P.O. Box 2188, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188. Or you can enclose the check with your income tax return when you file. Do not add your gift to any tax you may owe. See page 7 for details on how to pay any tax you owe.

TAXTIP:You may be able to deduct this gift on your 2002 tax return as a charitable contribution. But you must file Form 1040NR to do so.



Taxpayer Assistance

IRS assistance is available to help you prepare your return. But you should know that you are responsible for the accuracy of your return. If we do make an error, you are still responsible for the payment of the correct tax.

In the United States, you may call 1-800-829-1040. If overseas, you may call 215-516-2000 (English-speaking only). This number is not toll free. The hours of operation are from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. EST.

If you wish to write instead of call, please address your letter to: Internal Revenue Service, International Section, P.O. Box 920, Bensalem, PA 19020-8518. Make sure you include your identifying number when you write.

Assistance in answering tax questions and filling out tax returns is also available in person from IRS offices in: Berlin, Germany; London, England; Mexico City, Mexico; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Singapore; and Tokyo, Japan. The offices generally are located in the U.S. embassies or consulates. During every tax return filing period, you can get income tax forms and publications from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. You can also download forms and publications from the IRS Web Site at www.irs.gov.

The IRS conducts an overseas taxpayer assistance program during the filing season (January to mid-June). To find out if IRS personnel will be in your area, contact the consular office at the nearest U.S. embassy.

Help With Unresolved Tax Issues

If you have attempted to deal with an IRS problem unsuccessfully, you should contact your Taxpayer Advocate.

The Taxpayer Advocate independently represents your interests and concerns within the IRS by protecting your rights and resolving problems that have not been fixed through normal channels.

While Taxpayer Advocates cannot change the tax law or make a technical tax decision, they can clear up problems that resulted from previous contacts and ensure that your case is given a complete and impartial review.

To contact your Taxpayer Advocate:

  • In the United States, call the toll-free number 1-877-777-4778.
  • Write to the Taxpayer Advocate at the IRS office that last contacted you (or contact one of the overseas IRS offices listed on this page).

For more information about the Taxpayer Advocate, see Pub. 1546.


Disclosure and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.

The IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 requires that we tell you the conditions under which return information may be disclosed to any party outside the Internal Revenue Service. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information. We need the information to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.

This notice applies to all papers you file with us, including this tax return. It also applies to any questions we need to ask you so we can complete, correct, or process your return; figure your tax; and collect tax, interest, or penalties.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law.

Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103. However, section 6103 allows or requires the Internal Revenue Service to disclose or give the information you write on your tax return to others as described in the Code. For example, we may disclose your tax information to the Department of Justice, to enforce the tax laws, both civil and criminal, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, U.S. commonwealths or possessions, and certain foreign governments to carry out their tax laws. We may disclose your tax information to the Department of Treasury and contractors for tax administration purposes; and to other persons as necessary to obtain information that we cannot get in any other way in order to determine the amount of or to collect the tax you owe. We may disclose your tax information to the Comptroller General of the United States to permit the Comptroller General to review the Internal Revenue Service. We may also disclose your tax information to Committees of Congress; Federal, state, and local child support agencies; and to other Federal agencies for purposes of determining entitlement for benefits or the eligibility for and the repayment of loans.

Keep this notice with your records. It may help you if we ask you for other information. If you have any questions about the rules for filing and giving information, call or visit any Internal Revenue Service office.

The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated average time is:

Recordkeeping 1hr., 18 min.
Learning about the law or the form 49 min.
Preparing the form 1hr., 59 min.
Copying, assembling, and sending the form to the IRS 34 min.

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. You can e-mail us your suggestions and comments through the IRS Web Site at www.irs.gov/help/email2.html or write to the Tax Forms Committee, Western Area Distribution Center, Rancho Cordova, CA 95743-0001. Do not send your return to this address. Instead, see Where To File on page 2.


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Tax Table, page 1

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Tax Table, page 2

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Tax Table, page 3

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Tax Table, page 4

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Tax Table, page 5

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