Must read before going to USA-5

21. Income Tax In US:

Income Tax return filing is very simple in US as compared to India . Here Tax forms are very simple and easy to fill up. One need not know all about Taxation laws, but still can very easily file tax return. Here in US there are two types of taxes. One is the FEDRAL Tax, which is something like our Income tax, and the other is the STATE Tax. Last day of filing the income tax return is 15th of April. Accounting year is considered from 1st of January till 31st of December. US has a Tax treaty with India . Under this Tax treaty one can file his tax return either in India or in US as per the convenience. But you need to show your income earned in either of the country.

Suppose you come to US in the middle of the year. You must be definitely having some income in India before you came to US in that particular financial year. Also some part of salary is paid to you even when you are in US. This income is taxable and hence you pay tax on that income. Generally you pay tax on this income in India as in most of the cases income tax is deducted at source. So one pays tax on the income in India . So now you are liable only for the tax on the income that you earn in US.

Here there are different types of forms for different category of people. For those who are US residents and who have status of Resident Aliens, they have to file the what is called 1040EZ form (form 1040 easy). Any person who is in the US for more than 183 days continuously, gains status of Resident Alien. Any person who is in US for less than 183 days in that financial year is considered as Non Resident Alien.

Non Resident Alien will not have some Tax benefits which any US citizen or Resident Alien will have. Here in particular, Non-resident Alien will not get Standard deduction on their income. Also they have to pay Tax as per the Flat rate. So basically when you file your Tax return as NR you land up paying more taxes. But you have to file 1040NR when you are having status as Non resident Alien.

For filing Tax return form one can get help from the government body, which is, know as IRS (Internal Revenue Services). This is same as Income Tax department in India . Also one has to pay tax to the state government. Each state has a different tax law for the State Tax. Booklet of information on this is available on request. Tax forms are available freely at the public places like Post office, Public library where one can get the form that he/she requires. Also, government gives special services for the people who needs the guidance. One can get this information even on phone by calling them. One can even go in person to understand the form.

Apart from these facilities provided by the government one can even go to private Tax consultants. They charge somewhere between $30 to $60. They take care of every detail and one need not bother about anything. Along with the Tax you are supposed to send one form called "W2" form. The employer provides this form to all the employees. The form contains all the information based on the salary of the person. Also all the taxes paid by the employer to the State government as well as Federal government. Details about the social security taxes and the medical taxes paid by the employer are also included in this form.

There are three copies of this form. One copy is to be sent with the State Tax form, one with the Federal Tax form and one is for the employee's personal record. Before sending the W2 form one should check the validity of the information in it. Most important is the correct social security number. If there is any change in any of the information one should inform the employer ASAP. Employer is supposed to send the corrected information to IRS and also a corrected copy to the employee, which is called W2C form.



22. AAA Membership
We wanted to mention this specially 'cause its very helpful for a person who is new to U.S. AAA read as 'triple A' stands for "American Automobile Association" is an auto club, which provides you with all kinds of tour, and travel information. It provides you with all the maps and travel guides, which you will need. It also has services like towing, opening your car door lock in case you get locked out, emergency help and so on. Being a member of this club also gets you concession for motel booking and rental cars.
There is a yearly fee for all these services, which they provide, and if you believe us, "It's more than worth it".
So we think its a good idea to be a member of this club. It will help you in traveling, which of course you will do once you get here.



23. How To Send Money ?

Here are a few ways to send money to India :
Personal Check (drawn on a US Bank). A lot of letters wrote tome that though there is a delay involved (from deposit to encashability), Indian Banks do NOT charge a service fee.SBI Chicago has a provision wherein they charge you $5.00 as commission and you can get a draft made IN INDIAN RUPEES right here in the US and sent to India. Takes 5-6 days. Their number is 1-800-334-6342.
Cashier's Check, Certified Check, or Money Order from a Local Bank. May involve service charge and delay in encashability status (in Rupees).
Bank Draft. Usually, a $10 service fee (in a US Bank) is involved.
Cable Transfer. Speediest (3-5 working days). However, as I have noted from my local bank, $25 service charge is normally involved.
American Express Money Orders (I HAVE USED THIS METHOD). You can get these from many stores, including 7-11s, for a service charge of 50 to 99 cents (depending where you are in the US ). Most banks in India will pay U Rupees in minutes. Also, if it gets lost, full money (-$5) is absolutely recoverable. Extremely safe, inexpensive, and fast method.
Citibank Rupee Drafts. Service charge is $5. 1-800-CITINRI. Immediately encashable in India .
Open an NRI a/c with Citibank ( Bombay , Cal , etc.). Leave the checkbook with your relatives. Arrange so that your folks in India could write checks and withdraw money. Takes about a week. Also, if you send a personal ($) check to Citibank at NY city, they transfer the money to your Indian a/c by telex (no charge), wherein Rupees are credited (current rate).
Cable Transfer through SBI Chicago ($16 charge). Takes about 3 days.
NRI a/c with SBI NY, or BOI San Francisco . You can have a predesignated beneficiary in India who could draw in Indian Rupees in India while U pump $ here in the USA .
Morgan's Trust/Hanover's Trust Cashiers Check/Demand Draft. You can get these in most US banks.
Chase Manhattan Drafts from Bank of Baroda . Fast. Service charge present.
SBI San Francisco Bank Draft. Service Charge $7. #(415) 956-6326.
Credit Card. Get a VISA card. Get an extra card for your relative in India . They can take cash advance and you can cover the charges from here in the USA .


PS : Personal Checks are a Debatable Issue. Some say Indian Banks charge a fee while they mention the opposite. However, DELAY is involved in all cases.


The problem is where is the Money???


24. Towards a more American Conversation


U don't open conversation (on telephone) with a “Hello” but with a “Hi”
The telephone is never “engaged”, it's always “busy”.
U don't “disconnect” a phone, U simply “hang-up”.
U never “mess-up” things, U only “screw them up”.
U never have a “residence” tel. no., U have a “home” no.
U don't stop at the “signals”, but halt at the “lights”.
U don't “accelerate”, U “step on the gas”.
Your tire never “punctures”, U may have a “flat”.
The trains have “coaches” or “bogies” no more but “carriages” or “boxes”.
There R no “petrol bunks or pumps”, but “gas stations”.
“I don't know nothing”, 2 negatives don't make a positive here.
U no longer meet a “wonderful” person, U meet a “cool” guy
U don't pull the “switch down ” to light a bulb, rather “flick it up”.
U don't “turn on the heat”, U “turn on the juice”.
There's no “Business Area” only “business districts”, and no “districts” but “counties”.
No one stays “a stone's throw away”, might “a few blocks away”.
There's no “Town Side”, it's “ Down Town ”.
In hotel U no longer ask for “bill” and pay by “cheque”, rather ask for “check” and pay with (Dollar) “bills”.
There R no “soft drinks”, only “sodas”.
Life's no longer “miserable” it “stinks”.
U don't have a “great” time, U have a “ball”.
U don't “sweat it out”, U “work U'r butt off”.
Never “post” a letter, always “mail” it and “glue” the stamps, don't “stick” them.
U no longer live in “flats” or “blocks”, find an “apartment”.
U don't stand in a “queue”, you are in a “line”.
U no longer “like” something, U “appreciate” it.
“#” is not “hash”, it's “pound”.
U R not “deaf”, U have “impaired hearing”.
U R not “lunatic”, U are just “mentally challenged”.
U R not “disgusting” U R “sick”.
U can't get “surprised” U get “zapped”.
U don't “schedule” a meeting, U “skejule” it.
U never “joke”, U just “kid”.
U never “increase” the pressure, U always “crank” it up.
U never ask for a pencil “rubber” U ask for an “eraser”. A “rubber” is a “condom”
U don't try to find a “lift”, U find an “elevator”.
U no more ask for a “route” but for a “RAUT”
U don't ask somebody “How r u ?”, U say “What's up dude?”
U never go to see a “game or a match”, U go to watch a “game”.
U never go to a “theatre” (theatre is a place for dramatic presentations), U go to the “movies”.
If U see “World” champions (or Series), read “ USA ” champions (or Series).
There's no “zero” but “o”, no “Z” but “zee”.
There's no “FULL STOP” after a statement, there's a “PERIOD”.
If someone gets “angry” at U, U get “flamed”.
You don't say “How do you do”, you say “How you doin”
U don't call UR boss “sir”, U call him by his “first name”.
In short, U don't speak “English”, U speak “American”.

Well u don’t say life is boring u say “LIFE SUCKS!!!”


25. Last Word
Stress is a part of professional life and more so when you are living in an alien country. The sooner you understand and accept it the more easily you will adapt to your new environment. Depression and homesickness are symptoms that you should look out for.