Camp America Tax Service

Welcome to The Tax Service -- the quickest and easiest way to get your US tax return completed, so you get your refund fast!

Most questions regarding the service and your refund processing can be answered below. First check the categories below for your specific question before contacting The Tax Service office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment
Filing Tax Return Documents with the Government
Fees
The W-2 Form
Expenses/Reciepts
Tax Refunds
Taxation
Communication

ENROLLMENT

I need your help to file my tax return. What do I have to do?
You need to complete three documents: 1) The Tax Service 'contract' 2) The Tax Service 'power of attorney' and 3) The Tax Service 'Application Form'.

Download the forms below:

Camp America for Summer 2006
Power of Attorney Form
Tax Service Contract
Application Form
Camp America for Summer 2005
Power of Attorney Form
Tax Service Contract
Application Form

If you are a participant from a previous year, please contact The Tax Service office

I understand what a contract is but what is a 'power of attorney'?
This is an official document whereby you give the Tax Service certain limited powers or rights. The IRS requires a power of attorney in all cases where someone other than you files your tax return. By signing this form, you give the attorney-in-fact (that's us) the right to act on your behalf and do two things: file your tax return and accept your tax refund check. It does not give The Tax Service any rights other than those specified above and it is revocable by you at any time you wish before we file your tax return.

What parts of the 'contract' and 'power of attorney' documents do I need to complete?
You must complete all the questions - your name, your current mailing address, your current email address. You must be sure to put your initials next to #4 and #5 on the 'power of attorney' document. (Do not put an "x" or a check mark instead of your initials!) You must sign and date both documents in order for them to be valid. If you do not remember your Camp America ID number, leave those spaces blank.

How should I get the 'contract', the 'power of attorney', and my 'application form' documents to you?
Since these are legal documents, we must have originals. Please POST these documents to us at our address:

The Tax Service
41 Simms Street, Suite C
San Rafael, CA 94901
Be sure to send us the original documents you have downloaded. We cannot accept photocopies of the documents, fax copies or scanned/emailed copies.

Do I have to include any fees for your service along with my documents when I mail them to you?
No. You do not need to worry about payment now. We will deduct our fees when we obtain your tax refund from the government. We will send you the balance as your refund.

Will I receive my refund as soon as you receive my 'application form', 'contract' and my 'power of attorney'?
NO! This process can go very smoothly and relatively quickly if all the pieces fall into place. However, if the W2 form(s) are delayed in arriving, if you do not receive our tax questionnaire via email or receive it and do not respond quickly, if the papers are submitted and the tax authorities have questions, the entire process slows down. Depending on how responsive you and your employers are to us and to our questions, makes all the difference in how quickly you receive your refund! Remember, the approximate time it takes to receive your refund from the government, once we have filed your paperwork, is 8-14 weeks.

Can you give me an overview of the tax process and how it works?

We receive your 'contract', your 'power of attorney' and your 'application form'.
In January/February we receive a W2 form from each employer for whom you worked.
When we receive a W2 form, we contact you via email with our tax questionnaire.
We receive your responses to our tax questionnaire. If we have all the W2 forms (one from each of your employers), we file your tax paperwork with the government. (If we do not have all your W2 forms, we must wait to recieve them before proceeding further.)
We wait for the government tax authorities to review the paperwork and send us your refund.
We receive your refund. We will email you that we are sending your refund. We will also email your The Tax Service Statement to you at that time. We deduct our fees and send you the balance in the manner that you requested on your questionnaire.

FILING TAX RETURN DOCUMENTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT

Why should I file a tax return with the U.S. government?
There are three very good reasons to do so.

It is required by U.S. tax regulations.
It may make your obtaining a U.S. visa in the future easier.
It will enable you to receive all or most of the federal and state tax you had withheld from your paychecks as a refund.

What happens if I don't file tax returns in the U.S.?
All J-1 Visa holders are required by law to file tax returns in the U.S. If you don't, you will be breaking the law. Because of heightened security in the U.S., it is more likely that the authorities will keep track of J-1 visa holders and whether you file tax returns. We advise you in the strongest of terms to file tax returns.

How hard is it to file U.S. taxes by myself?
Accurately filling out the proper forms is not easy, even for savvy tax-paying citizens. As a non-resident alien, you have different regulations that require special knowledge. Also, if you work in multiple tax years, you will need to file tax returns for each year. Forms are not available until the end of the tax year, which makes the challenge even greater. Will you remember to get and file the right forms over a year from now?

If I use TheTax Service, will I have to find and fill out all of the IRS tax forms?
No. That is the reason you are signing our Contract and Power of Attorney forms. We will be authorized to do it all for you.

What happens if more than one tax return is filed for me for the same tax year?
There can be serious consequences if we file your tax return without knowing that you already filed a tax return either by yourself or through another tax preparation service.

Once you contract us to file your taxes, you should NEVER, EVER file an additional tax return for that same tax year. Double filing can result in your owing taxes to the government! Once this happens it is very difficult and very time consuming to correct the error.

Is it too late to file a tax return after the April 15th deadline? It is NOT too late to file your tax return if the April 15th deadline has passed. However, it is to your benefit to file as early as possible. You will receive your tax refund much sooner. The longer you wait to get us your paperwork, the busier we and the IRS become resulting in a much longer wait for your refund. Some states also charge penalty fees for late submissions.

FEES

What is the cost of this service?
You will pay 8% of the amount withheld from each year's paychecks while you work in the U.S. with a minimum of $35 and a maximum of $75 per tax year.

If I return to the program two years in a row, what will be the maximum fee I pay?
You will pay a fee of $35 - $75 for each tax year.

The contract describes extra fees. What are these for?
You will be given a choice of how you want us to send you your refund. We can send a U.S. check to your address or make a direct deposit to your bank or send a Western Union payment (to most countries). We will charge you a processing fee for the direct deposit and Western Union.

THE W-2 FORM

What is a W-2 form and why do you need it?
A W-2 Wage and Tax Statement is an official record of the amount of money you earned and the amount of tax withheld from your paychecks. Each employer for whom you work must print this form. We must have this form in order to file your tax return with the U.S. government.

When does my employer print the W-2 form?
Each employer is required by law to print the W-2 form in January of each year for the preceding tax year. Therefore, an employer will print a 2005 W2 form in January 2006.

Where will my W-2 Wage and Tax Statement be sent by my employer?
If you use our address on your W-4 form when you begin employment, your W-2 will be sent to our Tax Service address because your W-2 is sent to whatever address you give on your W-4. (See our sample W-4 form.)

Can my W-2 Wage and Tax Statement be sent to me?
Yes but we recommend you have your W-2 sent to the Tax Service directly. This eliminates your receiving it and either forgetting to forward it to us or losing it in the process.

Can I submit my paycheck stubs instead of a W-2 form?
No, we require a W-2 form in order to file your tax return. We cannot substitute your paycheck stubs.

What if my employer doesn't send the W-2 form to the Tax Service?
If we don't receive the W2 form in a timely manner, we will let you know so that you can contact your employer to ask for it. It is your responsibility to contact your employer and ask that the W-2 form be sent to us. We cannot do this for you.

What if I receive the W-2 form from my employer at my home in my home country?
If you receive it, you should immediately post ALL COPIES to our address (see below).

How will I know if you have or have not received my W-2 form(s)?
You will know that we have received it because you will receive our 'tax questionnaire'.
You will know we have not received it because we will email you to inform you that we are still waiting for your W-2.

What do I do if my employer doesn't send the W2 form and doesn't respond to my calls and emails?
Although the employer is obliged to send the W2 form, sometimes unfortunately, he/she does not. The IRS lists a 'help line' for people who cannot obtain their W2 forms from employers. After February 14th the IRS will help you. Call 1-800-829-1040. There is no guarantee that this will work but it is worth a try. The Tax Service cannot place this call for you or contact your employers directly.

What do I do if my employer goes out of business and I cannot reach him to obtain the W2?
In some cases, Form 4852 can be used instead of the W2 but NOT IN EVERY CASE. It should be used as a last resort only. You would need to download the form from the IRS website (www.irs.gov), fill it out including ALL the information requested (this includes wages, taxes withheld, employer information, .... ). Most of this information will be listed on the LAST paycheck stub you received from your employer. You must send the original of this form to The Tax Service as well as a clear copy of your last paycheck stub. We must then evaluate your case and determine whether it is beneficial for you to use this form. Remember, the IRS will very carefully examine Form 4852. This may delay your refund or cause the IRS to ask additional questions about your earnings and tax status. We don't want to invite this additional scrutiny unless we feel it is to your benefit.

EXPENSES/RECEIPTS

What types of expenses can I deduct on my tax return?
In the past, we were able to deduct 'non-reimbursed business expenses' in order to get a full refund of your federal taxes. These expenses include items like your program fees, travel costs, meals and lodging. However, in recent months we are finding it more and more difficult to use these expenses as deductions. The IRS is disallowing these deductions and returning only a partial refund of the federal taxes withheld from participants' paychecks. We will continue to do our best to get the maximum refund for you that is possible. Our goal of course, is to get a full refund of these taxes but we cannot guarantee this result.

If I earn income from tipping, do I need to report it?
Yes. The tax authorities have estimates of how much income workers earning tips should report. You are required by law to report all income earned in the U.S. on your tax returns.

Should I keep my receipts for employment-related expenses?
Yes. We recommend you keep all employment-related expense receipts in an envelope. DO NOT SEND THEM TO THE TAX SERVICE OFFICE!

How long do I need to keep employment-related expense receipts?
The tax regulations in the U.S. require you to keep receipts used to claim deductions for 3 years from the time your return is filed. We recommend you keep all records for 7 years.

How much of the sales tax that I paid when I purchased things in the U.S. can I expect to receive?
None! Sales tax is a non-refundable tax. We will file your tax return in order to receive a refund for money withheld from your paychecks in the form of federal and state tax.

TAX REFUNDS

How much refund can I expect to receive?
For the majority of participants, it is possible to claim a refund for all or most of the federal and state taxes withheld from your paycheck. * (See the first Q&A under "Expenses" above.) You will never receive more money than the amount you had withheld from your paychecks!

How will I receive my refund?
You will have several options for payment of your refund. Your options are a U.S. check (only available in some countries), a direct deposit (wire transfer) to your bank account or a Western Union payment (only available in some countries). We will advise you of any additional fees for these options.

Can I cash a U.S. check in my country?
You can deposit a U.S. check into your bank account. You must wait for your bank to clear or OK the check before you can access the funds. Your bank may charge you a small fee to convert the U.S. funds to your currency.

Can my refund be sent to my U.S. bank instead of my home country bank?
Yes, but remember it may be several months before we receive your paperwork, file it with the U.S. government, receive your refund and make arrangements to send it to you. You will most likely be back in your home country by the time you receive your refund.

Where will my refund check be sent?
Your refund check will be sent to your address in your home country unless you direct us to do otherwise.

When should I expect my refund check?
The U.S. Tax filing date is April 15 of each tax year. Typically, U.S. authorities will take 8-14 weeks to process returns.if all goes well. A reasonable expectation is receipt of your refund check by August 15 but this depends on how quickly you get us your W-2 forms and how quickly you respond to our questionnaire. The 8-14 week turn-around time is an approximation only.

What should I do if it takes longer than 8-14 weeks to receive my refund?
Nothing. There is nothing you can do. We monitor each tax return we submit to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If we believe your refund is taking too long to arrive, we will contact the IRS to learn the status. Ultimately however, we have no control over how long it takes the IRS or the state tax authorities to respond and send us your refund.

Should I be concerned if my friend receives his refund before me?
Every tax return is processed and reviewed on a case-by-case basis and by different tax agents. Even when tax returns are submitted to the tax authorities at the same time, there can be a great difference in turn-around time between one or another tax return.

TAXATION

If I pay taxes in the U.S. will I have to pay taxes back home for the same income?
Typically, the answer is no. Please contact the tax authorities in your home country.

What taxes can I expect to have withheld from my paycheck?
You should have federal and state taxes withheld. Your employer may want to withhold Medicare and Social Security taxes as well but he/she should not! J-1 visa holders are exempt from paying Medicare and Social Security tax.

What if my employer erroneously withholds Medicare and Social Security taxes from my paycheck?
Once you know that your employer has withheld the Medicare and Social Security taxes from your paycheck, you should alert him/her immediately. Ask your employer to refund this money to you right away. It is very, very difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund of these taxes later from the IRS.

Do I still have to file a tax return if my employer withholds no federal and/or state taxes?
Yes. If you earn money in the U.S., regardless of what taxes (if any) are withheld, you are required to file a tax return.

Will there be any negative consequences if my employer withholds no federal and/or state tax?
You must file a tax return in order to comply with U.S. tax regulations however, since you paid no tax, you will recieve no refund. In a small number of cases, depending on how much money you earned, you may owe the government money and you will be asked to pay this tax. This rarely happens but it is a possibility when no taxes are withheld by your employer.

COMMUNICATION

How do you communicate with me?
We contact you via email. It is very important that you provide us with an accurate email address on your 'contract' and that you let us know if you change email addresses during the tax season.

How can I communicate directly with you?
Although we would like to answer each and every question you have individually, it is impossible to communicate on a one-to-one basis with all our participants. The Q&A's are designed to explain the process to you and make the whole tax process easier for you to understand. If however, you have a question which is not answered above, you can reach us by telephone toll-free at 800-277-8062 or from outside the U.S. at: 1-415-256-8546. Our email address which appears below is not monitored. It is used only for us to communicate with you with general information emails only.

How will I know the status of my tax return - if you have received all the necessary documents, if there are any problems, when I will be receiving my refund, etc. ?
We will contact you via email as we complete each step of the process. You will hear from us:

when we welcome you officially to the Tax Service after we have received your 'contract', your 'power of attorney' and your 'application form' .
when we receive your first W2 form. We will email you to complete our Tax Questionnaire.
when we have filed your tax return and have sent it to the government tax authorities.
when we have received your refund after the 'waiting period' and are ready to send you your tax refund and Tax Service Statement.

The Tax Service
41 Simms Street, Suite C
San Rafael, CA 94901

Tel: 1-800-277-8062
Tel: 1-415-256-8546
Email: taxrefund@campamericatax.com




					The Tax Service
		Welcome to The Tax Service -- the quickest and easiest way to get your US tax return completed, so you get your refund fast! Most questions regarding the service and your refund processing can be answered below. First check the categories below for your specific question before contacting The Tax Service office. Frequently Asked Questions Enrollment Filing Tax Return Documents with the Government Fees The W-2 Form Expenses/Reciepts Tax Refunds Taxation Communication ENROLLMENT I need your help to file my tax return. What do I have to do? You need to complete three documents: 1) The Tax Service 'contract' 2) The Tax Service 'power of attorney' and 3) The Tax Service 'Application Form'. Download the forms below: Camp America for Summer 2006 Power of Attorney Form Tax Service Contract Application Form Camp America for Summer 2005 Power of Attorney Form Tax Service Contract Application Form If you are a participant from a previous year, please contact The Tax Service office I understand what a contract is but what is a 'power of attorney'? This is an official document whereby you give the Tax Service certain limited powers or rights. The IRS requires a power of attorney in all cases where someone other than you files your tax return. By signing this form, you give the attorney-in-fact (that's us) the right to act on your behalf and do two things: file your tax return and accept your tax refund check. It does not give The Tax Service any rights other than those specified above and it is revocable by you at any time you wish before we file your tax return. What parts of the 'contract' and 'power of attorney' documents do I need to complete? You must complete all the questions - your name, your current mailing address, your current email address. You must be sure to put your initials next to #4 and #5 on the 'power of attorney' document. (Do not put an "x" or a check mark instead of your initials!) You must sign and date both documents in order for them to be valid. If you do not remember your Camp America ID number, leave those spaces blank. How should I get the 'contract', the 'power of attorney', and my 'application form' documents to you? Since these are legal documents, we must have originals. Please POST these documents to us at our address: The Tax Service 41 Simms Street, Suite C San Rafael, CA 94901 Be sure to send us the original documents you have downloaded. We cannot accept photocopies of the documents, fax copies or scanned/emailed copies. Do I have to include any fees for your service along with my documents when I mail them to you? No. You do not need to worry about payment now. We will deduct our fees when we obtain your tax refund from the government. We will send you the balance as your refund. Will I receive my refund as soon as you receive my 'application form', 'contract' and my 'power of attorney'? NO! This process can go very smoothly and relatively quickly if all the pieces fall into place. However, if the W2 form(s) are delayed in arriving, if you do not receive our tax questionnaire via email or receive it and do not respond quickly, if the papers are submitted and the tax authorities have questions, the entire process slows down. Depending on how responsive you and your employers are to us and to our questions, makes all the difference in how quickly you receive your refund! Remember, the approximate time it takes to receive your refund from the government, once we have filed your paperwork, is 8-14 weeks. Can you give me an overview of the tax process and how it works? We receive your 'contract', your 'power of attorney' and your 'application form'. In January/February we receive a W2 form from each employer for whom you worked. When we receive a W2 form, we contact you via email with our tax questionnaire. We receive your responses to our tax questionnaire. If we have all the W2 forms (one from each of your employers), we file your tax paperwork with the government. (If we do not have all your W2 forms, we must wait to recieve them before proceeding further.) We wait for the government tax authorities to review the paperwork and send us your refund. We receive your refund. We will email you that we are sending your refund. We will also email your The Tax Service Statement to you at that time. We deduct our fees and send you the balance in the manner that you requested on your questionnaire. FILING TAX RETURN DOCUMENTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT Why should I file a tax return with the U.S. government? There are three very good reasons to do so. It is required by U.S. tax regulations. It may make your obtaining a U.S. visa in the future easier. It will enable you to receive all or most of the federal and state tax you had withheld from your paychecks as a refund. What happens if I don't file tax returns in the U.S.? All J-1 Visa holders are required by law to file tax returns in the U.S. If you don't, you will be breaking the law. Because of heightened security in the U.S., it is more likely that the authorities will keep track of J-1 visa holders and whether you file tax returns. We advise you in the strongest of terms to file tax returns. How hard is it to file U.S. taxes by myself? Accurately filling out the proper forms is not easy, even for savvy tax-paying citizens. As a non-resident alien, you have different regulations that require special knowledge. Also, if you work in multiple tax years, you will need to file tax returns for each year. Forms are not available until the end of the tax year, which makes the challenge even greater. Will you remember to get and file the right forms over a year from now? If I use TheTax Service, will I have to find and fill out all of the IRS tax forms? No. That is the reason you are signing our Contract and Power of Attorney forms. We will be authorized to do it all for you. What happens if more than one tax return is filed for me for the same tax year? There can be serious consequences if we file your tax return without knowing that you already filed a tax return either by yourself or through another tax preparation service. Once you contract us to file your taxes, you should NEVER, EVER file an additional tax return for that same tax year. Double filing can result in your owing taxes to the government! Once this happens it is very difficult and very time consuming to correct the error. Is it too late to file a tax return after the April 15th deadline? It is NOT too late to file your tax return if the April 15th deadline has passed. However, it is to your benefit to file as early as possible. You will receive your tax refund much sooner. The longer you wait to get us your paperwork, the busier we and the IRS become resulting in a much longer wait for your refund. Some states also charge penalty fees for late submissions. FEES What is the cost of this service? You will pay 8% of the amount withheld from each year's paychecks while you work in the U.S. with a minimum of $35 and a maximum of $75 per tax year. If I return to the program two years in a row, what will be the maximum fee I pay? You will pay a fee of $35 - $75 for each tax year. The contract describes extra fees. What are these for? You will be given a choice of how you want us to send you your refund. We can send a U.S. check to your address or make a direct deposit to your bank or send a Western Union payment (to most countries). We will charge you a processing fee for the direct deposit and Western Union. THE W-2 FORM What is a W-2 form and why do you need it? A W-2 Wage and Tax Statement is an official record of the amount of money you earned and the amount of tax withheld from your paychecks. Each employer for whom you work must print this form. We must have this form in order to file your tax return with the U.S. government. When does my employer print the W-2 form? Each employer is required by law to print the W-2 form in January of each year for the preceding tax year. Therefore, an employer will print a 2005 W2 form in January 2006. Where will my W-2 Wage and Tax Statement be sent by my employer? If you use our address on your W-4 form when you begin employment, your W-2 will be sent to our Tax Service address because your W-2 is sent to whatever address you give on your W-4. (See our sample W-4 form.) Can my W-2 Wage and Tax Statement be sent to me? Yes but we recommend you have your W-2 sent to the Tax Service directly. This eliminates your receiving it and either forgetting to forward it to us or losing it in the process. Can I submit my paycheck stubs instead of a W-2 form? No, we require a W-2 form in order to file your tax return. We cannot substitute your paycheck stubs. What if my employer doesn't send the W-2 form to the Tax Service? If we don't receive the W2 form in a timely manner, we will let you know so that you can contact your employer to ask for it. It is your responsibility to contact your employer and ask that the W-2 form be sent to us. We cannot do this for you. What if I receive the W-2 form from my employer at my home in my home country? If you receive it, you should immediately post ALL COPIES to our address (see below). How will I know if you have or have not received my W-2 form(s)? You will know that we have received it because you will receive our 'tax questionnaire'. You will know we have not received it because we will email you to inform you that we are still waiting for your W-2. What do I do if my employer doesn't send the W2 form and doesn't respond to my calls and emails? Although the employer is obliged to send the W2 form, sometimes unfortunately, he/she does not. The IRS lists a 'help line' for people who cannot obtain their W2 forms from employers. After February 14th the IRS will help you. Call 1-800-829-1040. There is no guarantee that this will work but it is worth a try. The Tax Service cannot place this call for you or contact your employers directly. What do I do if my employer goes out of business and I cannot reach him to obtain the W2? In some cases, Form 4852 can be used instead of the W2 but NOT IN EVERY CASE. It should be used as a last resort only. You would need to download the form from the IRS website (www.irs.gov), fill it out including ALL the information requested (this includes wages, taxes withheld, employer information, .... ). Most of this information will be listed on the LAST paycheck stub you received from your employer. You must send the original of this form to The Tax Service as well as a clear copy of your last paycheck stub. We must then evaluate your case and determine whether it is beneficial for you to use this form. Remember, the IRS will very carefully examine Form 4852. This may delay your refund or cause the IRS to ask additional questions about your earnings and tax status. We don't want to invite this additional scrutiny unless we feel it is to your benefit. EXPENSES/RECEIPTS What types of expenses can I deduct on my tax return? In the past, we were able to deduct 'non-reimbursed business expenses' in order to get a full refund of your federal taxes. These expenses include items like your program fees, travel costs, meals and lodging. However, in recent months we are finding it more and more difficult to use these expenses as deductions. The IRS is disallowing these deductions and returning only a partial refund of the federal taxes withheld from participants' paychecks. We will continue to do our best to get the maximum refund for you that is possible. Our goal of course, is to get a full refund of these taxes but we cannot guarantee this result. If I earn income from tipping, do I need to report it? Yes. The tax authorities have estimates of how much income workers earning tips should report. You are required by law to report all income earned in the U.S. on your tax returns. Should I keep my receipts for employment-related expenses? Yes. We recommend you keep all employment-related expense receipts in an envelope. DO NOT SEND THEM TO THE TAX SERVICE OFFICE! How long do I need to keep employment-related expense receipts? The tax regulations in the U.S. require you to keep receipts used to claim deductions for 3 years from the time your return is filed. We recommend you keep all records for 7 years. How much of the sales tax that I paid when I purchased things in the U.S. can I expect to receive? None! Sales tax is a non-refundable tax. We will file your tax return in order to receive a refund for money withheld from your paychecks in the form of federal and state tax. TAX REFUNDS How much refund can I expect to receive? For the majority of participants, it is possible to claim a refund for all or most of the federal and state taxes withheld from your paycheck. * (See the first Q&A under "Expenses" above.) You will never receive more money than the amount you had withheld from your paychecks! How will I receive my refund? You will have several options for payment of your refund. Your options are a U.S. check (only available in some countries), a direct deposit (wire transfer) to your bank account or a Western Union payment (only available in some countries). We will advise you of any additional fees for these options. Can I cash a U.S. check in my country? You can deposit a U.S. check into your bank account. You must wait for your bank to clear or OK the check before you can access the funds. Your bank may charge you a small fee to convert the U.S. funds to your currency. Can my refund be sent to my U.S. bank instead of my home country bank? Yes, but remember it may be several months before we receive your paperwork, file it with the U.S. government, receive your refund and make arrangements to send it to you. You will most likely be back in your home country by the time you receive your refund. Where will my refund check be sent? Your refund check will be sent to your address in your home country unless you direct us to do otherwise. When should I expect my refund check? The U.S. Tax filing date is April 15 of each tax year. Typically, U.S. authorities will take 8-14 weeks to process returns.if all goes well. A reasonable expectation is receipt of your refund check by August 15 but this depends on how quickly you get us your W-2 forms and how quickly you respond to our questionnaire. The 8-14 week turn-around time is an approximation only. What should I do if it takes longer than 8-14 weeks to receive my refund? Nothing. There is nothing you can do. We monitor each tax return we submit to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If we believe your refund is taking too long to arrive, we will contact the IRS to learn the status. Ultimately however, we have no control over how long it takes the IRS or the state tax authorities to respond and send us your refund. Should I be concerned if my friend receives his refund before me? Every tax return is processed and reviewed on a case-by-case basis and by different tax agents. Even when tax returns are submitted to the tax authorities at the same time, there can be a great difference in turn-around time between one or another tax return. TAXATION If I pay taxes in the U.S. will I have to pay taxes back home for the same income? Typically, the answer is no. Please contact the tax authorities in your home country. What taxes can I expect to have withheld from my paycheck? You should have federal and state taxes withheld. Your employer may want to withhold Medicare and Social Security taxes as well but he/she should not! J-1 visa holders are exempt from paying Medicare and Social Security tax. What if my employer erroneously withholds Medicare and Social Security taxes from my paycheck? Once you know that your employer has withheld the Medicare and Social Security taxes from your paycheck, you should alert him/her immediately. Ask your employer to refund this money to you right away. It is very, very difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund of these taxes later from the IRS. Do I still have to file a tax return if my employer withholds no federal and/or state taxes? Yes. If you earn money in the U.S., regardless of what taxes (if any) are withheld, you are required to file a tax return. Will there be any negative consequences if my employer withholds no federal and/or state tax? You must file a tax return in order to comply with U.S. tax regulations however, since you paid no tax, you will recieve no refund. In a small number of cases, depending on how much money you earned, you may owe the government money and you will be asked to pay this tax. This rarely happens but it is a possibility when no taxes are withheld by your employer. COMMUNICATION How do you communicate with me? We contact you via email. It is very important that you provide us with an accurate email address on your 'contract' and that you let us know if you change email addresses during the tax season. How can I communicate directly with you? Although we would like to answer each and every question you have individually, it is impossible to communicate on a one-to-one basis with all our participants. The Q&A's are designed to explain the process to you and make the whole tax process easier for you to understand. If however, you have a question which is not answered above, you can reach us by telephone toll-free at 800-277-8062 or from outside the U.S. at: 1-415-256-8546. Our email address which appears below is not monitored. It is used only for us to communicate with you with general information emails only. How will I know the status of my tax return - if you have received all the necessary documents, if there are any problems, when I will be receiving my refund, etc. ? We will contact you via email as we complete each step of the process. You will hear from us: when we welcome you officially to the Tax Service after we have received your 'contract', your 'power of attorney' and your 'application form' . when we receive your first W2 form. We will email you to complete our Tax Questionnaire. when we have filed your tax return and have sent it to the government tax authorities. when we have received your refund after the 'waiting period' and are ready to send you your tax refund and Tax Service Statement. The Tax Service 41 Simms Street, Suite C San Rafael, CA 94901 Tel: 1-800-277-8062 Tel: 1-415-256-8546 Email: taxrefund@campamericatax.com