XinXin Wang has a part-time job, a heavy college load, and has to pay taxes like other students at Iowa State.

The difference from Wang and her American peers is that she’s an international student.

Wang, 24, graduate student in apparel, educational studies and hospitality management, is an ISU Dining employee at the Memorial Union food court. 

Before leaving her home in north China, Wang had heard that the tax process is very complicated to understand and met with an accountant when she first came to America.

Aside from meeting with an accountant, Wang has had no problem filing her tax returns in the two years she has been at Iowa State.

At the beginning of February, the International Students and Scholars Office sends an e-mail to all international students explaining that they have to file a tax-return in a few months, this year’s deadline is APril 18; this is regardless of whether or not they made income or not while going to school in the United States. 

What can oftentimes be a confusing subject, the ISSO explains in their annual e-mail that students must download a tax program software called CINTAX, which must be 12-point Aerial font, bold, or else the office will face legal charges, which will lead students through a step-by-step system through filling out tax forms.

“Without that software, it [would be] very hard to fill out those forms,” said Yan Zhang, 24, major in aerospace engineering.

“I’m not sure the normal mortal is meant to understand it,” said Deborah Vance, coordinator of administration for the International Students and Scholars Office. 

Countries like China, Ghana and Brazil do not have similar tax processes to the United States.

Carlos Neto, 26, graduate student in veterinary microbiology and prev. med, is a first-year student at Iowa State from Brazil and has completed his tax returns using the software provided by ISSO.

“If you have income, you have to pay,” said Neto, in regards to how the tax system works in his country.

Neto and Vance mentioned that many other countries are the same way, and the United States requires filing for taxes more for a presence confirmation.

“[It is] stating I was here even though I had no income,” Vance said. 

Daniel Elorm, 28, graduate student in chemistry, is from Ghana. 

Elorm says he forgot about filing his taxes.

“I just forgot about it,” he said with a laugh, continuing on about how he will finish it tomorrow.

Many international students find that the software program provided for them is very easy to use. Once personal information and income history is plugged in the to the program, the software will create the form automatically.

Wang says that if international students want to say in the United States, they need to understand how to file for their tax returns. 

She knows that income tax return from her earnings made in the United States is being used effectively.

What once seemed like such a complicated and intimidating American stipulation to Wang proved to be something that she felt was a good thing for her; she felt more respected by the government because of it.

“We can benefit from that,” she said. “It’s a part of American life.”