Before you start

An SSN or ITIN
Form W-4 with your employer for federal withholding
Records of foreign income and foreign financial accounts
No state withholding form — Texas has none

Step-by-step

1
Complete your W-4 on day one
This sets federal withholding, and in Texas it is the only withholding form you will file. Getting it wrong is the most common cause of a surprise April bill, particularly in a two-income household.
Via employerWho: YouFirst week of employment
2
Determine your US tax residency
The substantial presence test counts weighted days over three years to decide whether the US taxes your worldwide income or only US-source income. Some students and scholars are exempt from counting days for a period. Your visa category does not decide this.
OnlineWho: You
3
Check for an applicable tax treaty
The US has income tax treaties with around 70 countries which can reduce or exempt tax on particular income types, especially for students, researchers and short assignments. Treaty benefits are claimed on your return, not granted automatically. With no state tax, a Texas treaty position is simpler than a California one.
OnlineWho: You
4
File your federal return by 15 April
The tax year is the calendar year. There is no Texas state return to file, which makes filing here genuinely simpler than in the other five US cities in this app. An extension moves the filing date, not the payment date.
OnlineWho: YouBy 15 April annually
5
File an FBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000
Aggregate foreign financial account balances over $10,000 at any point in the year trigger a FinCEN filing, separate from your tax return. A normal current account at home is enough to cross it.
OnlineWho: You
6
Understand the property tax before you buy
If you buy a home, file for the homestead exemption in your first year — it reduces the taxable value of your primary residence and caps annual assessment increases. People routinely forget, and it is worth thousands a year.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Form W-2 from each employer, issued by 31 January
Form 1099s for freelance, interest and investment income
Passport and travel history for the substantial presence day count
Foreign account statements for FBAR reporting
Property tax statements and homestead exemption filing, if you own

Things most newcomers don’t know

The property tax is the income tax, just collected differently.

Effective rates around 1.8–2.2% of assessed value in the Austin area are among the highest in the country. On a $600,000 home that is roughly $11,000–13,000 a year, every year, rising with the assessment. A Californian comparing 13.3% income tax against 0% is making an incomplete comparison the moment they buy property.

Source: Texas Comptroller — property tax overview

The homestead exemption is worth thousands and people forget to file.

Filing for a homestead exemption on your primary residence reduces taxable value and caps how fast the assessment can rise year to year. It is a one-off application with the county appraisal district, it is free, and newcomers unfamiliar with the concept routinely go years without claiming it.

Source: Texas Comptroller — property tax exemptions

No state return makes Texas the simplest US filing in this set.

New York residents file federal, state and city returns. Californians file federal and a state return that does not honour tax treaties. In Texas there is one return. For a newcomer already navigating substantial presence and treaty questions, removing an entire layer of complexity has real value.

Source: IRS — state and local tax information

Your visa does not determine your tax residency.

The substantial presence test — a weighted day count across three years — decides whether the US taxes your worldwide income. Someone on a temporary visa can be a US tax resident; someone on a long visa can fail the test. Students and certain scholars are exempt from counting days for a period.

Source: IRS — substantial presence test

Common mistakes to avoid

Comparing a Texas salary against a California one on income tax alone, ignoring property and sales tax.
Buying a home and failing to file the homestead exemption.
Assuming your visa type settles your tax residency instead of applying the substantial presence test.
Missing the FBAR because a home-country account did not feel 'foreign'.
Believing a filing extension also extends the payment deadline — it does not.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.