Before you start

An SSN or ITIN
Form W-4 with your employer for federal withholding — there is no Nevada equivalent
Records of tip income if you work in hospitality
Records of foreign income and foreign financial accounts

Step-by-step

1
Complete the federal W-4 on day one
This is the only withholding form you will fill in. Nevada has no state income tax and therefore no state withholding certificate, which makes the payroll setup here the simplest in the US. Getting the federal form wrong remains the most common cause of an April surprise.
Via employerWho: YouFirst week of employment
2
Determine your US tax residency
The substantial presence test counts weighted days across three years to decide whether the US taxes your worldwide income or only US-source income. Your visa category does not decide this.
OnlineWho: You
3
Check for an applicable tax treaty
The US has treaties with around 70 countries that can reduce or exempt tax on particular income. With no state income tax in Nevada there is no second layer to worry about — a federal treaty position is the whole answer here, unlike in California.
OnlineWho: You
4
Report tips accurately every month
Cash and charged tips are taxable income. Employees are required to report tips to the employer, who withholds on them. Reporting light lowers this year's tax and quietly destroys your ability to get a mortgage or a car loan, because underwriters work from filed returns.
Via employerWho: You
5
File the federal return by 15 April — and no state return at all
The tax year is the calendar year. Nevada requires no individual state filing, so for most residents the entire annual obligation is the federal return.
OnlineWho: YouBy 15 April annually
6
Understand the sales tax and the property tax cap
Clark County's combined sales tax rate is among the higher ones in the region and applies to groceries only in part. Against that, Nevada statute caps the annual increase in an owner-occupied primary residence's property tax bill at 3%, with a higher cap on other property — a genuinely valuable protection if you buy.
OnlineWho: You
7
File an FBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000
Aggregate foreign account balances over $10,000 at any point in the year trigger a FinCEN filing, separate from your tax return and with its own penalties.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Form W-2 from each employer, issued by 31 January
Form 1099s for freelance, interest and investment income
Tip reporting records, if you work in hospitality
Passport and travel history for the substantial presence day count
Foreign account statements for FBAR reporting

Things most newcomers don’t know

Nevada's prohibition on income tax is constitutional, not just legislative.

This matters for planning horizons. A state that merely has not legislated an income tax can introduce one with an ordinary bill; Nevada's ban sits in the state constitution, so changing it requires a constitutional amendment. If a long-run tax position is part of why you are moving, that distinction is the whole point.

Source: Nevada Constitution / Nevada Department of Taxation

Tip income is where the real tax care is needed here.

A large share of Las Vegas income is tipped. It is fully taxable, employees are required to report it to the employer, and the employer withholds on it. Beyond the legal position, the practical one bites hardest: mortgage and car underwriting runs off filed returns, so tips you did not declare are income you cannot borrow against.

Source: IRS — tip income reporting

The 3% property tax cap is one of the strongest in the US.

Nevada limits how much an owner-occupied primary residence's property tax bill can increase year on year, with a higher ceiling for other property. In a market where values have swung violently, that cap is a real protection — and it is one reason the overall tax picture here beats no-income-tax Texas, where property tax carries the load instead.

Source: Nevada Department of Taxation

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. Do the count rather than assuming.

Source: IRS — substantial presence test

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your visa type settles your tax residency.
Under-reporting tips and being unable to evidence income when you apply for credit.
Missing the FBAR because a home-country account did not feel 'foreign'.
Believing a filing extension also extends the payment deadline.
Assuming no income tax means a low overall tax burden without checking sales and property rates.

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