Before you start

An SSN or ITIN
Form W-4 with your employer for federal withholding — there is no Texas equivalent
Records of foreign income and foreign financial accounts
The appraisal notice for any property you own, which arrives in spring

Step-by-step

1
Complete the federal W-4 on day one — and note there is no state form
Texas has no personal income tax and therefore no state withholding certificate. Your payslip will show federal withholding, Social Security and Medicare, and nothing else. This is the visible difference from Maryland, Ohio or California.
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 Texas the analysis stops at the federal level, which makes this simpler here than almost anywhere else in this app.
OnlineWho: You
4
If you buy, file the homestead exemption immediately
Texas's residence homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied home for school district purposes and caps how fast the appraised value used for taxation can rise. It is applied for through the Bexar Appraisal District — it does not arrive with the deed — and the exemption amount has been increased more than once in recent years. Check the current figure rather than an older article.
OnlineWho: You
5
Read the appraisal notice and know you can protest it
Appraisal notices go out in the spring and the deadline to protest is fixed and short. Protesting is a normal, widely used process in Texas rather than an escalation, and it is free to file with the appraisal district. In a no-income-tax state the appraised value is the number that decides your tax bill.
OnlineWho: YouSpring, by the protest deadline
6
Budget the sales tax you will actually pay
Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax and local jurisdictions add up to 2% on top, so San Antonio sits at the 8.25% ceiling. Groceries and prescription medicine are exempt, prepared food is not. Alongside property tax this is where the state's revenue comes from.
OnlineWho: You
7
File your federal return by 15 April
The tax year is the calendar year. With no state return to file, Texas filing is a single federal process — genuinely simpler than most of the cities in this app.
OnlineWho: YouBy 15 April annually
8
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
Form W-4 filed with your employer
Passport and travel history for the substantial presence day count
Appraisal district notice, if you own property
Foreign account statements for FBAR reporting

Things most newcomers don’t know

The absence of an income tax is constitutional, not just legislative.

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2019 prohibiting a personal income tax, which means reversing it requires another statewide referendum rather than a legislative majority. That is a stronger guarantee than 'the legislature has not done it', and it is a genuine factor in long-term planning.

Source: Texas Constitution / Texas Secretary of State

Property tax is the tax, and there is no state ceiling on the rate.

With no income tax, schools, county and city are funded from property. Combined Bexar County rates run around 2% of appraised value, which on a $350,000 house is roughly $7,000 a year — more than many people would have paid in state income tax elsewhere. Renters pay it invisibly. Compare a Texas offer on total burden, not on the absence of a state withholding line.

Source: Texas Comptroller — property tax

Protesting your appraisal is normal here, not confrontational.

Texas appraisal districts revalue annually and the protest process is designed to be used by ordinary homeowners. The deadline is short and fixed, and people who ignore the notice are simply accepting the district's number. In a state where property tax is the whole burden, this is the single highest-value hour of admin in the year.

Source: Texas Comptroller — property tax protest

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

Reading 'no state income tax' as 'low tax' without pricing the property bill.
Buying a home and never filing the residence homestead exemption.
Ignoring the spring appraisal notice and missing the protest deadline.
Assuming a quoted property tax rate applies across the metro — it varies by school district and special district.
Missing the FBAR because a home-country account did not feel 'foreign'.
Believing a filing extension also extends the payment deadline.

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

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