Taxes

Refund as much of your taxes as possible.


 After the imposed US tax restrictions, from the beginning of 2018 the federal tax exemption on incomes below 4050$ has been withdrawn. The following tax exemption allowed J-1 visa holders to receive their overpaid taxes with a greater tax rate, if their taxes were less than 4050 USD. From the beginning of the fiscal 2018, all J-1 visa holders have been subject to federal tax deduction from the first dollar they have made. The good news is that you can still legally receive part of your overpaid taxes with the help of our partners!

* Every J-1 student who have worked in the United States is obliged to file his/her tax return after the end of the fiscal year in the USA.

Tax Refund

If you are a J-1 student working in the USA, taxes will be deducted from your paychecks. All J-1 students are liable to federal and state tax deductions. These are the forms that you will need to fill in on your first day of work in the United States – Form W-4 together with the State Form W-4 that differs for every state. 

Such taxes could be refunded once you have come back to Bulgaria and have submitted your tax return. Some states have a non-refundable local tax (except for New York State), whose amount is defined by the local administrative unit.

Types of taxes

Federal Tax

The federal tax rate is the same for all US states. The rate is assessed annually by the Congress according to the common tax policy of the country. This tax is obligatory for every juridical and physical person working in the USA. Internal Revenue Services (IRS) is in charge of all proceedings related to the federal tax. All taxes and refunds come from the federal budget.

Social Security & Medicare Tax

All the revenues from these two type of taxes go to the federal budget and their rate is the same for all the states. Paying them is obligatory besides for foreign exchange students. They are also known as FICA.

State Tax

This tax rate differs for every state. In most cases the state tax rate is lower than the federal one. There are some states that this type of tax does not apply (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Tennessee). The rate is defined by the legislative authorities of each state. The state income tax is obligatory for everybody regardless the US sojourn status.

Local Tax

The rate of this tax depends on the local authorities. These taxes cannot be refunded (except for New York City).

Refunding your taxes can be very easy. Our friends and colleagues from Verde Tax are able to submit your tax refund declaration based on the slip of your last paycheck. So our advice to you is to keep your last paycheck or a copy of it in order to apply for a tax refund earlier and to use our special offer for second timers -the Tax Advantage option.

The necessary documents are: a copy of your social security card, a copy of your visa and in some cases a copy of your DS2019.

In case you are receiving your salary as a direct deposit to your personal bank account you will need a bank statement for the last payment period made from your employer. It is very important to know the starting and ending date of your employment for each employer, their phone number and address.  You need to know that each employer is obligated to issue a W2 form for all employees. This form shows all of your income and the sum of the taxes paid for the employment period. Please note that W2 are only issued after the end of the fiscal year! Do not forget to double check the contact information given to the HR office because according to that information your W2 form will be send to the provided address. Many of the employers send the W2 form online too, so please discuss this option before your last working day. You will receive your W2 form no earlier than January 2019.

What is the estimated tax refund that I will receive?

  • In order to make an approximate calculation of the overpaid tax you could receive, we advise you to come to our office and bring you last paycheck from all employers.
  • Please keep in mind that all calculated values by every company are approximate and are subject to change.
  • How much you will be refunded and how long it will take, depends entirely on the decision of the US Internal Revenue Service.

What do I need to do?

Go to the nearest Integral office to fill in your form.
You need to bring:

  • A copy of your Social Security Card
  • Copies of your passport and your visa – If you have travelled with Integral, don’t worry, we already have them
  • W-2 form or last paycheck from all of your employers
  • A copy of your DS2019 – in case Social Security Tax and Medicare Tax (FICA taxes) have been withheld from your paychecks.

Refund your taxes with RT Tax:

Get the biggest tax refund of your overpaid taxes thanks to RT Tax! You don’t need to make any prepayments, you will just receive the total amount of money (after RT Tax have withheld their fees).

The total service price is 10% or at least $79 + $29 financial fee.

Refund your taxes with Verdetax:

Get the biggest tax refund easy and safe thanks to our worthy partner Vardetax! There’s no need to make any prepayments because Verdetax will withhold its commission after the procedure has finished and transfer your money to your bank account.

The total service price is $59 + 8% of the refunded taxes (federal + state) + $29 per cheque for cheque cashing.

Cashing your checks


  • You received your last pay check after arriving in Bulgaria?
  • You are waiting for your house check deposit by the post?
  • You have made a bonus and your employer give you the check in the last minute?

How does this work?


  • Come to Integral and we will help you! Just bring your original check and fill out the form!
  • It will cost you only $24, and you do not pay anything in advance – the amount is deducted from the total amount of the check, and the remainder is transferred to your bank account within 40 days.
  • Bring copy of SS Card and last check or W-2 form

Types of documents

What is Social Security Card

The Social Security Card is an official document that shows your SSN. The Social Security Number (SSN) is issued by the US authorities and serves for identification in all US institutions, including the tax authorities.

What is W-2 form?

W-2 is an official document you must obtain from each of your employers at the end of the tax year. This form displays all your earnings with your employer and the amount of any taxes you have deducted. You must get your W-2 form no later than the end of January of the next tax year.

What is last check/pay slip?

A payment slip is a weekly or monthly document you receive with your weekly or monthly check. If you do not have a W-2 form, you can apply for your taxes with the last paycheck that shows all your earnings and taxes deducted for the business period.

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