Tax return for non resident (foreign citizen) of the USA?

Question

At the beginning of 2007, I opened an account for trading in stocks listed on US stock exchanges. Do I need to file for a tax return in the USA, and if so, which forms or where could I get some help. Thanks!

Answer 1

Assuming that you are a non-resident alien, your income and gains will be taxed at the source if you have properly registered with the brokerage as a non-resident alien. This also assumes that you are dealing with a US brokerage house in the US. If you are dealing with a foreign brokerage including the foreign office of a US firm, there will be no direct US tax consequences for your trades.

Here's a link to IRS Pub 519. It should address most of your questions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf