Somebody here in US with H1-B running AdSense?

Looking for some tax advice

[caspita]

I'm on the particular situation that I'm in the US working for a company thru an H1B Visa and just incorpored AdSense to my own web site on Dec/03.

As everybody knows Google will issue a check to everybody (if doesn't opt for hold) regardless of the balance in the account .. and my balance is pretty low :-)

But I have not send my tax info to google because I'm not suposse to get earnings from some one different that my company :-( .. so I'm looking here for somebody who may doing a good money thru AdSense and has the issue sorted out to let me know what can I do.

Because the balance of my account I don't think is a good idea to pay for advice in this case :-) I'd prefer to hold the money until I get some 6 digits ammount :-D ... may be in 2 - 3 centuries :-D

Somebody here?

We can stick messages if don't want ot make it public.

CS.

[Lil_Red]

You will need to have the check sent to your home country.

[caspita]

mmmmm .. that is what I don't like :-( ... I'm in US and sending the check there I'll need to get it back here to cash it :-( ... and the risk of lost in my country (sad to say is too high)

They say something in the help about PO Box or forwarding addresses .. I though I could say I'm not resident (but I am for tax purposes and I'd pay if I could but the thing is that I can not have income different from my employer), nor have any bussiness (in the sense I don't work for somebody else nor own any company or so) here but sent the check to my current address in US.

Thanks for your comment .. let's see who else can help here :-)

CS.

[Fruit and Veg]

Errrr...I nearly choked just then. 'You're not supposed to earn any money except from your employer whilst on an H1b' - is this true? I'm screwed then!

I'm on an H1b, I've been earning money via my own personal site - all I've done is send in my SSN or faxed through a W9 if requested - I thought that would keep me safe.

I could be very wrong, as I'm paperworkphobic and have no idea about tax stuff...even UK tax stuff and I'm from the UK!

[Herath]

Caspita

Under H1B you are not allowed to do any "Work" for anybody other than your sponsoring employer. However, you could make money without really working for anybody. I.E: Selling your baseball cards on Ebay..etc.

Make sure you report your additional earnings from your website to IRS. (Under miscellaneous income)

If you have applied for the green card, and reached the Work Permit stage(EAD), then you could form your own company.

I know sombody in H1B who makes more money from his website than from his employer ;)

[caspita]

Well that is true <b>Herath</b>... but what I have read is that you can make income from pasive bussineses only like stocks ... or selling you house .. etc.

I think I'm being kind of paranoic here but I don't want to mess up my GC process if I go fo it. Don't want to get in trouble either when they notice that I have not being paying taxes for the millions I'll get from my website :-)

[gpilling]

Having recently gone through the interview process on getting a green card (by marriage), it is interesting to note that they ignored all of my past illegal work. I was in the US on a L-1 which expired when the company I worked for reduced its workforce. The company promptly notified INS of my status, my address and that I had been informed to leave the US immediately. Four years and the INS never came calling. At the interview, the agent ignored ALL of my paperwork, including tax returns, and simply asked if I had been a communist, or had been arrested or if I had ever been on welfare. Twice.

Claim your Adsense as miscellaneous income, pay your taxes on it, and remember it IS passive, since Google does all the work for you :)

[caspita]

Hi gpilling

I think you got the point ... the idea is to know here if it is considered Pasive for the IRS/INS or whoever will check in the future. Actually your marriage is the final solution to everything .. when you get married with a US citizen it does not amtter at all how did get here or your legal immigration status ... the marriage fix everything ... But .. I'm alrerady marriaged :-) so .. it wont' work for me ..hehehe

To be sure if this income is pasive is the key.

CS.