> but all the advice I find online either sounds made-up or is "consult with your accountant". There is a reason that so much of the advice is 'check with your

> but all the advice I find online either sounds made-up or is "consult with your accountant". There is a reason that so much of the advice is 'check with your accountant' - the U.S. tax system is incredibly complex and the IRS does not accept ignorance as an excuse for non-compliance. In this particular instance, you will need information about tax treaties. Here is one page - http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/International-Businesses/United-States-Income-Tax-Treaties---A-to-Z http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/International-Businesses/Unite... However, I cannot minimize how important an accountant is. Your last sentence seems to indicate that you think this is a joke. First, the IRS is not a laughing matter. Second, accountants are professionals and tax law is not the kind of thing you can pick up on a forum someplace. Finally, the IRS filing deadline is April 15, you do not have an accountant yet, and it strikes me that you just started thinking about US tax. You need to get on this right away because again, ignorance is not an excuse for non-compliance.