How do I file my taxes the first year I'm on an H-1B visa?

Your first H-1B year often becomes a dual-status year, because you may be a nonresident alien before your residency start date and a resident alien once you pass the Substantial Presence Test. The 183-day weighted count usually means you become a resident partway through the year, so you may file a dual-status return—resident for the later portion, nonresident for the earlier. Unlike F and J holders, H-1B days are not exempt and start counting immediately. If you're married, you can often elect to be treated as a full-year resident and file jointly, which usually lowers your tax by unlocking the $30,000 standard deduction. Watch the residency-start-date timing: only income from that date forward is taxed as worldwide income. To get oriented before filing, the immigrant-readiness assessment at wealthserene.com/assessments/immigrant-readiness walks through your first-year U.S. financial setup.