International Tax Navigator®

International Tax Navigator is a powerful software solution for nonresident alien tax compliance and income tax treaty analysis.  International Tax Navigator applies complex bodies of U.S. tax law and procedures, providing up-to-date analyses for withholding tax rates, and tax and treaty exemptions.  Tax Navigator produces all required IRS withholding certificates and Form 1042 tax return and 1042-S reporting forms.

With web-based data collection and forms delivery, a wealth of information in the knowledgebase, and unparalleled customer service and training, you can manage your nonresident alien tax compliance easily and confidently.

Key Benefits for You and Your Organization
International Tax Navigator’s comprehensive license includes many benefits unavailable elsewhere!

• Windstar Users’ Website provides:
• An extensive resource library for nonresident alien tax and immigration-related issues second to none
• Over 1500 searchable FAQs answered by Windstar’s nationally recognized experts
• The windstarusers listserv – with over 700 NRA tax administrators – who, together with the Windstar team of experts, provide unparalleled assistance in handling nonresident alien tax and immigration-related compliance
• TaxHelp email is available as a confidental alternative to windstarusers listserv
• Keep up-to-date with the latest from the IRS with automatic notification of important changes in tax and immigration rules and procedures via the windstarusers listserv and the Crow’s Nest Special Editions
• Get up to speed quickly in use of the Tax Navigator via Web-based training with Windstar’s expert trainers
• Training for new and experienced administrators is available at any time
• Extensive help available within the software for both procedural and substantive matters
• Customer and technical support from a knowledgeable, experienced, and caring team

Prepare for IRS audits with confidence.
Tax Navigator provides an audit trail of all required IRS due diligence, including residency determinations, case-by-case tax treaty analyses, completed withholding certificates, and reporting documents required for payments made to foreign persons.

Enhance your current internal processes and procedures.
Tax Navigator is completely flexible in its configuration so that users can set up system functions to match their internal organization’s processes rather than changing their organization and processes to match the system.  Users may have multiple databases and determine through the System Administrator who has what functional rights to each database.  For example, payroll, student aid, and accounts payable may each have separate databases.  Or users can set up separate systems by campus, department, or division.  If you want to keep all locations in the same database, you can designate a number for separate reporting and processing.
 
Users may archive inactive records in a separate database.  Records can be retrieved from the archive database with a few clicks of the mouse.

Learn the new system safely with a sample database.
Tax Navigator comes with a sample database.  Users can use this database, adding, changing or deleting records to become familiar with the system without the worry of affecting production data.

Decipher tax treaties easily with Treaty Navigator.
A sophisticated, unique module, the Treaty Navigator illustrates tax treaty rules in easy-to-understand screens.  You can click on any field for a simple explanation of the treaty rule or condition.  Users can view the pertinent tax treaty text on screen and print the text to give to individuals.

Understand Tax Treaty Analyses
The treaty analysis log gives a complete description of the analysis used to determine the results and reasons for providing or rejecting treaty benefits.  The treaty analysis log is archived and retrievable at any time.  It is an invaluable tool for understanding the results of an analysis for foreign students, scholars, employees, and visitors receiving payments.

The International Tax Navigator software:

• Determines US tax residency status, resident or nonresident, using an individual's immigration status history and days of U.S. presence
• Produces calendar year by calendar year status reports for substantial presence test
• Performs case-by-case analyses of income tax treaties for each type of payment
• Creates audit reports of treaty analyses identifying all limitations
• Includes income tax treaty overview and treaty text in the system for easy look-up
• Determines applicable taxes, tax rates and exemptions from tax for payments
• Prepares completed withholding certificates, Forms W-4, 8233, W-8BEN, and W-9
• Maintains history of all completed forms and analyses for audit review and reprint at any time
• Creates prior years’ analyses and forms for all individuals in the system for audit purposes
• Prepares completed reporting Forms 1042-S with edit checks
• Creates electronic Forms 1042-S submissions for the IRS
• Prepares completed Forms 8843 for distribution to individuals in F, M, J, or Q immigration status
• Batch processes to produce updated substantial presence tests, tax treaty analyses and completed withholding forms for all active individuals for the new calendar year

Analyze a variety of payments:

• Employment and self employment compensation
• Scholarships and fellowships   
• Honoraria
• Royalties
• Prizes and awards
• Room and board
• Travel reimbursements
• Stipends
• Gaming winnings

Prepare and print a variety of forms:

• 8233, Exemption from Withholding and Supporting Certifying Statement
• 8843, Statement for Exempt Individuals
• W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status
• W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate
• W-9, Certificate of US Status
• W-7, Application for Individual Taxpayer ID (ITIN)
• SS-5, Application for Social Security Number
• I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
• 1042 Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income for Foreign Persons
• 1042-S, Foreign Person's U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding
• 1042-T, Annual Summary and Transmittal of Forms 1042-S