Tax Resources for Care Professionals
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The tax information contained on this website is not meant to be exhaustive and is not meant to be tax advice. We are providing introductory information for U.S. income tax requirements of au pairs working in the US on J-1 visas. If you have any questions about your tax obligation you should speak with a professional tax advisor or Certified Public Accountant. Please note that PROaupair, our staff, and Area Directors are not able to provide any additional guidance or tax advice.
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For tax year 2020 (taxes filed in 2021), the federal tax filing deadline was extended from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021. Please check with your individual state to determine if the state tax deadline was extended from April 15, 2021 as well.
Apex Social Group has teamed up with Sprintax, an easy-to-use online tool to prepare your tax return. When you set up an account with Sprintax, you can easily prepare fully compliant Federal and State tax returns online. As a Care Professional with Apex Social, you will receive a $10 discount off the processing fee. Enter the code SpT20AUP301F10 in the discount code box on the payment page at the end of the process.
Sprintax has 24/7 Live Chat customer service to guide you through the process.
Sprintax has 24/7 Live Chat customer service to guide you through the process.
Apex cannot provide tax filing advice. However, the IRS website explains the process and required forms. However, Apex recommends seeking the advice of a tax specialist or using one of the many online tax tools, such as Sprintax, to assist filing your return.
It is important to understand that 2018 tax rules have changed based upon the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The biggest change is that there is no longer a federal exemption for nonresident aliens meaning that every dollar earned by a nonresident alien is subject to federal income tax.
Although each situation is different and unique to you, as a general rule, you should set aside around 10% to 15% of the au pair income you make in the U.S. to cover federal taxes owed. The actual amount you need to pay will vary based on a number of factors.
In addition to paying federal income tax, some au pairs may be required to pay state income tax, depending on the state you live(d) in. Check the state’s tax revenue website for details or use Sprintax to guide you through the process.
Stephanie
Host Mom, CA
We are longtime customers and I can say without hesitation that we wouldn't survive without them. Each of our caregivers has been phenomenal, and a beloved member of our family. They are making our children's lives dramatically better and we hope they are part of our lives forever. We love the APEX team and deeply grateful for all they do.
Katherin
Host Mom
"Bianca was able to jump right into our routine: changing diapers, preparing gluten-free meals, shuttling to and from therapy appointments, and participating in various activities with our children. With her help over the last year, we were able to successfully toilet-train Jack, have made great progress toilet training Ben, and expect Elizabeth to follow in the steps of her siblings soon. Any parent knows that this is no small feat!"
Peter and Amy
Host Parents, San Francisco
"Luise is our fourth Care Professional through Apex Social Group and all have been special and wonderful care givers. But there is something unique about Luise. Only a couple weeks into her stay with us, she already felt like a member of the family. She is quiet, but in a warm way and she doesn’t hesitate to tell us how much she is enjoying her time here. We often joke about how we’re pinching ourselves that a Skype interview could work out so well for us all."
Daniel
Host Dad, Colorado
"We believe love is a very powerful motivator so we are excited to see our professional Care Professional’s relationship with our son evolve as she builds a personal relationship with him. Throughout this entire process, Apex Social Group has been amazing! We can’t thank you enough… Thank you again for all your hard work and for founding this company… I cannot overstate what an impact your company has made on our family!!!"
Cassandra
Host Mom, Atlanta
"I never imagined that in just 8 weeks that someone could have such a profound and positive impact on our lives. Mona, our Care Professional from Apex Social Group, has brought laughter, love, professional expertise, and her cultural traditions to our house. From her first week with us, Mona sought ways to connect with our two children, ages 6 and 2. Our six-year-old son has a rare genetic condition, which includes cognitive disabilities and developmental delays. Mona quickly identified what made our son smile and was not afraid to jump in and engage in his favorite activities. We are so thankful to have been matched with Mona."
Misa
Host Mom
"The Care Professionals that Apex Social Group finds are of the highest caliber. We get the feeling that if the Care Professional is not good enough for Susan’s family, then they are not good enough for any of her host families either. We love how her team helps hand-pick which of the girls would match best with the host family."
Luisella
Host Mom, Baltimore
"Julia gets as excited as I do when Mikey or Ella accomplishes something they’ve been working on. We really admire Julia’s dedication, work ethic, and the drive she has to help both of our kids succeed. Julia’s background as an OT has been very beneficial when I have sought advice on how to help Mikey with certain behaviors. She also works with his OT on helping generalize at home what he is learning at school."
Katherine
Host Mom, New York City
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that Apex Social Group's Special Needs Care Professional exhibit. Our Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Julie
Host Mom, Southern California
"Our Care Professional is exceptional. She is a pediatric nurse with infant experience. Beyond her excellent qualifications, she is also a kind, energetic, and caring person with high integrity. She takes excellent care of our kids and has become part of our family. We are grateful to Apex Social Group for finding her."
Dana
Host Mom, Maryland
"When Johanna joined our family, our son was 19 months old and had already been through three childcare providers. No one seemed able to respond to his special needs and stubborn personality in a way that would allow him to blossom. Johanna had been in our house for less than an hour when my husband and I snuck into the kitchen to slap high fives. We could already tell that she was perfect. She knew just the right way to approach our son. Our son is thriving under Johanna’s care. Thanks to Johanna’s patient work with him, he is continually developing new skills, making new sounds, and growing into his potential."
Scott
Host Dad, New Jersey
"Conny has lived with my family for over a year and has elected to continue her stay with us for an additional year. I’m a single father of 4.5-year-old twins and Conny has handled the unique challenges that we have with professionalism, love, grace and patience. My children warmed up to her immediately and she was able to establish a strong bond that has endured. Her calm yet enthusiastic demeanor has worked wonders with the kids. She never has a bad day…even when she’s having a bad day!"
Allison
Host Mom, NJ
"Apex Social Group solved our childcare problems and has allowed me to return to work full-time. With two special needs children, I was unsure I would be able to find an Care Professional with the right qualifications. But Apex Social Group put us in touch with two highly qualified candidates right away. I particularly liked being able to review information about the available Care Professional candidates online at the beginning of the selection process. I also thought the process was relatively speedy."
Katherine
Host Mom, Chicago, IL
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that their Care Professionals exhibit. Our professional special needs Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Teresa
Host Mom, Virginia
"Simone arrived in August. She continually entertains and works with our wheelchair bound angel, from creating projects to involve her fine motor control to exercising her daily so her spastic limbs move better. She sings traditional German folk songs while feeding our daughter, who depends entirely on caregivers to feed her as well as perform all the activities we take for granted with a child who is typical. Our lives have been blessed having this saint living here and she has totally become one of our family!"
Holly
Host Mom, San Francisco
"After working with another agency and experiencing a challenging year with our first Care Professional, we switched to Apex Social Group. We are thrilled with our current Care Professional and feel that only now is our family experiencing the true spirit of the Care Professional program. Janina is like part of our family and we never would have found her if it weren’t for Apex Social Group.
Peter
Host Dad, San Francisco
"Our family had been hosting Care Professionals for 4 years through another agency before switching to Apex Social Group this year. While I believe every Care Professional experience depends almost entirely on the interaction of the Care Professional and the host family, my impression is that Apex Social Group does a better job vetting their candidates, and their matching coordinators are more familiar with each individual candidate. This allows them to provide more useful assistance in finding a good match."
Hillary
Host Mom, Washington D.C.
"The best part about Kati is something we never could have known from her application – she is always smiling and happy. She leaves everyone around her in a good mood. She is cheerful, joyful, and –important for our family – funny too! She can dance, play, and be a role model. She connects with our 10, 8, and 6 year olds. They can’t get enough of her. We truly love her and she will forever remain part of our family."
Sharon
Host Mom, San Francisco
"Svenja our Educator from Germany joined our family 6 months ago and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like without her. My son has a sensory processing disorder and behavior problem and she has remarkable patience with him but also has been helping him simultaneously with coping strategies as well as course correction for behaviors. Her approach is firm but kind and my son adores her. She is also confident enough to point out where I was enabling him, possibly making things worse, and did it in a way that felt non-threatening - just kind and well intentioned."
Claudia
Host Mom, Dallas
"Sarah never tired of wanting to know how we do things, why we do things this way, and even why we don’t do them the other way. She wanted to understand so that she could make the most of her time with the kids, and not just be someone watching the kids. This is one of the reasons we wanted to have a professional Care Professional, so that there would be meaningful interaction with our children with lots of fun, yet structure. Sarah’s background as a kindergarten teacher with special needs experience was perfect for choosing activities for our children, whether it was raining or 100 degrees outside."
Lesley
Host Mom, Maryland
"Mateja came to us as an Care Professional back in February, taking a break from her work as a pediatric nurse in Austria. Very soon after she arrived though, she became part of our family, a younger sister to us and an aunt to our children. That is really the only way to label our relationship. Mateja has bonded with our family and provided such outstanding care to our children, going above and beyond, through efforts that could only come from a place of deep and genuine affection."
Vacelia
Host Mom, Florida
"Sarah is very kind, gentle and has a positive attitude. She is very knowledgeable and works very hard to care for our son. Our son has cerebral palsy: he is non-verbal, visually impaired and does not walk on his own. He requires full care. Sarah never complains and she has won his heart. She has meshed into our family like we have known her a million years. I cannot say enough about Sarah. She is an excellent representation of what an Apex Social Group should be. We are first time users of Apex Social Group and due to Sarah we will continue as long as possible. She is more then we had ever hoped for."
Stephanie
Host Mom, CA
We are longtime customers and I can say without hesitation that we wouldn't survive without them. Each of our caregivers has been phenomenal, and a beloved member of our family. They are making our children's lives dramatically better and we hope they are part of our lives forever. We love the APEX team and deeply grateful for all they do.
Katherin
Host Mom
"Bianca was able to jump right into our routine: changing diapers, preparing gluten-free meals, shuttling to and from therapy appointments, and participating in various activities with our children. With her help over the last year, we were able to successfully toilet-train Jack, have made great progress toilet training Ben, and expect Elizabeth to follow in the steps of her siblings soon. Any parent knows that this is no small feat!"
Peter and Amy
Host Parents, San Francisco
"Luise is our fourth Care Professional through Apex Social Group and all have been special and wonderful care givers. But there is something unique about Luise. Only a couple weeks into her stay with us, she already felt like a member of the family. She is quiet, but in a warm way and she doesn’t hesitate to tell us how much she is enjoying her time here. We often joke about how we’re pinching ourselves that a Skype interview could work out so well for us all."
Daniel
Host Dad, Colorado
"We believe love is a very powerful motivator so we are excited to see our professional Care Professional’s relationship with our son evolve as she builds a personal relationship with him. Throughout this entire process, Apex Social Group has been amazing! We can’t thank you enough… Thank you again for all your hard work and for founding this company… I cannot overstate what an impact your company has made on our family!!!"
Cassandra
Host Mom, Atlanta
"I never imagined that in just 8 weeks that someone could have such a profound and positive impact on our lives. Mona, our Care Professional from Apex Social Group, has brought laughter, love, professional expertise, and her cultural traditions to our house. From her first week with us, Mona sought ways to connect with our two children, ages 6 and 2. Our six-year-old son has a rare genetic condition, which includes cognitive disabilities and developmental delays. Mona quickly identified what made our son smile and was not afraid to jump in and engage in his favorite activities. We are so thankful to have been matched with Mona."
Misa
Host Mom
"The Care Professionals that Apex Social Group finds are of the highest caliber. We get the feeling that if the Care Professional is not good enough for Susan’s family, then they are not good enough for any of her host families either. We love how her team helps hand-pick which of the girls would match best with the host family."
Luisella
Host Mom, Baltimore
"Julia gets as excited as I do when Mikey or Ella accomplishes something they’ve been working on. We really admire Julia’s dedication, work ethic, and the drive she has to help both of our kids succeed. Julia’s background as an OT has been very beneficial when I have sought advice on how to help Mikey with certain behaviors. She also works with his OT on helping generalize at home what he is learning at school."
Katherine
Host Mom, New York City
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that Apex Social Group's Special Needs Care Professional exhibit. Our Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Julie
Host Mom, Southern California
"Our Care Professional is exceptional. She is a pediatric nurse with infant experience. Beyond her excellent qualifications, she is also a kind, energetic, and caring person with high integrity. She takes excellent care of our kids and has become part of our family. We are grateful to Apex Social Group for finding her."
Dana
Host Mom, Maryland
"When Johanna joined our family, our son was 19 months old and had already been through three childcare providers. No one seemed able to respond to his special needs and stubborn personality in a way that would allow him to blossom. Johanna had been in our house for less than an hour when my husband and I snuck into the kitchen to slap high fives. We could already tell that she was perfect. She knew just the right way to approach our son. Our son is thriving under Johanna’s care. Thanks to Johanna’s patient work with him, he is continually developing new skills, making new sounds, and growing into his potential."
Scott
Host Dad, New Jersey
"Conny has lived with my family for over a year and has elected to continue her stay with us for an additional year. I’m a single father of 4.5-year-old twins and Conny has handled the unique challenges that we have with professionalism, love, grace and patience. My children warmed up to her immediately and she was able to establish a strong bond that has endured. Her calm yet enthusiastic demeanor has worked wonders with the kids. She never has a bad day…even when she’s having a bad day!"
Allison
Host Mom, NJ
"Apex Social Group solved our childcare problems and has allowed me to return to work full-time. With two special needs children, I was unsure I would be able to find an Care Professional with the right qualifications. But Apex Social Group put us in touch with two highly qualified candidates right away. I particularly liked being able to review information about the available Care Professional candidates online at the beginning of the selection process. I also thought the process was relatively speedy."
Katherine
Host Mom, Chicago, IL
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that their Care Professionals exhibit. Our professional special needs Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Teresa
Host Mom, Virginia
"Simone arrived in August. She continually entertains and works with our wheelchair bound angel, from creating projects to involve her fine motor control to exercising her daily so her spastic limbs move better. She sings traditional German folk songs while feeding our daughter, who depends entirely on caregivers to feed her as well as perform all the activities we take for granted with a child who is typical. Our lives have been blessed having this saint living here and she has totally become one of our family!"
Holly
Host Mom, San Francisco
"After working with another agency and experiencing a challenging year with our first Care Professional, we switched to Apex Social Group. We are thrilled with our current Care Professional and feel that only now is our family experiencing the true spirit of the Care Professional program. Janina is like part of our family and we never would have found her if it weren’t for Apex Social Group.
Peter
Host Dad, San Francisco
"Our family had been hosting Care Professionals for 4 years through another agency before switching to Apex Social Group this year. While I believe every Care Professional experience depends almost entirely on the interaction of the Care Professional and the host family, my impression is that Apex Social Group does a better job vetting their candidates, and their matching coordinators are more familiar with each individual candidate. This allows them to provide more useful assistance in finding a good match."
Hillary
Host Mom, Washington D.C.
"The best part about Kati is something we never could have known from her application – she is always smiling and happy. She leaves everyone around her in a good mood. She is cheerful, joyful, and –important for our family – funny too! She can dance, play, and be a role model. She connects with our 10, 8, and 6 year olds. They can’t get enough of her. We truly love her and she will forever remain part of our family."
Sharon
Host Mom, San Francisco
"Svenja our Educator from Germany joined our family 6 months ago and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like without her. My son has a sensory processing disorder and behavior problem and she has remarkable patience with him but also has been helping him simultaneously with coping strategies as well as course correction for behaviors. Her approach is firm but kind and my son adores her. She is also confident enough to point out where I was enabling him, possibly making things worse, and did it in a way that felt non-threatening - just kind and well intentioned."
Claudia
Host Mom, Dallas
"Sarah never tired of wanting to know how we do things, why we do things this way, and even why we don’t do them the other way. She wanted to understand so that she could make the most of her time with the kids, and not just be someone watching the kids. This is one of the reasons we wanted to have a professional Care Professional, so that there would be meaningful interaction with our children with lots of fun, yet structure. Sarah’s background as a kindergarten teacher with special needs experience was perfect for choosing activities for our children, whether it was raining or 100 degrees outside."
Lesley
Host Mom, Maryland
"Mateja came to us as an Care Professional back in February, taking a break from her work as a pediatric nurse in Austria. Very soon after she arrived though, she became part of our family, a younger sister to us and an aunt to our children. That is really the only way to label our relationship. Mateja has bonded with our family and provided such outstanding care to our children, going above and beyond, through efforts that could only come from a place of deep and genuine affection."
Vacelia
Host Mom, Florida
"Sarah is very kind, gentle and has a positive attitude. She is very knowledgeable and works very hard to care for our son. Our son has cerebral palsy: he is non-verbal, visually impaired and does not walk on his own. He requires full care. Sarah never complains and she has won his heart. She has meshed into our family like we have known her a million years. I cannot say enough about Sarah. She is an excellent representation of what an Apex Social Group should be. We are first time users of Apex Social Group and due to Sarah we will continue as long as possible. She is more then we had ever hoped for."
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