If you’ve been on a J1 recently, you have until April 17 to claim your tax back

Irish students who have been on a J1 recently have been urged to apply for their tax back as soon as possible.

It is estimated that up to 50 percent of people who went on a J1 to the States in the last four years have yet to claim their tax refund. On average, the refund tends to amount to about $800, or €644. Taxback.com has urged Irish students who took part in the programme between 2014 and 2017 to submit their tax refund forms before Tuesday, April 17. According to them, President Trump's changes to the tax system could mean that J1 students will no longer be entitled to such a lucrative tax break. Taxback.com's Eileen Devereux said that by introducing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Trump eliminated the personal exemption for tax years between 2018 and 2025. She said that this is likely to affect the thousands of Irish students who go to America to work every year. "We’re calling on anyone who took part in this programme over the last 4 years to come forward and get their refund," she said. "Particularly anyone who was there in the summer of 2014 as their window to claim is closing soon." Devereux also said that a lot of people don't realise how important filing for tax returns from the US is. If you fail to do so and then apply to work in the States again, you could incur a penalty. "People may not even realise the implications of this until they go to apply for another US visa at some stage in the future at which point they will be asked to produce copies of their tax returns for the last five years. "So it's very important all students meet their US tax obligations.” To apply for your tax back, you'll need your W2 Form or a final cumulative payslip and social security number/ITIN number. If you don't have these forms, Taxback.com can help you find them. The cut-off point for applying for tax back for Irish students is April 17, 2018.