Not according to both my accountants
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China has had a bilateral tax treaty with the US since 1987, so if you were working there after then, that would be why you didn’t have to pay, only file.
Nothing odd about it- there are 195 countries in the world and only a few big ones are worth negotiating tax treaties with.
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Hence why many writers are going to Patreon to bypass the publishers entirely
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They even do that for green card holders, too.
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True, although you can only be outside the US for a few months at a time anyway before you lose the green card so it’s rarely much of an issue. You’ll be back before the tax year is up, or will have forfeited the green card in absentia.
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There was an NPR podcast episode about this kind of thing a few months ago. I never really thought about this until I heard the podcast.
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Yep, definitely have to file even if just a zero return.
Also, tax laws are constantly changing. For example, it used to be a 183 days residency outside the US for exemption, now it is something like 230 days.
Always consult a licensed tax specialist if you find yourself in a unique tax situation. Don’t listen to a rando on the internet such as myself.
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good idea!
wait. was it a good idea!? 
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