United States Taxes
Learn about filing Federal and State taxes as an F-1 or J-1 scholar or student.
Tax 2024 Season Ended
Tax season is officially over, however, if you are still needing assistance we ask that you work with Sprintax (non-residents for tax purposes).
Assistance from ISSS Staff
No staff member from ISSS is able to provide personal assistance with filing taxes such as providing tax advice or filling out specific forms. The information provided below is intended for F-1 and J-1 holder's benefit. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Sprintax, a certified tax preparer or a local IRS field office.
overview and Tax Filing Obligations
If you were physically in the United States on F or J status anytime between January 1st through December 31st 2023, students are obligated to file Form 8843 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Meanwhile, if students earn any taxable U.S. source income will need to file a federal tax return with the IRS on top of the Form 8843. Depending on the student's individual circumstances, they may also need to file a state tax return. Submitting these forms are a legal requirement as well as a requirement to maintain the F-1 or J-1 status. If a student or scholar who owe taxes and do not file, the IRS can fine or penalize them.
Sources of U.S. income may include the following:
- On-Campus Employment
- Graduate Assistantships (TA/RA/GA)
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Grants
- Earnings from OPT, STEM OPT or CPT
Tax Filing Deadline | April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024 is the last day for residents and nonresidents for tax purposes who earned U.S. income to file Federal tax returns for the 2023 tax year; however, if students need more time, they must file for an extension. Please review the IRS guideline for more information.
Do Not Fall for Tax Scams
International students and scholars may fall victim to phishing emails or phone calls claming that they will be refunded a large amount of money. Do not respond or give into them, if students receive any scams to report it to ISSS.
vita tax filing workshops
International Student & Scholar Services and Financial Wellness Center has arranged for trained volunteers through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help international students complete and file their tax forms using Sprintax. Students and scholars can use the VITA program if they meet the following conditions:
Earned any income from a U.S. source during the 2023 tax year and hold an F-1 or J-1 visa.
Been in the United States for less than five years.
An annual income less than $60,000.
If the student or scholar meets the criteria above, they are eligible to attend a VITA tax filing workshop.
International Student VITA Tax Filing Workshop
Returning 2025
To attend and participate in the webinar, please have:
- Immigration documents: I-20/DS-2019, passport, I-94 form.
- The Social Security Number for yourself and all your dependents (if applicable).
- All tax documents you have received, including a form W-2 from all states in which income was earned. Form 1042-S, Form 1099-INT for bank account interest, other tax-related documents and your previous tax returns. (if married, you must also bring all similar documents for your spouse).
If students or scholars did not earn any income from a U.S. source during the 2023 tax year will only need to submit the IRS Form 8843. Students and scholars are encouraged to work with Sprintax to get a filled out Form 8843.
Resident or nonresident for tax purposes
Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F or J visas are considered nonresidents for tax purposes. F-1 & J-1 students are automatically considered nonresident for their first five calendar years in the U.S., whilst Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered nonresidents for two out of the last six calendar years in the U.S.
If a student or scholar have been in the U.S. for longer than the five or two year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine the individual's tax residency or Sprintax can help determine your tax status.
If the student is identified as a resident for tax purposes, this does not change their immigration status, they will still be considered on an F or J visa.
Sprintax
The International Student & Scholar Services at the University of Utah has teamed up with Sprintax to provide students with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the United States.
Sprintax Discount Code | No Longer Available Until 2025
ISSS has purchased a limited number of Sprintax Discount Codes to help off-set the cost for students using the service to file their federal tax return. These codes are available at a first come, first-servied basis. Please see the step-by-step instructions below to receive a discount code.
Nonresident students and scholars will log in to Sprintax and will be asked a series of questions about the time spent in the U.S. and the types of visas over a period of years. Afterwards, Sprintax will determine the student or scholar's tax status. If determined as nonresident (NRA) for federal tax purposes, the student or scholar may continue to use Sprintax. If Sprintax determines the student or scholar as a resident for federal tax purposes, they will not be able to use the software. However, Sprintax will direct the resident student or scholar to other resources if deemed a resident.
Sprintax Webinars
| Webinar Dates and Times | Registration Link |
|---|---|
| Wednesday January 24th @ 1 PM (MST) | REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday February 8th @ 11 AM (MST) | |
| Tuesday February 20th @ 10 AM (MST) | |
| Tuesday March 5th @ 2 PM (MST) | |
| Wednesday March 20th @ 12 PM (MST) | REGISTER HERE |
| Wednesday March 27th @ 11 AM (MST) | REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday April 4th @ 1 PM (MST) | |
| Wednesday April 10th @ 10 AM (MST) | REGISTER HERE |
| Monday April 15th @ 11 PM (MST) | REGISTER HERE |
Students have access to the Sprintax Youtube channel where there are a number of educational videos on non-resident taxes. These videos will provide further clarity on non-resident tax and how to use Sprintax. Sprintax also offer a range of usseful content on their blog to help students file their returns.
Students and scholars are not required to use Sprintax for their federal or state returns. However, please note that other tax preparation software, such as TurboTax or H&R Block will not allow individuals to file nonresident tax forms, so many international students and scholars are not able to use those programs. Only F and J visa holders that are determined to be residents for tax purposes should use tax preparation software like TurboTax.
Step-by-step instructions for filing tax forms for nonresident F and J visa holders using sprintax
- Gather the Documents for Sprintax
Documents marked with * may not apply to all F and J visa holders. If the document does not apply to your circumstance, you will not need to include it when filing your tax return.
Document Description Passport Must be valid at the time of filing. Visa/Immigration information, including form I-20 (F status) or form DS-2019 (J Status) Please use the most current I-20 or DS-2019.
Social Securty or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one) These are not needed if you had no income for the 2023 tax year and the Form 8843 is the only form you have to file.
*W-2 This form reports your wage earnings if you worked. If you had more than one employer you should get a W-2 from each employer. It is issued by the end of January for the previous year. Make sure all employers from last year have an up-to-date address for you.
If you were employed by the University of Utah for any part of the 2023 tax year, you should receive a W-2 from Human Resource Management and Financial Services. Please contact Human Recourses if you did not receive a W-2.
*1042-S This form is used to report:
1. Stipend, scholarship, fellowship income and travel grants (not tuition reduction or exemption).
2. Income covered by a tax treaty.
3. Payment for other types of services (eg by the semester as a note-taker).
If you received this type of income, the 1042-S will be emailed to you by March 15th by the payer.
Note: Only Nonresident Aliens receive this form. IF your tax status changes to a Resident Alien you will not get a 1042-S.
U.S. Entry and Exit Dates for Current and Past Visits to the U.S. In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your U.S. travel history by issuing a recent I-94.
*1099 This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment. If you received this type of income, the 1099 will be mailed to you by the issuer. 1098-T If you received this form, it is not needed and cannot be used for a nonresident tax return because NRAs are not eligible to claim education expense tax credits. Please keep this form for your own records.
- Create a Sprintax Account
We have arranged for individuals to use Sprintax to assist in tax filings. Please create a Sprintax account using the link below. Students must utilize the links to Sprintax from this page.
create sprintax account (University of Utah link)
- Request for Discount Code from ISSS
**Codes are Not Available Until 2025 | 2024 Tax Season Ended
ISSS has purchased a limited number of Sprintax Discount Codes to help off-set the cost for students using the service to file their federal tax return. These codes are available at a first-come, first-served basis.
This service is limited to current F-1 students and J-1 students or scholars (including those who are on Optional Practical Training or Academic Training).
Sprintax discount code request e-form - No Longer available until 2025
- Follow the Sprintax Instructions
If you did not earn any U.S. income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any). This form must be physically mailed to the IRS. On page 3 of IRS Form 8843, there are instructions on where you will mail this from. Before mailing anything, make copies for your records.
If you did earn U.S. income: Sprintax will generate your "tax return documents", including form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.
- (If Required) Complete Your State Tax Return
After the student finishes their federal return, Sprintax will inform the student if they need to complete a state tax return. If so, they will give the student the option to use Sprintax for an individual fee. However, it is the student's choice to use Sprintax or to do the state tax return on their own.
If the student or scholar transferred from another U.S. institution and/or earned income in another state, must file a state income tax return for every state in which income was earned.
- Read the instructions for filing/mailing your returns
Students and scholars are encouraged to read the instructions that Sprintax provides. Students or scholars may be able to e-file (electronically file) their federal tax return directly through Sprintax; however, they may still need to print, sign and mail the state tax return forms to the state tax authorities.
*If students or scholars only need to file Form 8843, this will also need to be physically mailed to the IRS.
Taxes- Frequently Asked Questions
When you start a job in the U.S., you’ll fill out a W-4 Form so your employer can estimate what income should be withheld from your wages for tax purposes. This is then paid directly to the U.S. Treasury (and/or the appropriate state agency) on your behalf. At the end of the tax year, you must verify that you’ve paid the correct amount of tax by filing your tax return.
You must file an income tax return if you want to:
- Claim a refund of overpaid tax, or
- Claim the benefit of any deductions or credits. For example, if you have no U.S. business activities but have income from real property that you choose to treat as effectively connected income, you must timely file a true and accurate return to take any allowable deductions against that income.
The terms of your visa require you to comply with all U.S laws and regulations which includes that you file an accurate income tax return. Filing tax returns will ensure that you are following laws. It is also important for potential future immigration benefits. For example, you might be required to show proof that you filed if you wish to change your visa status, or obtain permanent residency, or regain entry into the United States once you have left.
For more information we encourage students and scholars to review the Taxation of Nonresident Aliens.
Tuesday, April 15, 2024
The U.S. currently has tax treaty with more than 50 countries. The purpose of the tax treaty is to decrease the likelihood that the non-resident alien (NRA) will be taxed on the same income both in the U.S. and the country of tax residency. In order for The University to honor your tax treaty and reduce your tax withholding you will need to complete the appropriate forms. Please check with the University’s Tax Services and Payroll Accounting.
For a list of U.S. Income Tax Treaties, visit U.S. Income Tax Treaties – A to Z
Please note that not all are the same.
A web-based service for filing tax returns. Sprintax was created specifically for international students, scholars, teachers and researchers in the U.S. on an F or J visa. They work specifically with non-residents for tax purposes to make tax prep easy and ensure they are fully compliant with the IRS tax rules.
As long as you are still a non-resident for tax purposes, you are eligible to use Sprintax. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is not a separate visa status. It is a benefit of F-1 status, and while engaging in OPT, you are still an F-1 student and therefore eligible for their services.
Sprintax is easy to use and works as follows:
- Create an account or log-in
- Answer some easy-to-understand questions
- Sprintax then reviews the details for all applicable relief and deductions
- Sprintax finalizes the calculations and prepares tax return
- Print tax return and mail it to IRS or E-file
Please contact the Sprintax team. International student or scholar advisors are not tax professionals and cannot assist with advising on tax return preparation and filing.
The Sprintax team can help via online chat system, phone call: 1-866-601-5695 or email hello@Sprintax.com. They provide 24/7 support. They also have several informative videos on their YouTube Channel.
Yes. In the beginning of the application, it will ask simple questions to determine what form should be filled out. It will guide you to the correct form.
Fill out the Sprintax Discount Code E-form through UAtlas
At the end of the application process, on the ‘Review Your Order’ page, everyone will be asked to enter the code provided by the University or pay additional amount (if applicable).
Yes. Log-in to Sprintax account and click on the "Download Returns" section on the drop down menu in the top right corner.
Amendments to a tax return cannot be done through Sprintax. A taxpayer must use Form 1040X Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to correct a previously filed Form 1040, Form 1040A, Form 1040EZ, Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ. An amended tax return cannot be filed electronically under the e-file system.
A tax payer can simply go back through the steps, correct information and submit the tax return again before sending it out to the IRS. Sprintax won’t ask to pay again for the amended tax return. However, no more than twenty changes are allowed and once this limit is reached, the Sprintax account will be automatically locked to protect the privacy and the security of the data.
When all steps are complete, Sprintax will create a set of documents, i.e. your tax return. This will include instructions, your completed tax return, and a copy for you to keep. You need to print these documents, sign the bottom of each form (there should be a pen icon where to sign), and mail the signed return to the address shown on the instructions.
**Sprintax will not mail your forms to the IRS on your behalf. Please carefully follow the detailed instructions provided by Sprintax with your tax forms.
**Please note that there may be multiple tax returns you need to sign and mail. For example, you might have a Form 8843, a Form 1040NR, and a Form 40N.
If you are a Resident for tax purposes, unfortunately you cannot use the Sprintax software to file your taxes as it is specific for non-residents for tax purposes. If it is determined you are now considered a resident for tax purposes, you will need to use another tax software or seek the help of a tax professional. Some other tax companies include H&R Block, TurboTax, and Jackson Hewitt.
Tax filing requirements may be different for each individual depending on various issues. Since ISSS cannot provide advising on tax related issues, we encourage that you create a Sprintax account and contact Sprintax for questions and concerns. Alternatively, you may start the application process and the software can then evaluate your answers to determine what forms should be used, if applicable.
If it is determined you are now considered a resident for tax purposes, you will need to use another tax software or seek the help of a tax professional. Some other tax companies include H&R Block, TurboTax, and Jackson Hewitt.