Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered nonresidents for tax purposes. International undergraduate students on J-1 & F-1 visas are automatically considered nonresident for their first five calendar years in the US, whilst Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered nonresidents for two out of the last six calendar years in the US. If you’ve been in the US for longer than the five or two year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.

We have teamed up with Sprintax to provide you with an easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the US. We (and all other university staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.

After you login to Sprintax, you will be asked a series of questions about the time you have spent in the US over recent years. Sprintax will then determine your tax status. If it determines that you are a "nonresident alien" (NRA) for federal tax purposes, you can continue to use the software to respond to a series of guided questions. Sprintax will then complete and generate the tax forms you need to send to the tax authorities.

However, if Sprintax determines that you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won't be able to continue using the software.

Please contact CIE for a unique code that will cover the costs of the federal tax return and 8843 at no cost to you. 

• Passport
  
  
• Visa/Immigration information, including form I-20 (F status) or form DS-2019 (J status)
  
  
• Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one)
  • This is not needed if you had no income and the 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.
• 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 mailed to you by March 15 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. Login to Sprintax to check your tax status if you're not sure.
• US entry and exit dates for current and past visits to the US
  • In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your US travel history here.
• 1099*
  • This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment.

*These items are ones that you may not receive, but if you do receive them, they will be used when filing your taxes.

Please contact International Tax at intltax@siu.edu for a unique code that will cover the costs of the federal tax return and 8843 at no cost to you.

Step 1: Gather the documents needed (See 'Documents Needed To File' section above)

Step 2: Create a Sprintax Account

Head to Sprintax to set up your. Open your new Sprintax account by creating a UserID and password or if you have an existing account on Sprintax you can login using your existing credentials.

If you did not earn any US Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).

If you did earn US Income: Sprintax will generate your "tax return documents", including either a 1040NR-EZ or a longer form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.

After you finish your federal return, Sprintax will inform you if you need to complete a state tax return. If so, you will have the option to use Sprintax for an additional fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own.

Step 5: Read the instructions for filing/mailing your returns

Remember to read the instructions that Sprintax provides.

You will be required to download, print and sign your federal tax return and mail it to the IRS. If you have a state filing requirement, you must also mail this to the tax authorities.

Finally, if you only need to file Form 8843, this will also need to be mailed to the IRS.

Need Sprintax Support?

If you need help while using Sprintax, you can contact their support team using the options below

Email - hello@sprintax.com

24/7 Live Chat Help

Refer to their FAQs