Tax information
International students may still need to file taxes in the USA. Every year, Tax Day is April 15th. Failing to file your taxes is illegal and could negatively affect your future immigration-related abilities, such as getting visas or staying to work in the USA. Further, many people who file their taxes get money back from the government, so filing taxes is often a financial gain for you.
To help you figure out if you need to file your taxes and how to do so, we have created a Qualtrics survey for you. Please access the survey and fill it out honestly. The survey will tell you whether you need to file your taxes and what your options are for doing so.
Even If you do not need to file your taxes, international students who have been in the USA for less than 5 years must fill out Form 8843 which you can find here. Once this form is filled out, mail Form 8843 by April 15th to:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215
If you have lived in the United States for 5 years or more and have received income and/or scholarship money which goes towards your housing costs (you will have received a 1042-S document), you must file your taxes as a resident and will not be able to use Sprintax. Options for filing your taxes include using TurboTax, meeting with a tax professional, etc. You do not need to file Form 8843.
Please remember that no one in the CIE is a tax professional, and therefore we cannot advise you on filing your tax return. If you have trouble or questions as you work on your taxes, please contact a tax professional.