As an international student or scholar, your U.S. tax responsibilities depend on your tax residency status, not your immigration status.
You may be required to:
The ISSS Office cannot answer tax inquiries.
Designated School Officials (DSOs) are not trained in U.S. tax law, and ISSS is not permitted to provide tax advice or assist with completing IRS forms.
Information on this page is for general guidance only.
For personalized tax assistance, please contact:
Sprintax Support:
hello@sprintax.com
Live chat available through Sprintax
Utilizing the Sprintax Portal
International students and scholars in F-1 or J-1 status may be required to file a U.S. federal tax return if they earned income in the United States.
A tax return compares:
Many international students are eligible for a refund after filing.
If you did not earn income in the U.S. during the tax year, you may still be required to file:
Form 8843 (Statement for Exempt Individuals)
This form is required for F, J, M, and Q visa holders who were present in the U.S. as nonresident aliens, even if no income was earned.
Students are encouraged to file as early as possible.
Benefits of early filing:
Students are strongly encouraged to file before leaving the U.S.
here are two tax residency categories:
This classification determines how your income is taxed under U.S. law. Filing under the wrong status may result in incorrect tax calculations or additional taxes owed.
Tax residency is determined using the Substantial Presence Test.
If you are unsure of your tax status, contact the Payroll and Tax Compliance Office.
If you are classified as a nonresident alien for tax purposes, you are generally required to file:
Your tax return must be:
The United States has tax treaties with certain countries to avoid double taxation.
Depending on your country of citizenship, you may:
Eligibility depends on your visa status and country of residence.
TXST international students may receive access to Sprintax tax preparation support and seasonal discount codes (shared via ISSS email announcements).
In these tax webinars, international students, scholars and professionals will be run through
everything they need to know about nonresident tax for the 2025 tax season.
Topics will include who must file, tax residency, FICA, State returns, implications of misfiling as well as how to use Sprintax to prepare a compliant tax return.
Download the SprinTax Webinar document to register for their next session!
Topics covered will include residency for tax purposes, tax liabilities when on OPT/CPT
and pre-employment tax forms when on OPT/CPT. The Sprintax team will also provide an
overview of Sprintax Forms which can be used to prepare your pre-OPT/CPT employment tax
documents.
Download the SprinTax Webinar document to register for their next session!
All International Students are required to submit this form confirming that you are exempt from filing taxes.
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Guide which provides answers to common questions concerning taxation of foreign persons.
