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U.S. Taxes for International Students

U.S. Tax Information

USI Center for International Programs works with SPRINTAX to help international students file for taxes. In the year 2024, students file for taxes for the year 2023.

Sprintax Open Tax Webinars for Filing Season 2023

 They will also be hosting an OPT/CPT webinars in the coming months to help prepare students for OPT/CPT from a tax perspective.

 Sprintax OPT/CPT Tax Webinars


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is a tax return?

Income is taxable in the United States. Every spring, the U.S. federal government, and most states require American citizens and many international visitors to file a “tax return.”  A tax return documents the income that someone earned the previous year and determines if any additional tax is owed, or if a refund is available.

Are international students required to file tax returns?

Yes! All international students are REQUIRED to file a return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year they are in the United States: the federal AND state tax returns required for those who earn income and the non-employed federal form for those who did not earn income. If you were studying in the US for any length of time in 2023, you must file (or submit) documents declaring your income, or one stating that you did not earn an income. 

Do I have to pay taxes?

All international persons living in the U.S. are required to comply with the U.S. requirement to file federal and state tax “returns” and pay any required taxes by the due date for any U.S. income received in the tax year.  If you paid any taxes in error, filing a U.S. and Indiana State tax return is the only way to receive a refund of these taxes.

I was living outside the U.S. in 2023. Do I need to file taxes?

No, if you were NOT present in the United States during 2023, then you do NOT have to file a 2023 tax return, and you can ignore this information.

Do I need to file if I lived in the U.S. but didn't have a job or didn't earn any income?

International students who were in the United States for any length of time during 2023 and did not earn income must file the Non-Employed 8843 Form. 

  • This form is also available through the Sprintax software, which is available for use by students who were enrolled at the University of Southern Indiana for any term in 2023. You will receive an email to your USI email address with the Sprintax log-in information on or around February 1. 
  • The Non-Employed 8843 Form is also available online at the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf

What is the deadline to complete the process?

The deadline to file the tax return is April 15, 2024.

Do I need any forms to complete tax returns?

If you earned an income you cannot complete your tax forms until you have received a report of the previous year's income.  This is generally reported on form W-2 or 1042-S.  USI employees received the W-2 in late January.  The 1042-S is typically prepared and sent by USI’s tax office in February. If you received additional income—say as an independent contractor—you may receive a 1099MISC.

  • Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement: W-2 forms are mailed to current and former employees. This form shows how much you earned last year and how much was taken out for taxes. You will only receive this form if you have been employed.
  • 1042-S (if applicable to you): The 1042-S form is not required to complete taxes for most international students at USI. The 1042-S form will only be given to nonresident alien students who have received scholarship or fellowship money that exceeds tuition and related fee charges.
  • Form 1099 (if applicable to you): The 1099 form documents miscellaneous income. For example, if you had CPT authorization to work as an independent contractor, rather than as an employee of an organization, you might receive Form 1099 instead of Form W-2 to document your earnings. Most international students do not receive a Form 1099.
  • You may receive a form 1098-T or a form 1095. These are not needed if you are a non-resident for tax purposes.

If you are a non-resident for tax purposes, you will be able to use Sprintax to prepare your federal tax return. Sprintax will help you complete form 1040NR or 1040NREZ and form 8843. Sprintax will enable you to compile all forms of U.S. income regardless of the type of form the income was reported on. You can prepare your federal tax return with Sprintax for free and prepare Indiana State tax return for a fee that you can pay by credit card. You will receive an email to your USI email address with the Sprintax log-in information on or around February 1. 

State Tax Resources

Sprintax - You can use Sprintax to complete your state tax forms for a fee that you can pay by credit card when you complete your tax return. You will receive an email to your USI email address with the Sprintax log-in information on or around February 1.   

IN DOR online resources - Alternately, the Indiana Department of Revenue (IN DOR) makes Indiana state tax forms and instructions available online.  Resources are available in English and Spanish. You can use these resources if you would like to complete your Indiana State tax return at no cost. Below are additional Indiana state tax resources: 

  • Download Form IT-40PNR from this page (scroll down to the IT-40PNR section). You will complete all schedules but B and G. 
  • IN DOR prefers that you email your questions to individualtaxassistance@dor.in.gov
  • Call IN DOR Customer Service at 317-232-2240 from 8am-4:30pm. We recommend you call early to avoid long wait times.
  • Call one of the IN DOR District Offices across the state for assistance with state tax questions. 

Sprintax Contact Information

You will receive an email to your USI email address with the Sprintax log-in information on or around February 1. Log in to see the resources, FAQ, and chat. You can make an enquiry online.