U.S. TAXES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students in the United States have important tax filing obligations each year with the national authority for taxes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
If you were physically present in the U.S. anytime between January 1 and December 31, you are required to file the IRS Form 8843. You must file this form even if you did not earn any income.
If you earned any taxable U.S. source income, you likely need to file a federal tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state and/or local tax return.
The deadline for filing tax forms for the previous calendar year is April 15.
If you were inside the U.S. in 2024 as an international student for any time, you are legally required to file a tax form with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The deadline for filing is April 15, 2025. Even if you did not work or receive U.S. income in 2024, you are still required to complete the IRS Form 8843 and mail it to: Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0215.
Because the tax laws and forms can be quite complicated and overwhelming, you may consider purchasing tax software or hiring a licensed tax preparer. Please note OIA staff are not licensed tax professionals, so we are not legally allowed to give you any tax advice or answer your tax questions.
SPRINTAX RESOURCES
Sprintax provides an easy-to-use tax preparation software specifically designed for nonresident students in the U.S. and offers a chat feature. Many other tax preparation services and software also exist and OIA does not recommend any in particular. It is up to you whether you use Sprintax or another tax professional service, but OIA cannot answer tax questions because we are not legally licensed to do so.
Sprintax website (live chat available): https://sprintax.com
Sprintax YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprintax/videos
Sprintax Blog: https://blog.sprintax.com/
Email: hello@sprintax.com
Phone: 1-866-601-5695