TAX INFORMATION 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, even for one day, you are required to file at least one tax form for the year. Tax forms are due April 15 the following year.
If you did not earn any income, you are required to file IRS Form 8843. If you were here in the U.S. without earning income in a year, you should complete the 8843 and mail it by April 15 of the next year to: The Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0215.
If you earned U.S. income in the calendar year, you likely need to file more tax forms with the IRS by April 15 of the following year. The tax forms for income may include a federal, state, and/or local tax return Several personal factors determine which forms you need to complete if you had income in the U.S. (how long you’ve been in the U.S., where you live abroad, etc.)
Because the tax laws and forms can be quite complicated and overwhelming, we encourage you to consider purchasing tax software or hiring a licensed tax preparer of your choosing. Many tax preparation services and software exist and OIA does not recommend any in particular.
Please note that OIA is not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice. We are not liscensed tax professionals, which is required by US. law to advise on taxes. So we are not legally allowed to give you any tax advice or answer your tax questions. The OIA professional staff all use different tax licensed preparers ourselves for our own income taxes, as U.S. taxes are complicated.
The company Sprintax provides a tax preparation software specifically designed for nonresident students in the U.S. If you want to use Sprintax, you can connect with them using the below information. If you choose to use Sprintax, you can use the code “5PRATT300F24” for $5 off the federal return only. The code does not apply to the 8843 form alone.
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
Telephone (toll-free): 1-866-601-5695
All below info sessions are during 2025, related to tax filing for the 2024 calendar year.
Sprintax Tax Info Sessions for international students (free)
Tuesday, March 11 @ 2pm EST – Register here
Thursday, March 27th @ 1pm EST – Register here
Thursday, April 3rd @ 1pm EST – Register here
Thursday, April 10th @ 2pm EST – Register here
Monday, April 14th @ 11am EST – Register here
Sprintax OPT/Alumni-specific webinars (free)
Wednesday, February 26th @ 2pm EST – Register here
Thursday, March 27th @12pm EST – Register here