Any non-immigrant living in the USA for less than 5 years is considered a
non-resident for tax purposes. Thus, those individuals are required to submit
1040-NR instead of the general 1040. International students, in particular, are
often unsure about the process and reach out to tax filers instead of
submitting on their own. If you are reading this blog, by the end of it you
will be able to submit your taxes yourself.
There are several tools that assist with
submitting taxes. We strongly recommend Sprintax because many universities provide
referral codes that waive the federal submission fee. You only have to pay for
state tax documents, which is around $49. Let’s begin the process.
If you are using the Sprintax portal for the
first time, click “Get Started” and sign up. If you already have an account,
proceed directly to login.
Make sure while selecting the service, you
choose “Returns,” the very first option. There is also an option to choose
campus login. If your campus is listed, you can log in using your campus
credentials. However, we recommend using your personal email to create an
account for future purposes. Once you log in, you will land on a page that
lists the documents needed before beginning the process. Here is the list:
-
Passport
-
US entry and exit dates for current and all past visits to the US
-
All income forms: W-2 forms, 1042-S, and/or 1099
-
Visa/immigration status information
-
Including Form DS-2019 (for J visa holders) or Form I-20 (for F visa holders)
-
Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
(ITIN)
After all documents are on hand, we can
proceed to the next step.
On the Welcome Page, you will have the option
to select the tax filing year. Generally, the filing window opens in February;
by mid-February, you will be able to see the current filing year. Select this
year and press the next arrow.
Page 1 – Residency Status
On this page, you have to provide details about your visa status, when you
entered the USA, and your intended date to leave. For the intended date, enter
the program completion date from your I-20. If you have traveled outside the US
during your stay, you should update all such instances.
Page 2 – Visa Details
On this page, you have to provide details from your visa stamp and I-20. Please
note that the approximate date you permanently left or intend to permanently
leave the US will be your program completion date stated in the I-20.
Page 3 – About You
On this page, you have to provide your personal details, including SSN or ITIN.
If you don’t have an SSN/ITIN, you are not required to submit 1040-NR because
you technically don’t have any income.
Page 4 – Your Address
Provide your current residential address in the US and your home country
address. Also provide passport details.
Page 5 – Marital Status
If you are married and have your spouse in the USA, you may have advantages
when updating this page.
Page 6 – Income Document
On this page, you have to indicate which document you will use to submit your
tax filing. Select W-2 or 1042-S, whichever applies to you.
Page 7 – W-2/1042-S
On this page, you have to upload a scanned copy of your document. The system
will automatically fill in the table for you. Wherever there are missing
fields, update them manually. Cross-check that the entries are correct.
Page 8 – Other Income
Report any income other than what is stated in your W-2. If you have undergone
an internship, you must include that income on this page.
Page 9 – Additional Tax Info
This page is for reporting if you have paid taxes directly to the IRS beyond
what was paid by your employer.
Page 10 – Academic Expenses
If you have any student loans in the US, select yes; otherwise, select no.
Page 11 – Other Expenses
If you have donated to charity or purchased insurance directly from health.gov,
you have to fill in those details. Insurance provided by your employer or
purchased from the marketplace is not considered for submission.
Page 12 – College Detail
Fill in the details related to your college, program, and program director as
stated in your I-20.
Page 13 – State Tax Living in the US
Update the entry and exit dates during your stay this year. If you traveled to
the US this year, then the first row should include the first day of the year
and the day before you arrived, with the accommodation type listed as home (or
wherever you were before). The type of visit should be permanent. Update the
second row based on your stay.
Click next to choose the state you currently reside in. On the next page, you
will be asked to update any online purchases made, which may allow you to
reduce your state tax.
Page 14 – Summary Page
On this page, you will see a summary of your federal tax—how much you owe or
how much is owed to you. Similarly, under the state section, you can view state
tax details. If you are convinced with the summary, you can proceed to download
the tax documents. If you owe any amount, it can be paid through a bank cheque
or money order, which will be discussed later. If federal or state authorities
owe you, provide details on how you wish to receive the payment. It is
recommended to provide your bank details for direct transfer. Some states do
not offer bank transfers; in such cases, you must provide an address where the
cheque will be delivered.
Page 15 – Payment
Most universities provide referral codes that waive the federal tax filing fee,
so you are only required to pay for state tax documents. Once you make the
payment, the tax documents can be downloaded, and you will receive a
confirmation email at the address you signed up with.
Semi Final
Review the documents and sign on the pages where required. Since you are filing
on your own, there is no need to include filer details. If you owe any amount
to the state or federal authorities, you must prepare a cheque in the name of
the IRS or the respective state authority. If you don’t have a cheque, you can
purchase a money order from local stores or liquor shops for an additional ~$2.
Ensure you provide the recipient office name and your information on the
cheque.
Final
It’s time to submit your state and federal documents to the respective offices
via mail. Make sure you include the cut-out section of your W-2 along with the
tax documents and cheque (if applicable). You can use standard USPS mail
service, which costs around $7 per mail and includes tracking.
I hope this was helpful.
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