We have teamed up with Sprintax to provide you with an easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the US. You will receive an email from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), well before the tax filing deadline, providing you with information on how to set up your account and apply a discount to cover the costs of the federal tax return and 8843 at no cost to you.
We (and all other university staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice. We hope the following information will be helpful as you consider filing your taxes.
Refer to the following table to determine your tax status for the 2023 calendar year (January 1 -- December 31, 2023). Please remember that tax filing obligations apply if you were physically present in the U.S. during 2023 even if for only one day and even if you earned no income whatsoever during the 2023 calendar year.
In general, if you had no income or only interest income during 2023, you will have tax filing obligations to the U.S. federal government's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) only. If you earned income during 2023, you may have tax filing obligations to New York State or your state of residence as well as to the IRS.
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TAX REFERENCE GUIDE (Non-Resident Taxation Only) |
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Your Tax Status During the 2023 Calendar Year |
Your Tax Filing Requirements: |
How to file: |
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(A) I was not present in the U.S. during 2023; I arrived in the U.S. on or after January 1, 2024.
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No filing requirements |
Not applicable |
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(B) I was present in the U.S. during 2023, but I did not have any U.S.-source income
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File IRS Form 8843 only |
Use Sprintax or download the paper form from the www.irs.gov site |
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(C) I was present in the U.S. during 2023, and my only source of U.S. income was interest earned from a savings account. I had no other U.S.-source income.
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File IRS Form 8843 only |
Use Sprintax or download the paper form from www.irs.gov |
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(D) I was present in the U.S. during 2023, and I had U.S.-source income (from salary/wages, interest or dividend income, or taxable scholarships and fellowships)
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File IRS Form 8843 and IRS Form 1040NR by April 15, 2024. & (For New York State residents): Refer to NY State Department of Taxation and Finance for further information and resources. Residents of New Jersey or Connecticut who earned income in New York or in their home states may have different tax obligations. Consult the tax sites of the individual states for more information.
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Use Sprintax or download the paper form from www.irs.gov. Sprintax also provides the option of producing state tax forms (fee may apply) |
Before you begin to prepare your tax returns, make sure you have the following documents and information in front of you:
If you received this type of income, the 1042-S will be sent to you by the payer.
Note: Only Nonresident Aliens receive this form. If your tax status changes to a Resident Alien you will not get a 1042-S. Login to Sprintax to check your tax status if you’re not sure.
NOTE: If you received a TC scholarship, or had income exempt from taxation due to a tax treaty, you will receive a 1042-S from Teachers College or your employer.)If you believe that you had income or scholarship/fellowships that are tax reportable, but you have not received the appropriate form, contact your employer, financial institution, educational institution or sponsoring agency.
Sprintax Tax Prep is now available through your Teachers College MyTC Portal.
Sprintax is designed for non-resident alien students and scholars (who have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years) and who have tax filing obligations.
You should receive an email from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) providing you with information on how to access Sprintax to set up your account.
Open your new Sprintax account by creating a User ID and password, or if you have an existing account on Sprintax you can login using your existing credentials. Click on the link below for more information on how to get started with Sprintax:
Sprintax_Instructions_Students_2023
After you have completed your federal tax return, if you have state tax filing obligations, please review the tax information on the websites of the states in which you lived and/or worked during 2023 for more information.
--You should not use Sprintax if you have been in the U.S. for more than 5 years, because you will most likely be a resident for tax purposes. The IRS also lists free on-line tax preparation services for U.S. citizens and residents. Popular commercial tax preparation services include TurboTax (http://www.turbotax.com) and H&R Block (http://www.hrblock.com).
Cost for using Sprintax is free for federal IRS tax forms, including IRS Form 8843
If you prefer not to use Sprintax, you may download updated Adobe Acrobat PDF versions of tax return from the appropriate tax websites. Please keep in mind that due to legal restrictions, the OISS is unable to assist you in completing your individual tax return.
If you did not earn any US Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).
If you did earn US Income: Sprintax will generate your “tax return documents”, which may include Form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.
After you finish your federal return, Sprintax will inform you if you need to complete a state tax return. If so, you will have the option to use Sprintax for an additional fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own.
Remember to read the instructions that Sprintax provides.
You will be required to download, print and sign your federal tax return and mail it to the IRS. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to E-file your Federal tax return. Please consult Sprintax for more information.
If you have a state filing requirement, you must also mail this to the tax authorities.
Finally, if you only need to file Form 8843, this will also need to be mailed to the IRS.
IMPORTANT: KEEP COPIES OF YOUR TAX RETURN AND ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR OWN PERMANENT RECORDS.
Deadline for Filing Your Return: April 15, 2024.
Need Sprintax Support?
If you need help while using Sprintax, you can contact their support team using the options below
Email - hello@sprintax.com
24/7 Live Chat Help
Sprintax Educational Tax Videos and Blog:
You also have access to the Sprintax YouTube account where there are a number of educational videos on nonresident taxes. These will provide further clarity on nonresident tax and how to use Sprintax. Sprintax also offers a range of useful content on their blog to help you file your return.
All tax forms and further information about U.S. federal and individual state tax requirements are available on the following tax websites:
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Internal Revenue Service |
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New York State Department of Taxation |
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New Jersey State Division of Taxation |
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Connecticut Department of Revenue Services |
Tax advice is also available through H&R Block and other commercial tax preparation services.
Dependents in F-2 or J-2 status are required to file IRS Tax Form 8843. J-2 dependents who had employment authorization and worked during 2023 must also file federal IRS and the appropriate state tax forms. You may use Sprintax to assist your dependents in filing these forms.
If you and/or your dependents have a Social Security Number, you should use that number on all tax forms that you submit to the IRS and/or state tax authorities. However, if you and/or your dependents are filing Form 8843 only and do not have a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), you do not need to report a SSN or ITIN. Do not use your TC ID number formatted "T000xxxxxx" on any tax returns; this number is for internal TC purposes only.
DISCLAIMER: The Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) and the school are NOT permitted to assist any student/scholar with any IRS tax form preparation or tax related questions. The information provided is intended for your benefit. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Sprintax, a certified tax preparer or a local IRS field office.