All international students must file their taxes before May 17th, 2021. SUNY Geneseo’s ISSS Office is working with Springtax to help all international students in filing their taxes.
And even if you didn’t work or receive income in the US, you’re still obliged to file a
Form 8843 with the IRS.
SUNY College at Geneseo has arranged free access to Sprintax Tax Preparation for
you. Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process, arrange the
necessary documents and check if you’re due a tax refund.
Who must file tax forms for 2020 tax season?
Even if you did not earn any income, if you were physically in the US on F or J status anytime
between 1 January – 31 December 2020, you’re obligated to file a Form 8843 with the IRS (the
Internal Revenue Service, or ‘IRS’, are the US tax authorities).
Meanwhile, if you earned more than $0 of taxable US source income, you may need to file a federal
tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a
state tax return(s).
Tax Filing Deadline:
17 May 2021 is the last day for residents and nonresidents who earned US income to file Federal tax
returns for the 2020 tax year.
Who is considered Resident or Nonresident for Federal Tax Purposes:
Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered
nonresidents for tax purposes. International undergraduate students on J-1 & F-1 visas are
automatically considered nonresident for their first five calendar years in the US, whilst
Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered nonresidents for two out of the last six
calendar years in the US. If you’ve been in the US for longer than the five or two year periods,
the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.
How to File:
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. We (and all other university staff) are not
qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.
After you login to Sprintax , you will be asked a series of questions about the time you have spent in
the US over recent years. Sprintax will then determine your tax status. If it determines that you are a
“nonresident alien” (NRA) for federal tax purposes, you can continue to use the software to respond
to a series of guided questions. Sprintax will then complete and generate the tax forms you need to
send to the tax authorities.
However, if Sprintax determines that you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won’t be
able to continue using the software.
Documents You May Need:
Passport, Visa, I-20, DS-2019, Social Security Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, W-2, 1042-S, US entry and exit dates, and 1099.
Here are some times that Springtax is hosting webinars to further explain the process:
- Tuesday, March 30th @ 1.30pm EDT – Register here
- Wednesday, April 7th @ 2pm EDT – Register here
- Friday, April 9th @ 10am EDT – Register here
- Monday, April 12th @ 12pm EDT – Register here
- Tuesday, April 20, 2021 10:00 AM EDT – Register here
- Tuesday, April 27, 2021 1:00 PM EDT – Register here
- Wednesday, May 5, 2021 2:00 PM EDT – Register here
- Wednesday, May 12, 2021 1:00 PM EDT – Register here
- Friday, May 14, 2021 10:00 AM EDT – Register here
Check your email for more information about this process from the International Student Scholar’s Services Office and Springtax.
International Student & Scholar Services 