Taxes

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The 2023 federal income tax filing due date is April 15, 2024.

Who must file tax forms for 2023 tax season?

If you were physically located in the U.S. in F status anytime between January 1 – December 31, 2023–even if just for one day–you are obligated to send one form, Form 8843, to the U.S. tax agency IRS (Internal Revenue Service) whether or not you earned any income. If you earned $1 of US source income or greater in the most recent tax year, 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).

Resident or Non-Resident for Federal Tax Purposes:

Generally, most international students who are on F visas are considered non-residents for tax purposes. International undergraduate students F1 visas are automatically considered non-resident for their first 5 calendar years in the US. If you’ve been in the US for longer than the 5 period, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.

How to File:

We have teamed up with tax filing preparation company Sprintax to provide you with easy-to-use software specifically designed for non-resident students in the U.S. ISAP (and all other university staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.

Students will receive instructions for accessing Sprintax, along with a unique user code, from ISAP via email. After you login to Sprintax, it will ask you a series of questions about the time you have spent in the United States and in which immigration status, looking back over a period of 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 it to respond to a series of guided questions. Sprintax will complete and generate the forms you need to print, sign, and mail to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If it determines you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won’t be able to continue using the software.

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Step by Step guide on How to File Your Non-Resident Tax Forms

1.) Determine if you receive a tax treaty benefit.

To determine this, create an account in a system called Glacier Tax Prep. If you already have an account, you should be able to log back in and go through the steps. If you do not have an account, email Cindy Durden (cdurden@georgiasouthern.edu) to ask for login information for the Glacier Tax Prep website to complete the Tax Assessment.

What Does GLACIER Tax Prep Do?
– Determines your U.S. tax residency status*
– Determines eligible tax deductions, allowances, and credits
– Reviews eligibility to claim income tax treaty exemptions

*If you are classified as a resident for tax purposes, we recommend that you contact a tax professional to file your taxes.

2.) Gather the documents you may need for Sprintax

		Document		Description
	✔	Passport
	✔	Visa/Immigration information, including form I-20 (F status) or form DS-2019 (J status)
	✔	Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one)		This is not needed if you had no income and the 8843 is the only form you have to file.
	✔*	W-2		This form reports your wage earnings if you worked. If you had more than one employer you should get a W-2 from each employer. It is issued by the end of January for the previous year. Make sure all employers from last year have an up-to-date address for you.
	✔*	1042-S		This form is used to report: stipend, scholarship, fellowship income and travel grants (not tuition reduction or exemption) income covered by a tax treaty payment for other types of services (e.g. by the semester as a note-taker) If you received this type of income, you can find the 1042-S by logging into Glacier; alternately it will be mailed to you by March 15th 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.
	✔	U.S. entry and exit dates for current and past visits to the U.S.		In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your U.S.travel history here
	✔*	1099		This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment
	✘	1098-T		This form is is NOT needed and can NOT be used for a nonresident tax return because NRAs are not eligible to claim education expense tax credits.

3.) Create a Sprintax Account

You will receive an email from the international student office providing you with a link to Sprintax to set up your account as well as your unique code to use on Sprintax. This unique code will cover the costs of preparing the federal tax return (Form 8843, at minimum) at no cost to you. Open your new Sprintax account by creating a UserID and password or if you have an existing account on Sprintax you can log in using your existing credentials.

4.) Follow the Sprintax instructions

If you had No U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).

With U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate your “tax return documents”, including either a 1040NR-EZ or a longer form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.

5.) (With U.S. income only) If required, complete your state tax return

After you finish your federal return, Sprintax will inform you if you need to complete a state tax return. If so, they will give you the option to use Sprintax for an individual fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own.

6.) Mail your completed federal and/or state forms to IRS and/or state tax authorities

Remember to read the mailing instructions that Sprintax provides. If you have dependents, each one must mail their Form 8843 in a separate envelope.

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Need Sprintax Support? If you need help while using Sprintax, contact them:

24/7 Live Chat Help

Refer to their FAQs

Email at hello@sprintax.com

Call 1-866-601-5695

Sprintax Educational Tax Videos and Blog:

You also have access to the Sprintax YouTube account where there are a number of educational videos on non-resident taxes to provide further clarity on the subject of using Sprintax and non-resident tax. There is also a Sprintax Blog which go through tax related topics and can be of use to you.

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DISCLAIMER: International Student Admissions and Programs and other Georgia Southern University officials are NOT permitted to assist any student with any IRS tax form preparation or tax related questions. The information provided here is intended solely for your benefit, and should not be interpreted as tax and/or legal advice. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Sprintax, a certified tax preparer or a local IRS field office.

Helpful Links

• Tax Reporting & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Local IRS Offices in Georgia. Contact the office closest to you for more specific questions.
• IRS website: International Taxpayers

Last updated: 1/18/2024