Tax Filing

DISCLAIMER: The International Center and Rowan University are NOT permitted to assist any student/scholar with tax form preparation or tax-related questions. Any questions or concerns should be directed to a certified tax service, such as Sprintax, or a local IRS field office.

Please do not contact the International Center with tax-related questions, as we unfortunately cannot provide further guidance beyond what is on this page.

When is the tax filing deadline?

Taxes are due on April 15th of every year and account for the entire previous year (1 January – 31 December). For example, the tax filing deadline for the 2025 tax season (1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025) is 15 April, 2026.

Who must file taxes for the upcoming tax season?

Even if you did not earn any income, you MUST file taxes if you were physically in the U.S. on F or J status during the tax year. You are obligated to file the Form 8843 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or the tax authority in the U.S.

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 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 U.S.

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 do I file my taxes?

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.

An email will be sent periodically to all current students and scholars during tax season with Sprintax resources. Please monitor your student inbox for more information. Only currently enrolled students will receive the Sprintax fee waiver code.

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.

Please note: If Sprintax determines that you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won’t be able to continue using the software. In this case, you will need to find your own alternate tax service provider.

Sprintax Guide to Filing Taxes (F and J)

1) Gather Your Documents

✔ 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. The W-2 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, the 1042-S will be mailed to you by March 15th by the payer.
Note: Only Non-Resident 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, and/or earnings through freelance employment

✘ 1098-T: This form is NOT needed and can NOT be used for a nonresident tax return because NRAs are not eligible to claim education expense tax credits.

2) Create a Sprintax Account

You will receive an email from the International Center 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 the federal tax return and 8843 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 login using your existing credentials.

Students on OPT are not eligible to receive the Spritnax discount code but are still able to use Sprintax’s services assuming they are nonresidents for tax purposes.

3) Follow Sprintax's Instructions

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", including either a 1040NR-EZ or a longer form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.

4) Complete State Tax Return (If You Have U.S. Income ONLY)

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.

5) Read Instructions for Mailing/Filing Returns

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. However, this will depend on certain eligibility criteria. You can learn more about eligibility in this Sprintax blog - https://blog.sprintax.com/nonresident-federal-tax-efiling-live/

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.

Need Additional Help?

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
Refer to their FAQs

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.

DISCLAIMER: Rowan University and the International Center 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.