Taxes

By law, all international students in F-1 or J-1 status are required to file tax documents each year—even if they did not earn any income in the U.S. The most common form required is Form 8843, which must be filed by all F-1 and J-1 students (and their dependents) who were present in the U.S. during the previous calendar year, even if they had no income. This form provides basic information to the IRS and confirms your status as an exempt individual for tax purposes. If you did earn income, you may need to file a traditional tax return, in addition to your Form 8843. Tax returns and required forms must be postmarked by April 15 each year.

Keep copies of your tax forms for at least 3 years. The IRS requires individuals to keep tax records for at least that long. Additionally, if you make a mistake on your tax return and need to correct it, you will need to have copies.

Determining whether you are a resident or nonresident

Most nonimmigrants need to count the number of days they've been in the U.S. over the past years to determine whether they are a nonresident or resident alien for tax purposes. However, F-1 and J-1 students are exempt from counting days and are considered nonresidents for tax purposes if they have been in the U.S. for no more than 5 calendar years. Most F-1 and J-1 students at Knox fall into this category.

If you are in F-1 or J-1 status now, and have been in the U.S. for 5 or fewer calendar years, you are a nonresident alien for tax purposes. If you are in F-1 or J-1 status now and have been in the U.S. for any part of more than 5 calendar years, you should visit this IRS webpage to take the Substantial Presence Test and see whether you are a resident or nonresident alien. You can also ask the international student advisor if you're unsure.

International students studying abroad

International students studying abroad, who were in the U.S. during the previous tax year, should file tax forms. Please reference the advice above to determine whether you should file as a nonresident or resident. If you worked during the previous tax year, contact the Business Office for assistance getting your W-2. Contact the international student advisor if you have questions about your tax return.

Recent graduates

Recent graduates and alumni on OPT should complete tax returns for the previous year. If a green card or H-1B status is in your future, it is especially important that you file a yearly tax return while in F-1 status. Follow the guidance above to determine whether you should file as a resident or nonresident alien. If you worked at Knox College in the previous tax year, you should receive a W-2 from the College in the mail or in your ADP. Please be sure the Business Office or Alumni Office and the international student advisor have your current address.

Resources

Information for Foreign Students and Scholars

Determining Alien Status (If you've been in the U.S. for more than 5 years, reference to determine if you are a "resident" or "non-resident" for tax purposes)

Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Information in other languages: Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, or Vietnamese

Please note: The international student advisor is not a tax professional and cannot provide individual tax advice or assistance when preparing your tax return.

However, the Office of International Student Services provides access to Sprintax, an online tax preparation software specifically designed for nonresident international students, scholars, and visa holders in the U.S. Sprintax guides you step-by-step through the federal tax filing process and helps ensure your return is accurate and compliant with IRS requirements.

Each year, we provide a Sprintax code that allows international students to file their federal tax return for free. We strongly encourage students who are also required to file a state tax return (such as in Illinois) to use Sprintax for that as well. However, our office does not provide a code for the state filing portion, and students will need to pay the fee for that service.

For additional information and access to commonly used state tax forms, please refer to the Illinois Department of Revenue website.