Taxes
2018 Taxes
Tax filing is a legal requirement. Students, scholars and any dependents who held F-1/F-2 or J-1/J-2 status in 2018, even for one day, must file at least one tax form, even if they did not receive any U.S. income. Before reading any further, please complete the Tax Questionnaire to determine the required filing information and next steps, and review the FAQs for common questions. 2018 tax returns must be mailed to the International Revenue Service (IRS) by Monday, April 15, 2019.
Don’t know where to start? Complete these steps to learn about your annual tax filing obligations:
- Complete the 2018 Tax Questionnaire.
- Read the Tax Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page.
- Watch the tax videos in the International Student & Scholar Services Canvas course.
- Review the annual International Student Tax Workshop slides (PDF) from Common $ense.
Disclaimer
IS Advisors are not tax specialists and cannot advise on tax matters or help complete tax forms. Please consult the resources below for answers to your questions.
Resources:
- Tax Guide for Aliens: IRS Publication 519
- IRS International Taxpayer Website
- IRS Information on Tax Treaties
- InternationalStudent.com
- GLACIER Tax Prep (GTP) Help Link: If you received U.S. source income in 2018, completed the Tax Questionnaire, and determined that you are a nonresident alien for tax purposes, then you may access GTP and their Help Link. Once logged in to GTP, the Help Link allows you to contact GTP tax specialists.
- For guidance on specific situations, OGS advises contacting a Tax Preparation Specialist for Nonresidents (PDF).
Be Wary of Tax Scams!
Do not fall victim to scammers who call and impersonate Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) officials! Aggressive phone and email scams are common throughout the year and during tax season. Impersonators claim that required taxes have not been paid or that there is a problem with your social security number, and demand immediate payment by threatening arrest or deportation.
Remember these tips:
- The IRS and SSA will never call or send an email to demand immediate payment.
- The IRS and SSA will never threaten or intimidate people, demand payment with a prepaid debit card, or demand a credit card or debit card number over the phone or by email.
- The IRS and SSA will never threaten to call the police or immigration agents for those who do not pay.
Report suspected scams to both the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
A sample of the latest SSA scam can be found in the FTC article “Social Security is Not Trying to Take Your Benefits”.
Below is a FTC short video on how to identify and avoid IRS imposter scams.