Taxes
2020 Taxes
U.S. tax filing is a legal requirement. International students, scholars and all dependents who held F-1/F-2 or J-1/J-2 status and were physically present in the United States in 2020 must file at least one tax form, even if no U.S. source income was earned.
OGS purchased a license for Sprintax, a tax software program for nonresidents for tax purposes, to assist F-1 and J-1 students and scholars in completing their 2020 tax forms. Students and scholars who held F-1 or J-1 status in 2020 were emailed a promo code and instructions to use Sprintax.
Tax questions should be directed to Sprintax as IS advisors are not tax specialists. Sprintax will also offer many tax workshops this spring to help answer your questions.
Use the resources below to determine the tax forms you must file to complete your annual U.S. tax filing obligations.
2020 Tax Year Unique Considerations
Were you outside the United States at some point in 2020? Did you receive a COVID-19 economic stimulus payment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and unsure whether you were eligible to receive those stimulus payments?
Please visit the both the 2020 Tax Year Unique Considerations and COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Payments sections of the OGS Tax FAQs page for more information on any impacts to your U.S. tax filing obligations.
Tax Filing Deadlines
Individuals with U.S. Source Income:
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Individuals Physically Present the United States in 2020 with No Income:
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Tax Filing Instructions
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.
Sprintax Tax Webinars
Sprintax will be hosting informational webinars that will cover an overview of U.S. taxing filing obligations for international students and scholars, the COVID-19 economic stimulus payments and how to use the Sprintax tax preparation software.
- Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 12pm EST – Register here
- Monday, March 15, 2021, 2:30pm EST– Register here
- Monday, March 29, 2021, 2pm EST– Register here
- Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 1pm EST – Register here
- Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 1pm EST – Register here
Resources
Use the following resources to learn about your annual U.S. tax filing obligations:
- Office of Global Services (OGS)
- OGS Tax Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page
- OGS Income Tax Basics Modules in the International Student and Scholar Services Course in Canvas
- Sprintax
- InternationalStudent.com
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Need More Support? Contact a Tax Specialist:
- Tax Specialist Firms
- Sprintax
- Email: hello@sprintax.com
- Live Chat: Login to your Sprintax account to chat with an agent.
- Internal Revenue Service
- In Person: Local IRS DC Office Information
- Phone: (800) 829-1040
Telephone Assistance Information
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.
You can find more information on different kinds of scams you may encounter in the U.S. on our Resources on Scams page.