Tax Information for International Students

International Education Center has partnered with Sprintax to provide you with tax information for 2025.

All F1 students need to complete a tax document if you were in the U.S. this year. It is not recommended for international students to use any resident oriented tax services s non-resident tax processes are different unless you are deemed a resident for tax purpose. If you need to file a full tax return because you had an income last year we instead recommend you reach out on your own to a proper tax preparer such as H&R Block or create a Sprintax Account to help you file a Non-Resident Tax Form. 

Students who have not worked must file Form 8843, even if you haven't worked at all this last year and do not need to file a tax return. Find more information here on the Sprintax Tax Blog. Students with on campus employment or authorized off campus employment (CPT, OPT, SSR, Severe Economic Hardship) will need to file a tax return.

Learn more about taxes on the Sprintax Blog and Sprintax YouTube Channel.

Who must file tax forms for the tax season?

Even if you did not earn any income, if you were physically in the US on F or J status anytime between January 1 – December 31, you're obligated to file a Form 8843 PDF icon with the IRS (the Internal Revenue Service, or ‘IRS’, are the US tax authorities) for that tax season. 

Meanwhile, if you earned more than $0 of taxable US source income, 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). 

Tax Filing Deadline:

April 15, 2025 is the last day for residents and nonresidents who earned US income to file Federal tax returns for the tax year.

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 US. 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 to File:

Services like Sprintax can provide you with an easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the US. The well known services that you see on TV or advertisements may not be the right service for you if you are nonresident students in the US. The International Education Center staff members (and all other college  staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.

If you need to file Form 8843 PDF icon, we recommend you download the form from the IRS website and mail it to the appropriate address listed on the form instructions (page 3).

Most F-1 students are considered nonresident aliens by the IRS. As a nonresident alien, you will need to file form 1040-NR (federal tax return) to assess your federal income and taxes. Important: As of 2022, the IRS no longer uses form 1040-NR-EZ. Form 1040NR has been simplified and will be used instead.
 

DISCLAIMER: The International Education office and Everett CC 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 for nonresident students or a local IRS field office.