International Students and Scholars Office

YES. All international students and scholars are required by law to file a U.S. tax return even if you do not have U.S. source income. If you worked in the U.S. and received income, you may receive a tax refund from the U.S. government after filing your tax return.

The tax deadline is usually April 15^th to file taxes for the previous year. You should receive the forms you need to file taxes (W-2, 1099, 1042-S, etc.) by February. For 2021, the start of the tax filing season is February 12th. Please check this IRS Statement for more information.

All tax forms are available online on the IRS website. You can print them and follow the instructions to file on your own, or you can use a tax filing software or pay a Certified Public Accountant to assist you. The ISSO offers discount codes to use Sprintax, a tax filing software specifically for foreign nationals, which are available for purchase for $5.

YES. If you did not receive any U.S. source income, you will ONLY file Form 8843 (PDF), “Statement for Exempt Individuals and Individuals with a Medical Condition.” Please follow the instructions on page 3 and 4 of the form for information about how to complete the form and where to mail it.

Most Brandeis international students and scholars will be nonresident tax filers. However, some will be considered residents for tax purposes even though they have a nonimmigrant visa status. It is important to file in the correct status. See the IRS website for more information, or use Sprintax to help you determine your resident status.

If you made any U.S. source income last year, you must file a federal tax return. Depending on how much money you made, you may also need to file a state tax return. In Massachusetts, you are required to file a state tax return if your gross income for the year was at least $8000. If you worked in a U.S. state other than Massachusetts last year, check your state website for information about state tax filing requirements.

Your employer should provide these forms to you either online or by mail. If you do not receive them by the end of February, reach out to your employer to help you locate them. If you have an on-campus job or are a Brandeis faculty or staff member, you can find your tax forms on Workday. Please reach out to Brandeis Payroll if you have questions about these forms.

The United States has tax treaties with a number of foreign countries. Under these treaties, residents (not necessarily citizens) of foreign countries are taxed at a reduced rate, or are exempt from U.S. taxes on certain items of income they receive from sources within the United States. See the IRS list of income tax treaties to determine if your country has a tax treaty with the U.S.

An SSN or ITIN is required to file federal tax returns. However, they are not required if you only need to file form 8843.

Please watch the Sprintax online tutorial to answer your questions about how to use the software. If you have further questions, you may reach out to a Sprintax representative directly through their online chat system or by emailing hello@sprintax.com.

You may owe money in taxes to the U.S. government if your employer did not withhold enough in taxes from your pay throughout the year. If you have questions, you may reach out to a Sprintax representative or a Certified Public Accountant.

You may get your refund within 6 weeks to 6 months of filing your tax return. Contact the IRS to check the status of your tax refund.

YES. If you miss the April 15^th deadline or forget to file taxes for a certain year, you may face late filing penalties. However, you should still file your taxes as soon as possible to fulfill your tax obligations and maintain your visa status. You can always back file a previous year’s tax return. However, you can only claim a refund from within the last three years.

Please reach out to a Certified Public Accountant or tax attorney for personal tax advice. The ISSO staff are not tax experts, but we can provide you a list of CPAs who are!