Tax Information for International Students

If you were in the US at any time last year, even if you didn't earn any income, you are responsible for completing certain tax forms.

If you had no income last year, complete and submit the 8843 form to the IRS. Complete the top portion and part III, print it, sign it on page 2, and mail it to the address in the instructions on page 3.

If you earned income last year, in most cases, you must submit federal and state income tax forms to the government, in addition to the 8843 form. The Office of Global Initiatives has partnered with Sprintax to guide F and J visa holders through their tax filing. Access Sprintax's NJIT portal through the email you received. As long as you are a nonresident for tax purposes (see below), Sprintax will complete your federal tax forms free of charge and will complete your state tax forms for a fee. After using Sprintax, you must print, sign, and mail your tax forms to the address given in the Sprintax instructions.

If you were not a student at NJIT last year (because you were on OPT), you will not receive an email with a code from us. You can still prepare your taxes through Sprintax by going directly to their website and paying their fee. (approximately $35.95 for federal and $25.95 for state)

If you arrived in the US in January of the present year, you don't need to do anything regarding taxes this year but next year you will.

When you began your employment, you filled out some documents that helped your employer know how much in taxes to withhold from each paycheck. Ideally, your employer will calculate the amount exactly right, so that at the end of the year, you neither owe, nor are owed, any money.

If your employer miscalculates, you either have been paying more than you need to each paycheck, and so you will get that amount back after filing your taxes, or you have been paying less than you need to each paycheck, in which case, you owe the government money.

In all of these cases, in the end, you earn exactly the right amount of money and pay the correct amount of taxes.

Find more information at: https://www5.njit.edu/finance/international-tax-information/​ 

Form W-2 or "Wage and Tax Statement"

This form reports how much income you received from wages and salary from your employer. It also states how much has already been withheld from your income for taxes. Anyone who works on campus will receive this form.

Form 1042-S

This form is used by the university to report to the IRS:

1. Salaries and wages that are exempt from Federal income tax due to a treaty between the employee's country of residence and the United States
2. Scholarship or fellowship income that is taxable or exempt from Federal income tax under an income tax treaty

Scholarship or fellowship grants that are used to pay certain expenses such as tuition, registration and other mandatory fees are not taxable, and not reportable on Form 1042-S.

Form 1098-T

This form is used to indicate qualified educational expenses that residents for tax purposes can use to file for education tax benefits.

If you are a nonresident for tax purposes, you are not eligible for education tax benefits and should not submit this form for tax filing. You may have received this form because NJIT cannot necessarily determine who is a resident or nonresident alien for tax purposes.

You can find information about NJIT’s 1098-T policy on the Bursar’s website.

As an international student in the U.S., it’s important that you understand the tax requirements of your visa. You’re legally required to file a tax return if you worked in the U.S. or received a stipend, grant or allowance (over a certain amount).

Even if you didn’t work or receive income in the U.S., you’re still legally obliged to file a Form 8843 with the IRS.

New Jersey Institute of Technology has arranged free access to Sprintax Tax Preparation. Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process, prepare the necessary documents, and even check if you are due a refund

All you need to do is:

1. Register and follow the simple instructions
2. Complete the online questionnaire
3. Enter the code that was sent to you by email in the box on the ‘Review your order’ page
4. Sprintax will prepare your tax return and even check if you are due a refund.

In past years, international students were not allowed to e-file their taxes and had to print, sign and mail their documents. This year, for the first time, some international students can e-file and will receive instructions from Sprintax if they are eligible.

If you have any questions, please email Sprintax at hello@sprintax.com.

If you were not a student at NJIT last year (because you were on OPT), you will not receive an email with a code from us. You can still prepare your taxes through Sprintax by going directly to their website and paying their fee.(approximately $35.95 for federal and $25.95 for state)

"Nonresident" vs "Resident" for Tax Purposes:

With regard to federal taxes, most international students with F or J visas are "nonresidents for tax purposes." This means they are subject to different criteria than U.S. citizens or permanent residents when paying taxes in the U.S.

If you have been physically present in the U.S. for an extended period of time (approximately 5 years for F-1 students and 2 years for J-1 students), you are considered a "resident for tax purposes," even though you are a nonimmigrant for immigration purposes. By using Sprintax, you will determine whether you are a resident or nonresident for tax purposes and will be guided on what forms to file.

Being considered a resident for tax purposes affects only how you file your taxes and how you will be taxed—it does not affect your immigration status or the tuition that you pay at NJIT.

With regard to state taxes, NJ does not differentiate between residents and nonresidents for tax purposes. Everyone files the same tax forms.

Every state has its own tax rules. If you live or work in a state other than NJ, you might be responsible for filing that state’s forms as well.

If you meet the substantial presence test you are not eligible to use Sprintax and need to file the same tax forms as US citizens do (federal and state). Sprintax will direct you to the correct forms.

If you would like to learn more, please review the information provided by the IRS:

Introduction to Residency Under U.S. Tax Law

References for Foreign Students and Scholars

The federal government has approved a second round of stimulus checks for qualifying individuals. Unfortunately, as before, some students may receive the check in error. If students, in 2019 or 2020, filed federal tax returns as residents for US tax purposes when they were actually nonresidents for US tax purposes, they might have received checks or direct deposits from the IRS as part of the US government’s stimulus package.  Students who received a payment but are not qualifying residents for tax purposes should return the payment to the IRS.

Sprintax, the company that NJIT uses to assist international students with filing their taxes, explains this fully in a blog post.

If you need to return a payment, keep copies of the check and any correspondence, and send the mail with delivery tracking.

If the payment was a paper check:

1. Write "Void" in the endorsement section on the back of the check.
2. Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below.
3. Don't staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
4. Include a note stating the reason for returning the check. 

If the payment was a paper check and you have cashed it, or if the payment was a direct deposit:

1. Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below.
2. Write on the check/money order made payable to "U.S. Treasury" and write 2020EIP, and the taxpayer identification number (social security number, or individual taxpayer identification number) of the recipient of the check.
3. Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the EIP.

Here are the IRS mailing addresses to use based on the state where you live (refer to the IRS website if the state where you live is not listed below):

New Jersey:

Kansas City Refund Inquiry Unit

333 W Pershing Rd

Mail Stop 6800, N-2

Kansas City, MO 64108

New York:

Brookhaven Refund Inquiry Unit

5000 Corporate Ct.

Mail Stop 547

Holtsville, NY 11742

Pennsylvania:

Philadelphia Refund Inquiry Unit

2970 Market St

DP 3-L08-151

Philadelphia, PA 19104