All F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars who were present in the U.S. during any portion of the past calendar year are required to file tax forms with the IRS. This is true whether or not you worked in the U.S., gained income in the U.S., or received a scholarship during the past calendar year. Tax forms are filed with both the U.S. Government (federal) through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the state in which income was earned.

International Place provides a web-based tax filing system called Sprintax. In addition to tax filing preparation for U.S. federal taxes, Sprintax is also a comprehensive online resource with extensive, searchable content, to help you understand your tax obligations.

International Place is offering access to this software at no charge*. There is no obligation to use Sprintax.

*If Sprintax determines that you must also file state taxes, you may do so using Sprintax, for a fee. Not all students who file federal taxes will be required to file state taxes. There is no charge to use Sprintax to file federal taxes.

To request a Sprintax Access Code (for the 2016 tax season) click here. The deadline to request an access code is March 31, 2017.

*Note: International Place will only be sending out access codes Monday-Friday, in accordance with business hours. You will receive additional instructions from I-Place along with your access code.

Sprintax can be used by international students and scholars at The Claremont Colleges who were enrolled in the previous calendar year, including recent graduates on OPT and the OPT STEM Extension, who are “non-residents for tax purposes”.  By logging on to Sprintax and answering questions regarding the time you have spent in the U.S., Sprintax will be able to determine your status (as a resident or a non-resident for tax purposes).  If you are a “resident for tax purposes”, you will not be able to use Sprintax and should see the Internal Revenue Service website to learn more about your tax filing requirements.  Most F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents are considered non-residents for tax purposes during the first five years they spend in the United States.  Please use Sprintax to determine your status.

Sprintax is a web-based tax return preparation system designed exclusively for international students, scholars, teachers, researchers, trainees, and their dependents, to aid in preparing U.S. federal and state income tax forms.  Users will answer a series of questions; responses are used to populate tax forms that students will submit to the Internal Revenue Service.

If you received a scholarship or fellowship from a U.S. source (such as one of The Claremont Colleges), you should receive Form 1042-S from the institution that provided you with that scholarship or fellowship. The deadline for institutions to send Form 1042-S to students/scholars is March 15. You should not file your taxes until you receive your 1042-S since you will need information from that form in order to complete your tax filing correctly.

Form W-2 is your official Wage and Tax Statement. You will receive the W-2 from your employer no later than early February. Note that if you had an on-campus job in Claremont, your W-2 is available online through Ultipro (many other employers also provide online access). If you have not received your Form W-2, you may want to contact either your employer’s Payroll or Human Resources Department.