Tax Information and ITIN

• The tax filing deadline for the 2020 tax filing season (for income earned between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020) is April 15, 2021.
• For a list of questions and answers related to the U.S. Government's COVID-19 CARES Act Stimulus payments and your eligibility to receive them, please see this page on the Sprintax website. Sprintax has also conducted a webinar regarding the stimulus and the process for filing an amended tax return.
• For information on your eligibility to benefit from the second U.S. Government COVID stimulus package (the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act), passed in late 2020, please see this page on the Sprintax blog.

If you were physically in the U.S. in F or J status anytime between January 1 - December 31, 2020 you are obligated to send one form, Form 8843, to the U.S. tax agency IRS (Internal Revenue Service), even if you had no income.

For the 2020 tax season, if you earn $1 of US source income or greater, 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).

Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered non-residents for tax purposes. International undergraduate students on J1 & F1 visas are automatically considered non-resident for their first 5 calendar years in the US, whilst Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered non-residents for 2 out of the last 6 calendar years in the US. If you’ve been in the US for longer than the 5 or 2 year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.

We have teamed up with Sprintax  to provide you with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for non-resident students and scholars in the U.S. We are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.

After you login to Sprintax following the instructions detailed in ISSS's mid February tax email, it will ask you a series of questions about the time you have spent in the United States and in which immigration status, looking back over a period of years. Sprintax will then determine your tax status. If it determines that you are a "nonresident alien" (NRA) for federal tax purposes, you can continue to use it to respond to a series of guided questions. Sprintax will complete and generate the forms you need to print, sign, and mail to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If it determines you are a resident alien for federal tax purposes, you won't be able to continue using the software.

Step by Step Guide

1. Gather the documents you may need for Sprintax

Questions about these documents?

Please see this website for instructions on how to obtain these forms. Please direct any questions related to Form W-2 or Form 1042-S to the Penn Employee Solution Center at 215-898-7372 or email to hcmsolutioncenter@upenn.edu.

2. Follow the Sprintax instructions

If you had No U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).

With U.S. Income: Sprintax will generate your "tax return documents", including either a 1040NR-EZ or a longer form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.

3. (With U.S. income only) If required, complete your state tax return

After you finish your federal return, Sprintax will inform you if you need to complete a state tax return. If so, they will give you the option to use Sprintax for an individual fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own. For more information on state and city taxes, please see the relevant headers below.

4. Mail your completed federal and/or state forms to IRS and/or state tax authorities

Remember to read the mailing instructions that Sprintax provides. If you have dependents, each one must mail their 8843 in a separate envelope.

• The State of Pennsylvania treats US Citizens and Foreign Nationals exactly the same, for tax purposes

• Your resident or non-resident tax status for Pennsylvania State Tax purposes is NOT THE SAME as your resident or non-resident tax status for federal income tax purposes.

• Determining your resident or non-resident tax status will impact which of your income is taxable.

• You are usually considered a non-resident for Pennsylvania state tax purposes if you were a full-time student for the past tax year.  If you are a nonresident for Pennsylvania state tax purposes, you must file a Pennsylvania state tax return on Form PA-40 if you earned more than the stated minimum in Pennsylvania taxable income for the year even if no tax is due.

• You are usually considered a resident for Pennsylvania state tax purposes ONLY if you were in Pennsylvania more than 183 days in the calendar year (other than as a student) AND you’ve established a domicile in Pennsylvania

• Federal tax treaty benefits do not apply to Pennsylvania taxes.

• Philadelphia City Tax is a wage tax, not an income tax; that is, it is only applied to your earned income, not to your interest, dividend, or capital gains earnings.

• No matter where you live, if you work in Philadelphia, you pay a city wage tax.

• There are no forms or reporting to complete.  If you worked in Philadelphia during the tax year, your employer automatically deducted your city taxes from your pay checks on behalf of the City.

• F-1 & J-1 Students do not pay FICA for the first 5 years of presence in the US.

• Scholars in J-1 status are exempt from FICA for the first 2 years of presence in the US. After that point, they become resident taxpayers and are subject to FICA withholdings.

• Holders of H-1B status are subject to FICA withholdings, and are generally considered to be tax residents after their first 6 months of presence in the US.

Recovering Wrongly Withheld FICA Taxes

Occasionally Social Security tax is withheld in error. If your employer has already wrongly withheld Social Security taxes, you should ask the employer to refund the taxes to you. The employer can deduct the amount refunded to you from the company's next Social Security tax payment to the Internal Revenue Service and no further action is required from you.

If your employer unable to stop withholding or refund you Social Security taxes, you may obtain a Social Security tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service (a process that can take more than six months) by preparing the following documents and mailing the application directly to the IRS at Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301 :

• IRS Form 843, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement
• IRS Form 8316, Information Regarding Request for Refund of Social Security Tax Erroneously Withheld on Wages Received by a Nonresident Alien on an F, J, or M Type Visa
• Copy of your W-2 Form(s)
• Copy of your most recent nonresident income tax return (if available)
• Copy of your I-94 printout or US entry/admission card stamp in passport
• Copy of your I-20 or DS-2019 Form
• Copy of your permission to work in the US (EAD card, CPT authorization, etc.)
• A written statement from your employer showing the amount of refund requested and the amount (if any) reimbursed by the employer. If you cannot obtain such a statement, you must verify that you have contacted your employer and that the employer was unable to assist you with the refund
• ​DO NOT MAIL THIS APPLICATION WITH YOUR ANNUAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN

If you need help while using Sprintax for technical or tax related issues, contact them:

• 24/7 Live Chat Help
• Refer to their FAQs
• email at hello@sprintax.com
• Call 1-866-601-5695

You also have access to the Sprintax YouTube account where there are a number of educational videos on non-resident taxes to provide further clarity on the subject of using Sprintax and non-resident tax. There is also a Sprintax Blog which go through tax related topics and can be of use to you.

https://youtu.be/DgcLFMYgpHo

• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will NEVER contact anyone via email, phone, or fax.

• You should not provide your SSN/ITIN to anyone other unless for a legitimate purpose such as employment, banking, or background checks.

• To learn about potential scams you may encounter, please see the IRS Tax Fraud Alert page

International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) and the school 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 or a local IRS field office.

If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN) but are receiving U.S.-sourced income such as a non-service fellowship, scholarship or grant that goes beyond tuition, fees, and the allowance for books/supplies (for more information, please see this page on the SRFS website), then you may need an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for tax purposes. 

The ITIN is a U.S. taxpayer identification number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is used to identify individuals who are required to file a tax return but are ineligible for an SSN due to not being employed in the U.S.

ISSS has teamed up with Sprintax to help you file your taxes, and they can also assist you with the ITIN application. When filing your tax returns with Sprintax, you should choose the Sprintax assistance for the ITIN and a Form W-7 will be prepared. There is a Sprintax fee of $15.95 for this additional application. Please note that you must also obtain a certified copy of your passport (additional fees may apply). 

You can get your passport certified for the W-7 ITIN application at:

• The governmental department that issued the passport, such as the passport office. It may be possible to have your passport certified at your Consulate in the US; 
• Certified Acceptance Agent - IRS official (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/acceptance-agent-program); 
• A U.S. embassy or Consulate. 

• Penn Student Financial Services website for International student and Tax: https://srfs.upenn.edu/financial-aid/international-taxes
• Penn Press information of Treaty guidance: https://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/about/taxforms.html
• Other US Tax Forms: Download forms from the Internal Revenue Service.
• Pennsylvania Tax Forms: Download forms from the PA Department of Revenue.
• Income Tax Treaties: Full texts of tax treaties between the US and foreign countries and the related US Treasury Department Technical Explanation on the IRS website.
• UPenn Office of the Comptroller/ Payroll