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Tax Filing Information for International Students & Scholars

Do I need to file tax?

As an international student or scholar, you are required to file tax forms with the IRS, even if you earned no income in the U.S. during the 2017 tax year.

How do I file tax?

You can use Glacier Tax Prep (GTP) to prepare your federal income tax. Before you start preparing your 2017 tax returns, please be sure you have received all your yearend tax statements including W-2 and 1042-S, if you were employed in 2017. If you file your tax return without all the appropriate tax statements you will need to file a corrected form and you could be liable for penalties.

Overview of U.S. Taxes

The United States has several different sets of tax laws, such as federal tax law and individual state tax laws, which are very complex. As an international student/scholar, it is important for you to comply with all federal and state tax laws that apply to you.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the government agency that collects taxes at the national level. As an international student or scholar, you are required to file tax forms each year with the IRS, even if you earned no income during the tax year. If you were present in the U.S. during 2017 and hold a non-immigrant visa other than B-1/B-2, you must file at least one U.S. federal tax form. F-2 and J-2 dependents must also file certain tax forms. If you were not in the U.S. at any time in 2017, you do not need to file a form. It is your individual responsibility to understand and meet your tax obligations. This year the deadline for filing tax return is April 17, 2018.

The Office of International Education has purchased a special U.S. federal income tax filing program, GLACIER Tax Prep (GTP), to assist you in preparing your nonresident U.S. federal tax return. It is a web-based U.S. federal income tax filing system specifically formulated for international students and scholars.

To further understand tax forms and issues related to international students, we encourage you to visit the following web pages:

Please note: Wichita State University is not able to provide tax advice to individuals. No information on this website may be considered tax advice.