Tax Filing Guide for International Postdoctoral Fellows

The Belfer Institute has partnered with Sprintax, a specialized tax preparation software for international scholars, to help you navigate the tax filing process.

Sprintax software will help determine your tax status—specifically whether you are classified as a nonresident or resident for federal tax purposes. Nonresident scholars cannot use standard tax preparation software designed for U.S. residents. Sprintax is specifically tailored to generate your tax return and provides the option to file your taxes electronically for international scholars.

Who Must File Taxes

If you were physically present in the US on F or J status between January 1 – December 31, 2024, you must file Form 8843, even if you did not earn any income.

Meanwhile, if you earned any taxable US source income, you may need to file a federal tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state tax return(s).

Nonresident Tax Status:

Most international students, faculty, and trainees on F, J, M, or Q visas are considered nonresidents for tax purposes:

Visa Type	Nonresident Status Duration
International Students (J-1 & F-1)	First 5 calendar years in the US
Postdoctoral Fellows/Scholars (J visa)	First 2 out of 6 calendar years in the US

If you’ve been in the US for longer than the five or two year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will be used to determine your tax residency status. This test considers the number of days you have been physically present in the US.

Key Dates

Tax Filing Deadline: April 15, 2025
- Applies to residents and nonresidents who earned US income
- Deadline for filing Federal tax returns for the 2024 tax year

Important Documents Checklist

Passport
Visa/Immigration information
- Form I-20 (F status)
- Form DS-2019 (J status)
Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one)
- This is not needed if you had no income and the 8843 is the only form you have to file.
W-2 (Wage Earnings)
- Issued by each employer by end of January
- Ensure employers have your current address
1042-S (for Nonresident Aliens)
- This form is used to report:
  - § Stipend, scholarship, fellowship income and travel grants (not tuition reduction or exemption)
  - § Income covered by a tax treaty
  - § Payment for other types of services (e.g., by the semester as a note-taker)
- Typically sent to you by March 15 by the payer.
  - Note: Only Nonresident Aliens receive this form. If your tax status changes to a Resident Alien, you will not get a 1042-S.
US entry and exit dates for current and past visits to the U
- In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your US travel history here
1099 (Miscellaneous Income)
- This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment

Filing Process: Sprintax

The Belfer Institute has partnered with Sprintax to provide an easy-to-use tax preparation software specifically designed for nonresident students and scholars in the United States.

Einstein Postdoctoral fellows will receive instructions to access Sprintax along with the unique code via official Belfer Institute emails. If you are a postdoctoral fellow at Einstein and did do not receive these instructions, contact the Belfer Institute at belferinstitute@einsteinmed.edu.

Support Resources

Sprintax Support:

24/7 Live Chat Help
Comprehensive FAQs
Educational Tax Videos and Blog
Nonresident Tax Webinars

Additional Resources:

The National Postdoctoral Association has a list of resources about taxes on their website.

Avoiding Tax Scams

Tax scammers often use pressure and a sense of urgency to gain access to your personal and financial information. IMPORTANT: The IRS will not send tax refunds or try to contact you by email or text. Learn more about common scams and how protect yourself.

DISCLAIMER: The Belfer Institute, The International Services Office (ISO), and the collage are NOT permitted to assist any postdoctoral fellow/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 the IRS.

1) Gather the documents you may need for Sprintax

Document	Description
Passport
Visa/Immigration information, including form I-20 (F status) or form DS-2019 (J status)
Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have one)	This is not needed if you had no income and the 8843 is the only form you have to file.
W-2	This form reports your wage earnings if you worked. If you had more than one employer you should get a W-2 from each employer. It is issued by the end of January for the previous year. Make sure all employers from last year have an up-to-date address for you.
1042-S	This form is used to report: Stipend, scholarship, fellowship income and travel grants (not tuition reduction or exemption) Income covered by a tax treaty Payment for other types of services (eg by the semester as a note-taker) If you received this type of income, the 1042-S will be e mailed to you by 15 March by the payer. Note: Only Nonresident Aliens receive this form. If your tax status changes to a Resident Alien you will not get a 1042-S. Login to Sprintax to check your tax status if you’re not sure.
US entry and exit dates for current and past visits to the US	In addition to passport stamps, you can review or print your US travel history here
1099	This form reports miscellaneous income. Can be interest on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, earning through freelance employment
1098-T	This form is NOT needed and can NOT be used for a nonresident tax return because NRAs are not eligible to claim education expense tax credits.

2) Create a Sprintax Account

You will receive an email from either the Belfer Institute, Office of International Services or the Graduate Division providing you with a link to Sprintax to set up your account. You will need to email the correct office to obtain your unique code to use on Sprintax. This unique code will cover the costs of the federal tax return and 8843 at no cost to you. Open your new Sprintax account by creating a User ID and password or if you have an existing account on Sprintax you can login using your existing credentials.

3) Follow the Sprintax instructions

If you did not earn any US Income: Sprintax will generate a completed Form 8843 for you and each of your dependents (if you have any).

If you did earn US Income: Sprintax will generate your “tax return documents”, including form 1040NR, depending on your circumstances.

4) 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, you will have the option to use Sprintax for an additional fee. However, it is your choice to use them or to do the state tax return on your own.

5) Read the instructions for filing/mailing your returns

Remember to read the instructions that Sprintax provides.

You will be required to download, print and sign your federal tax return and mail it to the IRS. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to E-file your Federal tax return. However, this will depend on certain eligibility criteria. You can learn more about eligibility in this Sprintax blog - https://blog.sprintax.com/nonresident-federal-tax-efiling-live/

If you have a state filing requirement, you must also mail this to the tax authorities. Finally, if you only need to file Form 8843, this will also need to be mailed to the IRS.

Need Sprintax Support?

If you need help while using Sprintax, you can contact their support team using the options below:
24/7 Live Chat Help
Refer to their FAQs

Sprintax Educational Tax Videos and Blog

You also have access to the Sprintax YouTube account where there are a number of educational videos on nonresident taxes. These will provide further clarity on nonresident tax and how to use Sprintax. Sprintax also offer a range of useful content on their blog to help you file your return. View the webinar schedule here.

Sprintax Nonresident Tax Webinars

In these tax webinars, international students, scholars and professionals will be run through everything they need to know about nonresident tax for the 2023 tax season. Topics will include who must file, tax residency, FICA, State returns, implications of misfiling as well as how to use Sprintax to prepare a compliant tax return. View the Sprintax 2023 Tax Season Webinar.

DISCLAIMER:The International Services Office (ISO) and the school are NOT permitted to assist any postdoctoral fellow/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.