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Taxes

All international students who were in the U.S. the previous calendar year (not school year) MUST complete tax forms. Please read the following carefully so that you can fulfill your tax filing obligation.

Resources to help you get started with filing your taxes:

Sprintax will be hosting a series of open webinars on tax filing, beginning December 5th, 2023 and running until the filing deadline of April 15th, 2024. Sprintax will also be hosting two OPT/CPT specific webinars in the coming months to help prepare students for OPT/CPT from a tax perspective.

Sprintax Open Tax Webinars for Filing Season 2023

Sprintax OPT/CPT Tax Webinars

For more information about webinar dates and registration, check out this Sprintax flyer.

Sprintax also has an Online Help Zendesk where you can access their blog as well as their live chat resources. 

Information on Filing Your Taxes as an International Student
Sprintax Instructions for Students
Sprintax Video Resources
FAQ About Taxes
FAQ About Sprintax


Frequently Asked Questions About Taxes

Anyone who worked or had a scholarship that covered more than tuition in the previous calendar year must file federal income tax forms by April 15, 2021 and Louisiana state income tax forms by May 17, 2021.

All international students must file Form 8843 even if they didn't work or have a scholarship by April 15, 2021.

Yes, Internal Revenue Service regulations require all non-resident F and J visa holders who were present in the U.S. during the previous year to file tax forms, even if you have not worked.

Students who have not received any U.S. income are required to file Form 8843 by April 15, 2021. You can fill out Form 8843 using Sprintax, which is a web-based software program.

In order to use this program you must obtain a password and instructions from CIE. CIE will email your password to you in February.

The Center for International Education has purchased Sprintax, a web-based software program, to assist you with filing your federal income taxes. This program is extremely user-friendly and only takes about 30-45 minutes to complete.

CIE will email you instructions and a password to you in February.

Although the program is web-based, you will still need to print, sign and mail your tax return to the IRS. In order to use this program you must obtain a password and instructions from CIE. 

For an extra fee, you can complete your Louisiana state income tax form through Sprintax.  If not, you will have to obtain a paperbased form to complete on yor own.

April 15, 2021 for federal taxes, and May 17, 2021 for state taxes.

Fill out Form 4868, Application for Extension of Time. Once you have filed for an extension, proceed with the tax filing process through Sprintax.

If you have already mailed your tax forms to the IRS and you realize that your stated income on the forms was incorrect, you will need to file an amended return.

Sprintax has the ability to assist you online with your amendment. Please, follow the instructions in their informational video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgYd6Wql-KQ

You can email Sprintax at hello@sprintax.com

Since members of the CIE Staff are not certified tax advisers, we cannot answer questions regarding your tax return.

It depends on whether you had tax liability or not. Check with CIE to find out whether you need to file taxes from previous years.

In late December, the US governement passed an act which authorized the IRS to begin deliverying a new round of pandemic Economic Impact Payments to taxpayers - via direct debit and paper checks. The Coronavirus Reponse and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act provides a one-ime payment of up to $600 per eligible person. 

However, if you received the $600 payment from the IRS (or initial $1200 in Spring of 2020), it is important to be aware that you are not necessarily entitled to it. More information about eligibility and steps to take if you recieved a check can be found here: http://blog.sprintax.com/second-stimulus-check-guide-nonresidents/ 

Frequently asked questions about Sprintax:

CIE has purchased a computer software program to enable you to prepare your federal income tax return.  You can also file your state income tax return for an additional fee. Sprintax is web-based and can be used from any computer.

NO! Sprintax is an online system, BUT IT DOES NOT file the tax return electronically. You must print, sign and mail your return and other forms generated by Sprintax.

Set aside approximately 30-45 minutes to complete the process. It is much easier to do it all at once than to have to start and stop.

You may choose for Sprintax to save your data until July 15 or delete your data after you have finished viewing and printing your tax return. If you choose to have Sprintax delete your data, you will still be able to login using your original login information; however, you will have to re-enter all of your data.

IF you have questions about your assigned Access Code, contact Dittmar Dittrich at 504-864-7550 or by email at dittrich@loyno.edu.

IF you need assistance with Sprintax, from the main menu, select FAQ or HELP from any screen to find an answer to your questions or send an email to the Sprintax Support Center at hello@sprintax.com. All support questions are handled via email. No phone calls regarding Sprintax are accepted.

All communication with Sprintax is encrypted and secured via SSL technology.

Sprintax will NOT use your email address for any purpose other than to contact you if they find that an error has occurred and they need to contact you in connection with your tax return preparation.

Yes, for and extra fee can help you prepare your State income taxes. You can also access the Louisiana Department of Revenue to file your state taxes electronically. These forms are also available from the Law School (see address in next question) or from http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov

Related Links

Sprintax

Louisiana Tax Forms

Internal Revenue Service

IRS Forms

IRS Publications 

519: U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens: Explanation of the difference between "Resident" and "Non-Resident Alien" status and other topics affecting international visitors. 

U.S. Tax Treaties: Current tax treaty information. 

4152: Electronic Tool-Kit for Non-Resident Alien VITA Sites: Comprehensive guide for those seeking more detail, including scenarios and frequently asked questions.

IRS Link and Learn Foreign Student VITA Volunteer Training and Testing

Tax Scams: IRS website identifying how to report and identify phishing, emails scams and bogus IRS websites.