Paying U.S. Taxes

General Information

As in most countries, the tax laws in the United States are very complex. The resources on this page and any subsequent pages should help you to better understand your tax obligation, know what and where to research, and to successfully file your tax forms. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the U.S. government agency that collects taxes. 

It is important to be aware that, as a non-resident student in the U.S., you are legally required to file a tax return if you received any U.S. income during the tax year.

Even if you did not work or receive income in the U.S., you are still required to file a Form 8843 with the IRS: 

Baylor University has arranged free access to Sprintax Tax Preparation for you. Please click here to access the website.

Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process, arrange the necessary documents and let you know if you are due a tax refund. It will be your responsibility to mail the documents to the address provided.

Upcoming Sprintax Tax Webinars for the Spring 2023 semester:

• Thursday February 9^th @ 12pm CST – Register here
• Tuesday February 21^st @ 11am CST – Register here
• Thursday March 2^nd @ 3pm CST – Register here
• Wednesday March 22^nd @ 1pm CST – Register here
• Wednesday March 29^th @ 12pm CST – Register here
• Thursday April 6^th @ 2pm CST – Register here
• Wednesday April 12^th @ 11am CST – Register here
• Friday April 14^th @ 1pm CST – Register here

Sprintax also has a wealth of resources in the form of YouTube videos here on filing your taxes. 

Listed below are some important points to remember. This information is meant to be a general introduction and should not be considered legal tax advice:

• Taxes are paid on the income from the previous year. For example, 2021 forms are used for the income that was earned during the 2021 calendar year (not the academic school year).

• As an F-1, J-1 Student, or J-1 Scholar, you may need to file forms each year with the IRS, even if you earned no income. Your specific requirements may depend on many factors including, but not limited to, your visa status, the purpose of your visit, the number of days you were in the United States, the amount of income you earned, and if there is a tax treaty between your country and the U.S.

• While employers do deduct money from your paycheck throughout the year and send it to the IRS, it may not equal the exact amount owed at the end of the year. If too much was deducted, you may be eligible for a refund. If not enough was deducted, you may owe more to the government.

• It is your responsibility to understand and meet your tax obligations. Our office and Sprintax are here to help.

**Disclaimer**
This information is intended only for international students and scholars who are non-resident alien taxpayers with income sources and level typical of students and scholars at Baylor University. Although the information contained in this site has been reviewed carefully and should be adequate to assist most international students and scholars, it is not a substitute for advice obtained from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a qualified tax accountant. If your visa status has changed in the past year, or you believe you have a complicated tax issue, please consult the IRS or a qualified tax accountant.