Skip to main content
June 6, 2019
Solved

Can international students use turbotax to file tax returns?

  • June 6, 2019
  • 6 replies
  • 0 views
No text available
Best answer by DavidD66

No, If you are an international student and need to file Form 1040-NR, you will not be able to use TurboTax.  Unfortunately you have to find another method to prepare your tax returns.

6 replies

June 6, 2019
What if an international student has already filed income tax return using TurboTax and is approved by TurboTax?
Turbo tax says IRS has approved my filed return, but when I see my status on IRS website it says waiting for approval.
What will happen next and what m I supposed to do now?
DavidD66Answer
June 6, 2019

No, If you are an international student and need to file Form 1040-NR, you will not be able to use TurboTax.  Unfortunately you have to find another method to prepare your tax returns.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"
June 6, 2019
Do I need to amend my return if I did that way?
Employee
June 6, 2019

No. You are a non resident and need to file form 1040NR. Check 1040nra.com which support preparing 1040NR form for international students

February 18, 2020

attaching link to IRS for more details:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/substantial-presence-test

Upvote post so others can find this, also feel free to correct if i got my facts wrong.

Let me explain difference in filling as non-resident and resident,
residents are taxed for all the income in USA as well outside, whereas NR are taxed only for income in USA.
so for students, short answer it doesn't matter. You would be fine if you file thru turbotax which is free or through sprintax which charges fee.
Personal suggestion, if you have complicated condition like me (if you have 1099-Misc) file through sprintax. 
if you are only filling W-2s go ahead with turbotax. or fill up details on both and check what estimated refund you are getting (it would be same in most cases but at sometimes sprintax can give you better estimate).
Sprintax is basically NR filling partner of turbotax, if you dont know what it is.


Basically Resident aliens are non-U.S. citizens who have green cards or who have been in the country for at least 183 days (acc to the presence test) over a three-year period including the current year. Nonresident aliens are those who are legally present in the U.S. but do not have green cards, such as tourists.
now for students it depends if you have been USA for 183 days you can file as resident (ie. turbotax)

What is presence test?

You will be considered a United States resident for tax purposes if you meet the substantial presence test for the calendar year. To meet this test, you must be physically present in the United States (U.S.) on at least:

  1. 31 days during the current year, and
  2. 183 days during the 3-year period that includes the current year and the 2 years immediately before that, counting:
    • All the days you were present in the current year, and
    • 1/3 of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and
    • 1/6 of the days you were present in the second year before the current year.

Example:

You were physically present in the U.S. on 120 days in each of the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. To determine if you meet the substantial presence test for 2014, count the full 120 days of presence in 2014, 40 days in 2013 (1/3 of 120), and 20 days in 2012 (1/6 of 120). Since the total for the 3-year period is 180 days, you are not considered a resident under the substantial presence test for 2014.

There are exemptions to this as well

Exempt Individual

Do not count days for which you are an exempt individual. The term "exempt individual" does not refer to someone exempt from U.S. tax, but to anyone in the following categories:

  • An individual temporarily present in the U.S. as a foreign government-related individual under an “A” or “G” visa, other than individuals holding “A-3” or “G-5” class visas.
  • A teacher or trainee temporarily present in the U.S. under a "J" or "Q" visa, who substantially complies with the requirements of the visa.
  • A student temporarily present in the U.S. under an "F," "J," "M," or "Q" visa, who substantially complies with the requirements of the visa.
  • A professional athlete temporarily in the U.S. to compete in a charitable sports event.

 

February 19, 2020

Hi, I'm a bit confused about this part. So, I'm a F-1 student in the US, and according to the presence test, I should pass that. However, under the Exempt Individual, it includes "A student temporarily present in the U.S. under an "F," "J," "M," or "Q" visa". So does this mean I'll never be a resident alien for tax purpose (with my F-1 status), since the days being present as F-1 student just do not count towards to presence test? 

 

Many thanks to anyone who can clarify this.

February 19, 2020

technically speaking, yes you would never be resident alien unless you get greencard maybe. F-1 students are non resident aliens. Stating that I know lot of people filling using turbotax they didn't had any problem so far.

May 1, 2020

If sprintax was free no one would have been asking this question.
No, no and no you can't technically use TurboTax if you are an international studying on visa. No matter how tempting it is to use TurboTax , since it's free. Use sprtintax!!
You might not get into any problem by filling it in the wrong but read this
My friends applied through TurboTax it has efile so they got tax returns back in like 2 weeks. Bang then corona happened and came along with it the CARES package, they all wrongfully received 1200$, they were happy only till we received a mail from university explaining how that money doesn't belong to us and how they should file tax amendment and get it corrected. Now they have to do it.
i paid 60$ to sprintax to file taxes.
they paid 0 to turbotax then received 1200$, now would have to pay 100$ for amendment.

So don't just file via TurboTax bcoz its free, do it the right way helps in long run. Don't mess with IRS on chances that nothing's gonna go wrong or over few bucks. It will suck to know, you got into trouble just to save couple of bucks. Use Sprintax if you are eligible to file as resident alien it will tell you so. chat with their agents. Don't use friends or seniors advice.  

I don't think i could be clearer than this.

June 2, 2020

@sanz Thank you for the advice, I'm currently in the process of filing my taxes. I'm a university student and have an on-campus job (so I have a W-2 form). I also have been in the U.S for more than 5 years. When I used Sprintax it says that my profile won't be support by Sprintax and need to use other services. I was wondering what should I do in this case?

January 16, 2021
January 18, 2021

If as an international student, you must file Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.

TurboTax does not support that form. You can prepare it with sprintax.com.

 

The direct link for IRS information about Foreign Students, Scholars, Teachers, Researchers and Exchange Visitors will provide information for your specific situation.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"
April 6, 2022

Respected Sir/Madam,

 

I have filed my taxes in Feb Mid and I got my refund too. I am an International Student on F1 visa so Just now I came to know that we shouldn't use Turbo tax. So, Now what to do. Do I have file it again in Sprint tax ? .Kindly let me know.