Sprintax as a whole is a service specifically designed for nonresident aliens and provide different types of forms and returns that you may need to prepare regarding your stay, study and work in the US.

Sprintax is a self-preparation software using which you can generate your Federal and State income tax returns, as well as additional forms such as form 8843, FICA claims and ITIN application forms.

• Create an account or log in if you already have one. 

• Answer some easy-to-understand questions based on your case and the documents you have.

• We will find all deductions you can claim and apply them to your final forms.

• We do the calculations and prepare your tax return so all you need to do is make sure your details are correct.

• Once you are finished, you have to print out the forms, sign them by hand in ink and send to the IRS/state tax office. If you are eligible, you might also be given the option to E-file your Federal tax return.

You need to file a tax return if you have received income reportable to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and/or State Tax Office. You have received no reportable income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but were an exempt individual under F, J, M or Q visa for 2025 and need to submit Form 8843.

You should have already received all your payment documents for 2025 (W2, 1042-S, etc.) before you generate Federal or State tax forms, otherwise, you may need to file an amended return to add the missing income and tax details from your original returns.

Once you create an account with Sprintax, you can select the tax year you wish to prepare your tax returns for and start the process. You will need the following documents:

• Passport

• Entry/exit dates to the US (if you do not have your travel history, you can request Form I-94 from U.S. Customs and Border

• Protection’s website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/)

• All 2023 forms representing income you received (1042-S, W2, 1099, etc.)

• Immigration and visa information (for reference DS-2019 or I-20)

• Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

*If you don’t have SSN or ITIN, Sprintax Returns can help you prepare an ITIN application

First Sprintax needs to determine your residency status for Federal tax purposes through the Substantial Presence Test and Green Card Test.

Your residency status in Sprintax determines whether you qualify as a resident or nonresident for tax purposes. If Sprintax identifies you as a nonresident, you can proceed with the next steps. However, if you're considered a resident for tax purposes, you'll be directed to Turbotax, our partner for resident tax filings.

The two residency tests commonly referred to in the context of determining an individual's tax residency status in the United States are:

1. The Green Card Test

• Description: If a person is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (i.e., they possess a green card) at any time during the calendar year, they are considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes. This holds even if they live outside the U.S., as long as their green card remains valid.

• Criteria: Being a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) under U.S. immigration law.

2. The Substantial Presence Test

• Description: This test determines residency based on the number of days a person is physically present in the U.S. during the current year and the two preceding years.

• Criteria: You are considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes if you meet both of the following conditions:

  • You were physically present in the U.S. for at least 31 days during the current year.

  • You were physically present in the U.S. for a total of 183 days over the current year and the preceding two years, calculated as:

    • All the days you were present in the current year.

    • 1/3 of the days you were present in the first preceding year.

    • 1/6 of the days you were present in the second preceding year.

If you are on an F, J, M, or Q visa, you may be exempt from the Substantial Presence Test under certain conditions: F-1, J-1 (student), and M visas are exempt from the Substantial Presence Test for five calendar years over a lifetime. Holders of other J visas and the Q visa are exempt for two years out of every six proceeding years.

In general it's recommended to list all your visits to the US which have lasted over 24h for an accurate residency determination.

However, if you have had non-exempt Visa types held over 3 years ago, you can skip them as they will not be counted towards the Substantial Presence Test. 

In general, individuals cannot change their own tax residency status. Your residency status determined by Sprintax is based on the information provided by you on Step 1 Residency - Residency Status. Your current and previous visits and visa types will determine your residency for tax purposes. If you are a nonresident for tax purposes, you must file correctly as a nonresident. If you are deemed a resident for tax purposes, you must file correctly as a resident.

Step 1 Residency

In Step 1 Residency in your Sprintax, the system will ask the needed details about your Visa and travels to the US in order to determine if you’re deemed as a nonresident, dual status or resident solely for Federal tax purposes. Based on this, if you are deemed as a dual status or resident, you will not be able to proceed with us. Sprintax is only for nonresidents for tax purposes.

Here is a breakdown of the questions you will find on this page:

1.Have you been a US citizen, by birth or naturalization, on the last day of 2025?-

 This asks if the you are born as an US citizen or are an US naturalized resident. If you are, you cannot use Sprintax

2. Have you ever been a green card holder?- If you hold a Green card you cannot proceed with Sprintax.

3. Have you ever applied for US citizenship/ lawful residence?- If you have obtained a lawful residence or citizenship in the US you cannot proceed with Sprintax.

4. Were you in the US during the 2025 tax year?- If you have been in the US regardless of your duration of stay in 2025, please select ‘Yes’

5. When was your first visit to the US?- This question asks about your very first visit to the US.

6. Are you still in the US?- If you are still present in the US even on another status please answer ‘Yes’

7.US Leave Date- If you are still in the US you can use your Visa expiry date as the date you plan to leave US as well as the end date of your program.

FAQ for this step:

Q. How do I know if I’m a resident or non-resident?

Please report all your visits in the US on Step 1 Residency in your Sprintax account. The system will automatically determine your residency status. Please have in mind that if you’re deemed as a resident for tax purposes, you cannot proceed with Sprintax.

Q. The software says I’m a resident

The Sprintax system will automatically determine your residency status for tax purposes based on the information provided. Please make sure to report all your visits to the US and have in mind that if you have stayed long enough in the US you may be deemed as a resident for tax purposes.

Q.I have changed to H1B however I do not have the stamp in my passport

If this is the case you have to report your last day on F1 as exit day and report your presence on H1b as new visit with entry date the H1B approval date. It does not matter that you have not physically left the country, for tax purposes those are considered 2 separate visits.

Q. I changed to H1B but I don't see it on the Visa details page.

Please go back to the previous page and check if you have reported the H1B as a separate visit starting with the approval date in 2025.

Q. I switched from F-1 to H1B, how do I report it in Sprintax?

You can follow the instructions below if you did change your visa type: 
- You need to list both visits - under F-1 and under H1B;
- The F-1's "US Leave Date" must be one day before the H1B Visa got approved, even if you have not actually left the US. 
- The H1B's "US Entry Date" must be the approval date or the 'start date' listed on your I-797A Notice. There's no issue here if the visa itself is yet to be stamped. The "US Leave Date" can be the end date listed on the same Approval Notice. 

Q. I have renewed my Visa, is this a Visa change?

No, renewing your Visa doesn't count as a Visa change.

Q. I'm still in the US, what do fill on 'Exit date'?

Please fill your Visa expiry date.

Q. Can I use my DS2019/I20 expiry date?

Yes, you can.

Q. Where is my Visa number, expiry date etc?

This is listed on your Visa stamp in your passport.

Q. I have J1- Exchange Cultural Program Visitor:

Please review your DS2019, box 4 for the exact program type of your J1 Visa and select that form the drop down menu.

Q. The system says the dates are overlapping:

Please enter all your visits with the relevant entry and exit date, however please make sure that the dates to not overlap with each other.

Q. I wasn't in the US during 2025, what should I do?

Please answer with 'No' to the question "Were you in the US during the 2025 tax year?"

Q. I left the US during 2025, what should I answer to 'Were you in the US during the 2025 tax year?'

If you had any presence in the US during 2025, please select 'Yes' for 'Were you in the US during the 2025 tax year?'

Q.I left the US, however I plan to return, what should I answer to 'Are you still in the US?'

Please select 'No' if you're currently outside the US.

Q. I have ESTA visits, what should I do?

Please report your ESTA visits as Tourist visits.

Q.I don’t remember my visits

You can check information for your travel history here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

If the I94 records do not show the needed information, please provide approximate dates.

Q. I am a dual status resident

Please fill out your visits in Step 1 Residency and the system will automatically determine your residency status. If you are deemed as a dual-status resident for tax purposes, you won’t be able to proceed with Sprintax.

Q. Do you support my Visa ?

Please fill out your details in Step 1 Residency in Sprintax. If your case is not supported by the system you won’t be able to proceed and you will be notified.

Q. I am Canadian and I don’t have a Visa

Please report your visits based on your Visa support document or purpose of visit.

Q. I am Canadian and I commute to work every day to the US

Please note that commuters are not obligated to fill out visits to the US. You can mark that you haven’t been in the US during 2025

Q. Closer connection with a foreign country and Form 8840

You can file Closer connections with a foreign country with the IRS, however quite unfortunately the Sprintax software does not support Form 8840.

Sub-Step Visa Details

Q. What do I fill on Date you first entered the US- The date you have first entered the US ever. This date should match with the first entry date you’ve reported on the previous sub-step.

Q. I don’t know when I will leave the US-  Please provide any approximate date you may leave the US in the future or your Visa expiry date/program end date.

Q. I have changed my Visa, but the system doesn’t  let me choose ‘Yes’

If you have reported two or more Visa types in the previous steps during 2025, you will be able to select that as a Visa change.

Q. Does providing an exit date means I should leave the US on that date?

No, the information in your Sprintax software is filled out for tax purposes. Your date you plan to leave may change in the future and is not affected by the information you fill here as an approximate date you plan to leave.

Q. I don’t have the H1B stamp in my passport, what dates should I fill?

You can provide the H1B start and end dates as ‘Visa issue’ and ‘Visa expiry’ date from the H1B approval letter.

Q. What is Country of Citizenship?

'Country of Citizenship' is the country in which you were born in.

Q. What is Country of Residence?

For tax purposes, an individual’s country of residence is the one they have claimed upon entering the US. It is determined by local tax law, which can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Countries will look at a set of factors, such as the number of days of physical presence in that country (in a tax year), the ownership of a home, availability of accommodation, family ties, and financial interests to determine residency. An individual’s country of residence might not be the same as the country of citizenship. Country of citizenship, refers to a country where an individual was born, and has not renounced, or lost their citizenship, and been naturalized (the process by which you are granted citizenship to another country).

Q. Did you have US income (wages, scholarships, or other payments) in 2025?

This question asks if you have earned any income in the US during 2025. If you have - you should have received some income documents from the payer of your income.

Q. The system says I don't have filing requirements:

Please note that if you are not on an exempt Visa and you have no US income, you have no requirements to file any forms for the 2025 tax year.

Q. The system says I don't need a tax filing number

If you had no income during the 2025 tax year, you do not need to apply for an ITIN.

Q. Are you a full time student or scholar in a US educational institution?

A full-time student is a student who is enrolled for the number of hours or courses that the school considers to be full-time attendance.

Q. Are you a degree candidate in a US educational institution?

You're deemed as a degree candidate if you attend an educational institution and are pursuing a degree there. If you have been a degree candidate in 2025, answer with yes.

Q. Are you OPT/CPT program participant?

If you have participated in an OPT/CPT program during 2025, please select 'Yes'

Q. What are OPT and CPT?

OPT stands for Optional Practical Training, this allows F1 students to work on a full time basis for one year after they have completed their studies, in a field related to their major. CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training and allows F1 Students to work for up to 20 hours a week in a field related to their major, while engaging in studies.

Q. The system doesn’t let me proceed after About you, I see message saying ‘Whoops….

If you were not a student, teacher, or trainee temporarily present in the United States on an F, J, M or Q type visa, and you did not have any US income, you do not need to file US tax returns

Q. At any time during 2025, did you receive, sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any financial interest in any virtual currency?

If you have traded in any virtual currency you have to report it your tax return and you should receive a 1099 or 8949 form with the transaction details.

Q. Do you have a US tax identification number (ITIN/SSN)?

If you have earned income in the US you must have a taxpayer number in order to file your tax return. If you do not have a Social Security Number, Sprintax can help you prepare an ITIN application.

Q. What is a US tax identification number?

There are two types of tax identification numbers. These are the ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) and SSN (Social Security Number). Please note that you cannot have both at the same time.

An SSN is generally required and obtained when you are authorized to work. If you need to apply for an SSN, Sprintax cannot assist here on our Returns software. You must contact your local Social Security Administration. The SSN is a lifetime tax identification number so once issued, it does not need to be re-issued it.

An ITIN is generally required when an individual is required to file a Federal tax return, but they are not eligible for an SSN. Once you select that you don't have a taxpayer ID, the system will ask you if you want Sprintax to help you with an ITIN application. You can select 'Yes' in order to obtain the required documents for the ITIN application.

However, you cannot directly obtain an ITIN through Sprintax. Sprintax will prepare the ITIN application for you (Form W-7) along with your Federal tax return. Please follow the instructions in the tax packs that Sprintax prepares for you.

Q. The system says I don’t need SSN or ITIN

If you had no income earned in the US you do not  have obligations to apply for a taxpayer ID.

Q. How to apply for an ITIN?

Once you select that you don't have a taxpayer ID, the system will ask you if you want Sprintax to help you with an ITIN application. Please select 'Yes' in order to obtain the needed documents for the ITIN application.

Q. What are SSNs and ITINs?

An SSN is a Social Security Number issued by the Social Security Administration to all legal aliens allowed to work in the US. An ITIN is a nine-digit number issued by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to individuals who are required for US federal tax purposes to have a US taxpayer identification number but who do not have and are not eligible to get a Social Security Number (SSN).

Q. What is Length of stay in the page for my ITIN application?

This is the total length of your stay on your current program.

Q. What is a billing address?

Billing address is the address linked to your bank account and the one you registered with your bank when you set up your payment method with your bank. 

Q. Choose the address which will appear on the return(s), and will be used for correspondence and any refund check.

After entering both your US and Home Address, you should choose which one to appear on your Federal and State tax return. Please be advised that it is important to use the address that expect to be at for at least the next 6 months so that if you receive any notice from the tax office or your refund check, you will be able to receive these.

If you are unsure of your expected address, you can hold off on the tax filing until you know your address (if you are going to move to a new place for example, but make sure you are filing ahead of the deadline) or put your relative's address, so that there would be someone to receive whatever might be sent to you. 

Q. Spouse details

You may be asked for additional details regarding your spouse. Below is a brief explanation on how to fill out this step:

• Is your spouse a US citizen?- this question asks if your spouse has been born in the US or has become an US citizen by naturalization;

• Is your spouse a student or scholar?- this question asks if your spouse is on a student or scholar Visa in the US;

• Did your spouse live with you in the US at least 6 months during 2023?- if your spouse has spent at least 6 months (non-consecutive) during the tax year living with you, please mark 'Yes';

• Did your spouse have gross income in 2023?- in case your spouse has earned US income, please select 'Yes';

• Is your spouse claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return?- this question asks if your spouse can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's US tax return (not including yours)'

• Does your spouse have a US Tax ID number (SSN / ITIN)?- if your spouse has already a valid US taxpayer ID, please mark 'Yes'. 

Q. Do I need to provide my spouse's details in Sprintax?

Yes, if you are married, you will be asked for your spouse's names, date of birth and US taxpayer ID (if any), even if your spouse is living outside the US.

Q. Can I claim dependents?

In general, nonresidents for US tax purposes cannot claim dependents on their tax returns.  Please keep in mind that there is a difference between the term dependent for immigration purposes and tax purposes.

Each family member that is a granted a Visa to accompany you in the US is considered as an individual on a dependent Visa for immigration purposes. This however does not automatically mean you can claim your family members as a dependent on your US income tax return as the IRS has defined this term for their own purposes in a different way. In order to claim a dependent on your tax return the IRS has published specific regulations independently from the understanding of the immigration services for a dependent Visa holder.

However in case you are a resident of India who is a student or business apprentice(Intern/Trainee), Mexico, South Korea or Canada, you might be able to claim the Child-Tax Credit if you fall under the below conditions: 

- South Korea – the child must live with you for the whole year, in the US. An ITIN will be needed;

- India – the child must be a US citizen and they must have SSN;

- Canada/Mexico - the child can be living in or outside the US. An ITIN will be needed.

If you are eligible for the Child-Tax Credit you will see a sub-step named 'Dependents' on Step 2 Getting to know you. 

Here is a brief explanation of the questions: 

- Do you have any dependents? - This question is asking if you have any children that can be claimed as dependents;
- Did you pay a minder to care for your child or dependents? - This question is asking if you pay a nanny to take care of your child/children;
- Please complete the line with information for your dependent(s) in full! - You have to enter your child/children' details there as you have to keep in mind that they have to be born within the tax year you are filing for to be eligible for the Child-Tax Credit. 

Q. Were you married on the last day of 2025?

This question is referring to whether or not you have been married before or on December 31 of the tax year that you are filing for. If you got married after the end of the tax year you're filing for, you are considered as single.
It doesn't matter if you were married in the US or in your home country. 
If you have been married but then got divorced by December 31  you can answer 'No' for this question. 

Q. Can you be claimed as a dependent on someone else's US tax return?

This question asks if you have any US citizen or resident relatives who can claim you as a dependent on their tax return.

It's important to note that this question is unrelated to the dependents you may have, nor does it concern your visa status, including whether or not you are on a dependent visa. The focus here is solely on your relationship to a U.S. citizen or resident relative who may claim you for tax purposes.

Q. The system doesn't accept my address

Please make sure that you report your address only with Latin letters and numbers. Do not include any special symbols

Q. Which address to choose for my return

Please select a valid address on which you can receive letters from the tax office.

Q. I don't have an US address anymore

You can fill out your last US address, however please select your home address for correspondence.

How to apply for an ITIN?

In order for your income tax return to be processed, you will need to obtain a taxpayer ID- SSN or ITIN.  The Social Security Number (SSN) is issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and you can obtain it if you are legally allowed to work in the US. If not, you can apply for a temporary taxpayer ID (ITIN) for the purposes of filing an US income tax return. The ITIN is issued by the IRS and you can prepare the needed W-7 application form with Sprintax.

Q. How to get an ITIN from Sprintax?

Sprintax can help you request an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) if don’t have an SSN. On step 2 - Getting to know you, About you section , after you answer to one of the questions, that you don't have an SSN, Sprintax will ask you if you want to get an ITIN.

Q. How to file an ITIN application (short version)?

Once you get your ITIN application from Sprintax, all you need to do is print and sign it and post it to the IRS alongside your Federal return. The ITIN document prepared contains full instructions on where to post the forms to and what supporting documents to include. Please note that if you do not send your original passport, you must send a copy certified by one of the methods the IRS accepts. They are all listed in the instructions and if you use another certification method, the IRS may reject your application.

Q. How long does it take?

The ITIN applications are usually processed in 16 weeks by the IRS

Q. How will I receive my ITIN?

The IRS will send you the ITIN letter to your address.

Q. How to file an ITIN application (long version)?

In order to file a tax return you will need an ITIN or SSN

There are two options available when applying for an ITIN:

i)          Apply in person at your local IRS office

When using this option you’ll need:

-           Your 1040-NR

-           Your ITIN application form (signed on page 1 by hand in ink)

-           Original passport

ii)         Mail the application to the IRS:

When mailing your application, include:

-Your 1040-NR

-Your ITIN application form (signed on page 1 by hand in ink)

-The original passport of each applicant included in the application.

If you prefer not to mail your original passport, you can attach a certified copy. Note: We do not recommend mailing your original passport, instead we recommend that you attach a certified copy.

If including a photocopy, it MUST be certified by one of the following*:

1.         The governmental department that issued the identification document.

2.         The United States Embassy or Consulate (make a reservation before visit).

3.         Certified Acceptance Agent - IRS official.

* An apostle or other forms of certification, including US or domestic notary public will be rejected by the IRS.

Post the US Tax ID Number (ITIN) application(s) together with your federal tax return to:

Internal Revenue Service ITIN Operation Mail Stop 6090-AUSC 3651 S. Interregional, Hwy 35 Austin, TX 78741-0000 USA

If you do not attach the supporting documents (certified or originals) and your 1040-NR tax return, your ITIN application will not be processed and this may result in a penalty or the processing of your US tax return may be put on hold until you provide all required documentation. Please note if you choose the mailing option and you are attaching your original passport to your application, you should be aware that there is a minimum processing time of 6-16 weeks.

Step 3 Let's talk money

In Step 3 Let’s talk money the system will ask you to list all your US sourced income for the tax year, including income from employment reported on a W-2 form or 1042-S form, scholarships or any other income type reported on 1042-S or 1099 forms. In order to receive an accurate income tax return, please make sure to double check all the figures reported in your income documents and Sprintax account.

Sub-step Income documents

Q. I don't know what document I should receive

If you don’t know what income document to expect please ask the payer of your income for an income document.

Q. I have a scholarship but no document or have only scholarship letter.

 If you have received 1098-T for your scholarship or if your scholarship was allocated to cover your tuition fees,  you should not report it as a non-resident for tax purposes.

Q. Should I report foreign income?

Non-residents for tax purposes do not report non-US income on their Federal income tax returns, however certain states may ask for your foreign income.

Q. My W2 ( or any income document) includes income earned outside the US?

Please note that your income documents have to report only the exact amount you’ve earned while present in the US only.

Q. I have 1098-T form, but I cannot find where to report it

As a non-resident for tax purposes you cannot include the 1098-T form in your tax returns. Please keep it for your personal records.

Q. I don't have copy B of my document.

Usually all copies of one income document are the same and you can use any copy as long as it contains all the needed information.

Q. I have multiple W2 forms, what should I do

If all your W2 form copies are issued by the same employer, please report only one W2 form per employer.

Q. I’m on Au Pair Visa and don’t have income documents.

Please note that if you select your visa type as J1 Au pair, the system will let you skip the income documents selection page and you will be able to only report your income as per the invoices/payslips you’ve been issued.

Q. My Federal information is on one page of the W2 and my State information is on another?

If the W2 forms are from the same employer, please report all pages as one adding both the Federal and State information in Sprintax.

Q. What is Letter of payer?

Letter of payer is used in case you don't have any of the listed documents, however you still had US income which has to be reported on your tax return.

Q. I don't have any of the documents listed in Step 3

If you had no US sourced income, please make sure to mark that in Step 2 Getting to know you. If you had US sourced income, please first ask your payer if they will issue an income document for you. If the income was an award or commission for self-employment work and the payer will not issue an income, you can select 'Letter of payer' and report your income under the 'Other income' step.

Q. My 1042-S form has two copies, how many should I select?

If all copies of your 1042-S form are issued by the same payer and report the exact same income, please report only one copy per payer/income.

Q. I don't see any information about some boxes, what  should I fill?

If your form does not have details for some of the boxes, please enter 0.

Q. I don't have a SSN, and I'm applying for an ITIN now, what should I fill on the taxpayer ID box

Please enter 000-00-0000

Q. My address on my document is different than my current address (any form)

Please note that it’s alright if your income documents shows an old address. The address on the form is mostly likely only used by the payer for their records. Please provide your current address on the form and on Step 2 Getting to know you.

Q. Please enter the actual wages you earned in each state

In general, your W-2 form shows how much of your income was reported to the IRS and the State tax office. The Federal and State wages should be equal, however not all W-2 forms report the same wages.

In this case, the system will ask you to allocate your actual wages in each of the States you worked in.

Please check your payslips and calculate how much of your total Federal wages reported in box 1 are earned in each of the showed states. 

The sum of the allocated wages in each state has to be equal to the Federal wages in box 1.

Q. W-2 Difference in Federal and State wages (Tax Treaty exemption)

Generally, your Federal wages (box 1) and State wages (box 16) should be equal. If there is a difference between these amounts and the reason for that is 'Income exempt under a tax treaty' you should receive a second income document that reports the exempt portion of your income. In most cases, that kind of income document would be the 1042-S form with code 20 in box 1. If you do not have such document yet your Federal wages are less than your State wages, please contact your employer and confirm that matter with them. 

If that case applies to you, here is an example of how to report your W-2 in Sprintax (Step 3 - Let's talk money):

As you can see there is a difference between box 1 and box 16. If you have a second income document that reports the exempt portion (in most cases that'd be 1042-S), you can select 'Income reported as exempt under tax treaty on 1042-S':

Right afterwards, you will need to also upload your 1042-S form in Sprintax in order to report the amount that is exempt.

Please make sure to confirm with the payer of your income where the difference from your wages comes from as it's important for the accuracy of your tax return.

Q Each W-2 form in Sprintax is using the official IRS template and has two lines in which you can report two different State locations, however if you have 3 or more States reported on your W-2 form, you need to add multiple W-2 forms to accommodate all States from your form.

Info: If you have worked in a State that has no State income tax such as Texas, Florida, etc. you can report it as 'Income earned in another state' below the W-2 form and select the State.

1st W-2 Form:

- Box 1 and 2 - Please fill out all the employer's details on the left side and the Federal information on the right side (Box 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14 depending on the information you have on your original W-2 form)

Add two of the multiple States you have on your W-2 form on the lines from box 15 to box 20.

If the Federal and State wages added are not equal, the system will ask you to allocate your actual wages earned by physically working in each state.

You will also be asked to select the reason for the difference below the W-2 form and you should select the option: "Other income not taxable for State"

2nd W-2 Form:

Please fill out the employer's details on the left side, but leave the Federal portion on the right blank.

Add the next State details in the lines from box 15 to box 20

Once more if you are asked to allocate the wages below the W-2 form, please write down the amount you earned by physically working in each State.

Please select the reason for the difference below the form as "Other exempt income"

If you need to add more than 4 States you will need to add a 3rd W-2 form following the same steps as when adding the 2nd W-2 form. 

Important: Please make sure that once you reach Step 7 - Summary, your Federal wages must be the same amount you see on your W-2 form - box 1. If there is any difference, please contact us via our live chat so we can review your case.

Info: You may have a difference in the federal wages only if you had a tax treaty applied (you'd see a separate line on the Summary, named "Income exempt by a tax treaty".

Federal wages lower than State wages

Generally, your Federal wages (box 1) and State wages (box 16) should be equal. If your Federal wages  are less than your State wages and the reason is not because of another 1042-S form or W-2 form, you can choose 'Other exempt income' and manually enter a description for the difference. If you are unsure where the difference comes from, please make sure to contact the payer of your income for clarification.

Here is an example of how to enter your W-2 in Sprintax (Step 3 - Let's talk money):

The State wages that you see reported on your W-2 may not be the actual wages you physically earned in each state. You can review your pay slips and/or contact the payer of your income for that kind of information. Once you type in your actual wages and select 'Other exempt income' you will have to manually enter the reasoning for that.

If you are unsure where the difference comes from, please make sure to reach out to your employer.

Q. I received Form W-2C, should I file an amendment?

If you receive a corrected W-2 form after you already filed your tax return, you may need to file an amendment.

In general, you should file an amended return if you need to provide more or new information that affects your tax calculations. This includes amending you residency or filing status, the number of dependents you can claim, correcting total income, credits or deductions claimed or not on the original return.

Important: You do not need an amended return if the change on the W2-C form is regarding your name, address, taxpayer ID or Social Security and Medicare wages and taxes (FICA) in boxes 4, 5, 6 and/or box 7.

Q. I received an income document with wrong or missing Social Security Number (SSN)

Please note that when your payer issues an income document, they also report it to IRS/State Tax Office. In case they have provided you with a form without a taxpayer ID or incorrect taxpayer ID, it's recommended to request a new copy.

Your employer should be able to issue a corrected form with the only change being the Social Security Number.

In case this can be done before the tax filing deadline, please wait for the W2-C to be issued, however if due to any reason this cannot be done by the tax filing deadline and you owe money to the tax office, please file using your current copy and still request a corrected version from your payer. The IRS may send you a notice to confirm your taxpayer ID to which you'll have to respond to with the requested documents.

Q. The address on my W-2 is different than my current address

Please note that if your income document(s) show a different or old address, that is not a problem at all. The address on the form is most likely only used by your employer for their records.

Make sure to provide your current address on Step 2 Getting to know you, sub step Your address as that is the address that would appear on your tax returns and not the one from your income documents(s).

Important: Ensure that the address you provide on your tax return will be valid for at least few months in case the tax office sends you any correspondence.

Q. Why are my Federal wages lower than my State wages?

In general, your Federal wages (box 1) and State wages (box 16) should be equal.

1. In case you have worked in only one state:

Please consult with your employer regarding the reason for this discrepancy.

You may receive a second income document from the same payer (such as a 1042-S form), which will report the remaining Federal wages, so the total would be equal to the State wages.

Once your employer provides you with a reason or a 1042-S form, you can report that in Sprintax.

2. In case you have worked in more than one State:

Important: Please note that the W-2 form shows how much was reported to which IRS/State Tax Office. This however does not mean you have physically earned that exact amount in each state reported on the W-2 form.

Below the W-2 form in Sprintax you will be asked to allocate your State wages between the two states you've reported on the W-2 form. Please enter the exact amount you've physically earned in each state. You may use your pay slips or contact your employer for more information.

Important: You do not have to change the amounts in box 1 and/or box 16. You only need to distribute your State wages correctly below the W-2 form in Sprintax.

Info: If you have worked in a State with no income tax (Florida, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas) you can select the option "Income earned in another State" 

Please be careful and make sure that you are aware of the exact reason for the difference as selecting an incorrect reason on Step 3 - Let's talk money - W-2 might incorrectly affect the tax calculations on your Federal and/or State tax return. 

Q. I have a code in box 14 which is not on the list

Please be informed that box 14 is generally only used for informational purposes for your employer’s payroll. If you do not see your code in the drop down menu, you can leave the box blank and proceed further.

Important: Leaving box 14 empty will not have an impact on your calculations as that box is used mainly for informational purposes.

Q. I cannot select box 13 on my W-2 form

Please note that Box 13 is not active in Sprintax as it has no impact on your tax return. You can safely disregard this box and continue further with your Sprintax application without entering any information in it.

Rest assured, leaving Box 13 blank will not impact your tax filing process or the accuracy of your return. Sprintax is designed to account for such scenarios, ensuring compliance with tax regulations while simplifying the filing process for you. 

Q. Some of the boxes on my W-2 are empty

If certain boxes on your W-2 are blank you can leave them empty in Sprintax as well. It is very common to have blank boxes.

If you are unable to proceed further, please double-check and ensure that all the boxes that you have are correctly filled out in the Sprintax. You may be required to enter some details manually.

Q. Sprintax OCR Technology - No need to manually enter your income document details!

Thanks to the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology on Sprintax, you will no longer have to manually enter your details from your income documents into the Sprintax software. You can simply upload an image of your document and our software will automatically populate the required fields.

Please ensure that your income document has been uploaded correctly. If there are any missing fields, please enter these manually. 

The only income document that would have to be filled out manually on Step 3 - Let's talk money is the 1099 forms. 

Q. I have code W in box 12 of my W-2 form

Please review the below questions and provide us with your answers:

1. Were you covered by a self-only/family High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) at different times during the year (2025)?

Possible answers are: a. Self-only HDHP, b. Family HDHP, c. Both plans and d. Not covered

2. Did you make any HSA contributions, including those made from January 1, 2025, through April 15, 2026, that were made for 2025? NOTE: Do not include in this answer any employer contributions, contributions through a cafeteria plan (name consists of any/combo of the words "Less Other Café 125") or rollovers. Provide only the contributions you personally made with after-tax money. Payroll contributions through salary reduction do not qualify.

Possible answers are - a. Yes (how much?), b. No

3. If you answered 'Yes' to question # 2, please advise if you had the same annual deductible and coverage each month and also confirm if the amount provided in the second question was included in your W-2, box 12, code W.

4. What did you spend the HSA distribution (Form 1099-SA) for?

In addition to that please send us a copy of your W-2 form and 1099-SA form (if present).

Important: Please do NOT e-file or paper file (mail) your automatically generated Federal income tax return until our tax experts review your individual case. We may need to manually update your Federal return, so please wait for our team to confirm if the return is ready to be filed in case you have Code W on your W-2 form and/or 1099-SA form.

Q. Explanation of codes:

C - Taxable costs of group-term life insurance over $50,000. The amount is already included in income reported on form W-2, no need to be reported separately on Form 1040NR.
D - Contributions to your 401(k) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
E - Contributions to your 403(b) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
F - Contributions to your 408(k)(6) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
G - Contributions to your 457(b) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
H - Contributions to your 501(c)(18)(D) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
J - Nontaxable sick pay. The amount is for your information only. Not included in W-2 boxes 1, 3, or 5 and no need to be reported separately on Form 1040NR.
L - Substantiated employee business expense reimbursements. Nontaxable amount, no need to be reported separately on Form 1040NR or in Sprintax.
P - Excludable moving expense reimbursements paid directly to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. Not included in W-2 boxes 1, 3, or 5 and no need to be reported separately on Form 1040NR.
R - Company contributions to your Archer MSA. The amount is listed on Form 8853 if conditions are met.
S - Salary reduction contributions to your 408(p) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
W - Employer contributions to your HSA. The amount is listed on Form 8889 if conditions are met.
AA - Designated Roth contribution to your 401(k) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
BB - Designated Roth contributions to your 403(b) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.
DD - Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage. Nontaxable amount, no need to be reported separately on Form 1040NR.
EE - Designated Roth contributions to a governmental 457(b) plan. The amount is listed on Form 8880 if conditions are met.

Q. What is the type of my employer?

Please select the appropriate type from the drop down menu based on your employer. If you’re unsure which option to select please consult with your employer or check the information provided on their website as it should mention the type they are considered as.

Q. What is the type of entity on my 1042-S

Please select the appropriate type from the drop down menu based on your payer. If you’re unsure which option to select please consult with your payer or check the information provided on their website as it should mention the type they are considered as.

Q. My code in box 3,3a,3b,4a,4b, 13f,13g, or 12b is not on the list

You can leave this code as 00 in the system and proceed with your application.

Q. Box 17a is empty

If you had no State tax withheld you can enter 0 in box 17a.

Q. Box 17b is empty

If you do not know the payer’s State EIN you can enter 0.

Q. Box 17c is empty

Completing your 1042-S form on Sprintax involves various steps, and one critical aspect is to select the state where you were physically present while receiving that income, even if you are no longer present in that State for box 17cQ. There’s no US in the country box 13b

Please be advised that in box 13b of your 1042-S form you should report your home country.

Q. What to enter on payer’s TIN box 13e.

Please report your SSN or ITIN in box 13e. If you do not have a taxpayer ID please enter 000-00-0000

Q. I have 592-B

Please report the CA tax withheld from form 592B in box 17a of your 1042-S form.

Q. My 1042-S form has boxes/amounts which are locked in Sprintax and I cannot enter them, what should I do?

Please note that on every document not all blue boxes are mandatory. Furthermore the white boxes you can't interact with are either not relevant for your tax return preparation or report information you have already provided in a previous step.

Q. I have 1099SA

Please answer to the following questions:

1. Were you covered by a self-only/family High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) at different times during the year (TY2025)?

Possible answers are: a. Self-only HDHP, b. Family HDHP, c. Both plans and d. Not covered

2. Did you make any HSA contributions, including those made from January 1, 2025, through April 15, 2026, that were made for TY2025? NOTE: do not include in this answer any employer contributions, contributions through a cafeteria plan (name consists of any/combo of the words "Less Other Café 125") or rollovers. Provide only the contributions you personally made with after-tax money. Payroll contributions through salary reduction do not qualify.

Possible answers are - a. Yes (how much?), b. No

3. If you answered Yes to the second question, please advise if you had the same annual deductible and coverage each month and also confirm if the amount provided in the second question was included in your W-2, box 12, code W.

4. What did you spend the HSA distribution (Form 1099-SA) for?

In addition to that please send us copies:

Of your W-2 form;

1099-SA form(if present);

Q. How to fill 1099G?

Here is a brief explanation of how to populate the mandatory boxes on each 1099-B form:

- 1a - Description of Property - the number of transactions made toward one company (ex. - 10 Tesla).

*A transaction is every sold/bought stock on your form;

- 1b - Date acquired - the very first date you bought the stocks; 
- 1c - Date sold or disposed - the last date you sold the stocks;
- 1e - Cost or Other basis - the total amount on which you bought the transactions reported;
- 1d - Proceeds - the total amount on which you sold the transactions reported;
- 1g - Wash sale loss disallowed- mark if your transaction shows Wash sale loss;
- box 4, 16 - Federal/State taxes withheld- you do not fill anything there if you do NOT have taxes withheld on the 1099 forms or enter 0;
- box 14 - State name - the state you lived in while buying and selling the stocks;
- box 15 - State identification no. - you can put 0 as you do NOT have state identification number;
- Payer's details - you should enter the details of the company you traded with. For example - Robinhood. If you do not have their tax identification number - you can put 0.

Is the gain or (loss) reported on this form effectively connected with U.S. trade or business, or in result of the sale or exchange of U.S. real property? - In Sprintax you will be asked if your income is effectively connected to an US business or trade. If your only US business activity is trading in stocks, securities, or commodities (including hedging transactions) through a US resident broker or other agent, you are NOT engaged in a trade or business in the United States and you can select ‘No’ for this question.

Q. How to report 1099B, I have 1099 Consolidated

In your Sprintax account, you’d have to choose 1099-B as an income document (Step 3 Let’s talk money – Income documents) after that you’d have to choose the “Quantity” to be the exact number of transactions you have on your form and list every single transaction separately. If you have a couple transactions for one company you can combine them into one 1099-B form.

Q. Gross or net proceeds

Please note that all proceeds reported on your 1099 form are Gross unless stated otherwise on your form.

Q. What to fill on box 14

In box 14 of your 1099 form please fill out the state where you lived.

Q. What to fill on box 15

Usually the 1099 forms do not have the payer’s State ID number and you can enter 0 for this box.

Q. What to fill on box 15

Please note that the 1099 form may not have any State tax withheld in which case you can enter 0

Q. What to fill on box 4

Please have in mind that you may have no Federal tax withheld on your form. In this case please report 0

Q. I have Various on the date

Please note that in Sprintax you have to provide a date acquired and sold. You can provide an approximate date.

Q. Is your income effectively connected to an US business or trade?

In Sprintax you will be asked if your income is effectively connected to an US business or trade. If your only US business activity is trading in stocks, securities, or commodities (including hedging transactions) through a US resident broker or other agent, you are NOT engaged in a trade or business in the United States and you can select ‘No’ for this question.

Q. What to fill on payer?

The payer is the company that issued this form.

Q. Should I report 1099MISC, DIV or INT from my 1099 Consolidated

The 1099 Consolidated form may have a 1099INT, 1099DIV or 1099MISC reported, however if they are all blank or filled with zeros, you don’t have to report them.

Q. I have filed my return and then received 1099-INT form.

Please note that the 1099INT form is non-taxable for non-residents and it’s not included in the calculations of your tax return. In this case no amendment will be needed, please keep the form for your personal records

Q Can I report loss on my crypto transactions?

Yes, if you enter the price acquired to be higher than the price sold the system will take this info consideration and if you’re eligible you can use the losses on your tax return.

Q. How should I reported income from Uber/Lyft or 1099-K form?

You can report your income from self-employment and/or form 1099-K in Step 3 Lets’ talk money. If you do NOT have any other income, you can choose Letter from a Payer.

If you have other income, just choose the other income document(s) that you have from the drop-down menu without choosing Letter from a Payer.

Once you fill in the income documents that you have, you will reach the section ‘Other income’ and there you should select the income type as ‘Fees/Commissions’.

FICA

Q. How to refund FICA?

If you are eligible to claim your FICA taxes back the software will ask you if you want to do that in step 3 Let’s talk money right after you have added that amount of taxes paid in your W-2 form. If according to the information you have provided you can get those taxes back you will receive a separate form from the Federal Tax return form in the end of the process. Instructions for filing the form will be applied.

Q I have changed to H1B can I refund FICA?

Yes, you can refund your FICA tax for the period of your F1 Student Visa, however that cannot be completed with Sprintax.

Q. What is FICA?

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, a kind of payroll tax, is a U.S. employment tax imposed in an equal amount on employees and employers to fund federal programs for retirees, the disabled, and children of deceased workers. The FICA taxes and benefits consist of two parts: Social Security benefits, that include old-age, survivors, and disability insurance while Medicare provides hospital insurance benefits for the elderly and younger people with disabilities.

Social Security and Medicare taxes also called FICA might be visible on your W-2 form (box 4 and 6). If you have been working in the US under F-1, J-1, M-1, Q-1 or Q-2 Visa while deemed as a nonresident for tax purposes and your employer wrongfully withheld Social Security and Medicare taxes from your income, you might be eligible to claim the FICA taxes back.

You must first contact your employer(s) and request a refund directly from them. Give your employer(s) 1 month to respond to your request for FICA refund. If your employer(s) does not refund this to you, then you can proceed with the steps in Sprintax to generate your FICA tax claim that you will need to mail to the IRS only once your Federal tax return is processed by the IRS.

Q. I have received Social Security payments, can I file my return through Sprintax with this type of income?

Please keep in mind that receiving Social Security payments or benefits is different that the Social Security and Medicare tax withheld by your employer (known as FICA). Even though the same term is used, those are two different situations.

Exempt individuals may be eligible to refund the withheld Social Security and Medicare tax from their employment income and prepare their FICA claim with Sprintax. 

However if you are the recipient of Social Security payments, quite unfortunately Sprintax may not be able to handle your case.  We would recommend to use a tax accountant if you have received Social Security payments. 

If you are looking to refund the over-withheld FICA tax from your employment income, then you can proceed with Sprintax and prepare your FICA claim.

Q. Can I file FICA directly or I must have to ask my employer?

You must first contact your employer(s) and request a refund directly from them. Give your employer(s) 1 month to respond to your request for FICA refund. If your employer(s) does not refund this to you, then continue with steps below to submit your FICA tax claim to the Internal Revenue Service. This does not affect your federal and state tax filing process.

Q. Would you like Sprintax to prepare your Social security and Medicare (FICA) tax claim?

If you would like to receive your FICA refund by claiming it through the IRS, Sprintax can prepare the needed forms and you can select ‘Yes’ on the question asking you if you wish Sprintax to prepare your FICA tax claim.

Q. Has your employer paid you back for any part of the tax withheld?

This question asks if your employer has paid you back any of the Social Security and Medicare taxes reported on your W2 form.

Q. Have you authorized your employer to claim any part of the tax as a credit or refund?

If you have given an explicit authorization to your employer to claim any part of the Social Security and Medicare tax as a credit or a refund, please answer ‘Yes’

Q. Has your employer claimed any part of the tax as a credit or refund?

This question ask if your employer has claimed any part of the Social security and Medicare tax reported on your w2 form as a credit or a refund.

Q. How do I know what to answer to the FICA questions?

You can check with your employer if they have claimed or refunded any of the Social Security and Medicare tax reported on your W2 form or if you have provided them with any type of authorization to do that.

Q. How to file the FICA forms?

Please note that in order to refund your FICA you must ask your employer directly if they are willing to refund it. If they refuse you can post your FICA claim to the IRS as per the instructions provided in Sprintax. However please post the FICA claim only after your Federal return is processed

Q. How do I know when my Federal return is processed?

If you’re expecting a refund from your Federal income tax, you can post your FICA forms once you receive the refund. If you had a liability on your Federal tax return please wait at least 12 weeks before posting the FICA.

Q. Where to post the FICA forms?

The PDF you’ve received with your FICA forms contains full instructions on how and where to post the forms. The IRS address is included.

Q. How long does the FICA take?

The FICA processing time can be up to 24 months as the IRS have been experiencing delays due to various circumstances.

Q. How do I track my FICA refund?

Quite unfortunately the IRS does not provide tracking options on the FICA refund. Their online tool will only show the status of the Federal income tax refund. You can try to call them for an update here: https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance

Q. Can I receive the FICA in my bank account? How is the FICA refund issued?

The IRS will issue the FICA refunds only via cheque to your address.

FICA exemption does not apply to:
• Spouses and children in F-2, J-2, M-2, or Q-3 non immigrant status
• Non-residents in employment which is not allowed by USCIS or in employment which is not closely connected to the purpose for which the visa was issued
• Non-residents in the US on F-1, J-1, M-1, or Q-1/Q-2 visas who change to an immigration status which is not exempt or to a special protected status
• Non-residents in the US on F-1, J-1, M-1, or Q-1/Q-2 visas who become resident aliens
• If the exempt period has passed – 2 years for J and Q visas and 5 years for F and M students
• The employment should be closely connected to the purpose for which the visa was granted

Q. Can I file FICA directly or I must have to ask my employer?

According to the IRS regulations, you must first contact your employer(s) and request a refund directly from them. Give your employer(s) 1 month to respond to your request for FICA refund. If your employer(s) does not refund this to you, you can request Sprintax to prepare a FICA refund claim form for you on Step 3 Let's talk money, sub-step Social Security. This does not affect your federal and state tax filing process (The FICA deadline is the next three years after the tax year the FICA has been withheld). 

1. Would you like Sprintax to prepare your Social security and Medicare (FICA) tax claim?

If you would like to receive your FICA refund by claiming it through the IRS, Sprintax can prepare the required forms and you can select ‘Yes’ on the question asking you if you wish Sprintax to prepare your FICA tax claim.

2. Has your employer paid you back for any part of the tax withheld?

This question asks if your employer has paid you back any of the Social Security and Medicare taxes reported on your W-2 form.

3. Have you authorized your employer to claim any part of the tax as a credit or refund?

If you have given an explicit authorization to your employer to claim any part of the Social Security and Medicare tax as a credit or a refund, please answer ‘Yes’

4. Has your employer claimed any part of the tax as a credit or refund?

This question ask if your employer has claimed any part of the Social security and Medicare tax reported on your W-2 form as a credit or a refund.

Q. I have changed to a non-exempt Visa status (ex. H-1B), how can I refund my FICA?

Quite unfortunately the Sprintax software does not support the preparation of a partial FICA refund claim form. If your employer wrongfully withheld Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) from your F-1, J-1, M-1, Q-1 or Q-2 income and then you switched to a non-exempt Visa (for example H-1B), we'd recommend you to contact an accountant who specializes in US taxes for further assistance with that matter.

Sub-Step Additional tax filing info

1.Did you make any estimated tax payments during 2025 which you paid directly to IRS yourself and not through your employer?

This question asks if you have made any payments to the IRS by yourself for the 2025 income tax during the 2025 year. This does not include any tax deducted from your income by the payer/employer.

2.Did you make any estimated tax payments to the state tax office during 2025 which you paid yourself and not through your employer?

This question asks if you have made any payments to the State tax office by yourself for the 2025 income tax during the 2025 tax year. This does not include any tax deducted from your income by the payer/employer.

3.Did you file any forms requesting an extension to file a tax return with IRS?

This question asks if you have filed an extension for 2025 with the IRS.

4. Did you file any forms requesting an extension to file a tax return with the State Tax office?

This question asks if you have filed an extension for 2025 with a State tax office.

5.Did you claim state tax expenses on your 2025 tax return (Schedule A, line 1)?

The State tax expenses for 2025 is the amount of State and Local taxes used as Itemized deductions on your 2024 return. Please check your 1040NR form for 2024 on Schedule A, Line 1 for the amount.

6. Did you have any overpayment listed on your 2024 tax return (1040NR, Line 36) which you requested to be applied against your 2025 estimated tax?

This question asks if you have had a refund on your 2024 Federal return which instead of claiming it back, has been left with the IRS as a credit for the 2025 tax year.

7.Did you have any overpayment listed on your 2024 state tax return?

This question asks if you had overpaid taxes on your 2024 State tax return. Please review your 2024 State form, however please note that this information is located on a different line on each State form. The overpayment almost always matches the amount of 2024 State refund you have claimed.

The standard deduction for 2025 (taxes filed in 2026) is $15,750 for single filers and married people filing separately

Have you paid in 2025 any state tax due with your state tax return for 2024?

Here you will report how much tax you paid to the state tax office in tax liability, if you owed such on your 2024 state tax return.

Q. How to file an extension with the IRS?

Form 4868 is a form that you can file if you owe money and cannot mail your documents by the deadline which is usually April 15th to request a 6 month extension on your tax filing.

Please note that the extension is filed only to extend your time to file. If you owe money to the tax office, you would have to pay the liability by the deadline. Also, you cannot file an extension after the deadline. An extension is not required by the IRS if you have a zero balance or are due a refund.

For the extension you are required to have a valid taxpayer ID (SSN or ITIN).

You can file the extension and get more information about it on the IRS website

Q. How to file an extension with the State tax office?

If you expect to owe money to the State tax office, you may need to consider filing an extension.

In general, the extension request can be filed only up to the tax filing deadline and is not required if you have a zero balance or are due a tax refund.

For filing an extension, you will need to have a valid taxpayer ID (SSN or ITIN).

Please note that each State tax office may have different regulations regarding the extension procedure. 

You can find more information by searching 'State name tax office + extension'

Example: NJ tax office extension

Q. Where can I find the information about my previous tax returns?

If you have prepared your prior tax returns with Sprintax, they are available to download from your account.

However in case you have used another service, you may need to contact them for a copy. 

Alternatively you can request a transcript from the IRS and State tax offices from their websites.

You can find the Federal transcripts on the IRS website.

And you can search specifically for each State tax office by using 'State tax office+ transcript'

Example: NY tax office transcript

Q. I’m eligible for a tax treaty but I don’t see it

If you do not see the tax treaty option in your account, this may be due to the system considering several factors, including your visa type, US income type, employer type, and country of residence. Please carefully review all the information you provided and ensure it is complete and accurate. Even a small error or missing detail can affect whether the tax treaty option appears. If, after double-checking everything, the information is correct and the option still does not appear, it is possible that you are not eligible to claim a tax treaty for your situation.

Q. What is a tax treaty?

A tax treaty is a bilateral (two-party) agreement made by two countries (the US and another foreign country) to resolve issues involving double taxation. The tax treaty can lower your taxable income, depending on the exact amount the tax treaty is that you are eligible for. You can check the main conditions which might make you eligible for the tax treaties applying to your home country on the IRS website.

Please note that if you do not see the step  related to the tax treaty (Step 3 Let's talk money, sub-step Tax treaty verification), then you might not be eligible for the tax treaty.

Keep in mind that whether or not your country has a tax treaty does not mean you fall under all conditions to claim the benefit. If you have entered your details correctly, Sprintax will automatically determinate your eligibility and ask if you wish to use the tax treaty exemption on the Tax treaty verification sub-step if applicable. 

Q. Should I claim the max exemption for the tax treaty?

The tax treaty is a benefit and you are eligible to claim it in order to reduce your taxable income on your US tax return. 

This benefit is not mandatory to be used, however please keep in mind that refusing the tax treaty will mean that you will have a higher taxable income on your US tax return. Please keep in mind that whether you will use the tax treaty or not is your own choice as the taxpayer and we cannot advise you what to choose.

Q. What should I fill in the box "Months claimed in prior tax years"?

Please fill out the number of months you’ve spent in the US and claimed a tax treaty on your prior tax returns. If you are unsure whether or not you've claimed the tax treaty before, you can check Schedule OI on your previous Federal tax return - Part L. 

It is possible that nothing is written there though and if that's the case then you can count and write all the months you worked before the current tax year (you must not include the months during the tax year you're filing for now).

Q. Is the income taxable in my home country?

Unfortunately we cannot advise you if the income exempt under the tax treaty would be taxable in your home country. This depends on the taxation system in your home country.

It is best to check your home country's tax regulations or contact a tax expert so they can advise you accordingly. 

Step 4 Offset your expenses

Q. I have donations, I need 8283 form.

Form 8283 is needed if your non-cash charitable donations are more than $500. In this case you can send us a copy of all receipts and complete your tax return. After that our tax experts will prepare the form if it's needed.

Q. What are charitable contributions paid by check or cash

Cash contributions are donations made in cash, cheque, via transfer, via PayPal, via Venmo, with a credit/debit card, food stamps or vouchers, tithe and other monetary donations.

Q. How can I use charitable contributions as expenses on my US tax return?

If you have made donations or charitable contributions during the year you're filing a tax return for, you might be eligible to use the amount of the contributions as expenses on your return.

That particular amount can be applied to your Federal tax return and reduce the amount you owe to the IRS.

Q. What are charitable contributions paid by another means

Charitable contributions paid by another means are only items and goods (non-monetary donations). The organization to which you've donated should provide you with a receipt showing the value of the items and goods donated.

Q. Can I claim Moving expenses?

Generally nonresidents cannot claim such expenses, however in some exemptions this is allowed. Sprintax checks the information you have provided in the software and if you are eligible to claim such expenses you will be asked for them.

Q. Student Loan Interest Deduction

You can claim the deduction if all of the following apply:

•          You paid interest on a qualified student loan in tax year 2025;

•          You're legally obligated to pay interest on a qualified student loan;

•          Your filing status isn't married filing separately;

•          Your MAGI is less than a specified amount which is set annually; and

•          You or your spouse, if filing jointly, can't be claimed as dependents on someone else's return.

A qualified student loan is a loan you took out solely to pay qualified higher education expenses that were:

•          For you, your spouse, or a person who was your dependent when you took out the loan;

•          For education provided during an academic period for an eligible student; and

•          Paid or incurred within a reasonable period of time before or after you took out the loan

Please keep in mind that if you do NOT meet even one of those conditions, the sub-step related to the Student Loan Interest would not appear on Step 4 - Offset your expenses.

Q. I have form 1098-E

Please note that if you’re eligible to use your Student loan deduction from form 1098E, you will be asked about the details in Step 4 Offset your expenses.

Q. Can I claim mortgage? I have 1098 Mortgage form.

Please be advised that non-residents are not eligible to claim Mortgage Interest Deductions.

Q. Can I claim educational expenses?

Sprintax will determine if you're eligible to add academic expenses and more information will be shown on Step 4 Offset your expenses.

Q. Why can't I claim Academic expenses / Educational Expenses?

In order to be eligible to claim academic expenses you must be a full time student with a Student Visa and have a 1042-S form reporting a scholarship eligible for expenses.

Q. Can I claim an educational credit like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit?

No, unfortunately nonresident for tax purposes are not eligible to claim the American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning credits. These credits are for residents only.

Q. Can I claim a tuition credit?

No, nonresidents are not eligible to claim their tuition fees as expenses, credits or deductions as only residents can do that as per the IRS regulations.

Q. Why can I claim the max amount of academic expenses I reported?

The amount of academic expenses you can claim corresponds to the amount of the eligible scholarship reported on 1042-S

Q. Can I use my tuition as deduction or expenses?

No, non-residents cannot use tuition paid as deductions.

Q. Can I claim dependents?

Generally nonresidents cannot claim such expenses, however in some exemptions this is allowed. Sprintax checks the information you have provided in the software and if you are eligible to claim such expenses you will be asked for them.

Q. My child is an US citizens I want to claim child tax credit

Please be advised that as a non-resident you can claim dependents only if you’re a resident of Canada, Mexico, India or South Korea and if you fulfill all the requirements. In this case the system will ask you about the details needed.

Q. Can I claim a laptop for expenses?

No, you cannot claim a laptop, tablet or other type of devices as expenses as they are consider as ‘personal items’ even if they were purchased with the intention to be used only for your studies or work.

Q. Can I claim medical expenses?

No, quite unfortunately non-residents are not eligible to use medical expenses on their tax returns.

Q. Cam I claim business expenses such as utility bills, gas etc

Usually non-residents are not eligible to claim business expenses, however if you’re eligible based on your Visa type and income type, you will be asked about these details in Step 4 Offset your expenses.

Q. How do I know if I will receive 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C

Please ask your health care provider for more information on which form you should be expecting

Q. I have 1095-B or 1095-C

Form 1095-B or 1095-C are in general not required for your tax filing, please keep them for your personal records

Q. How should I report form 1095-A for my Federal income tax return in Sprintax?

Form 1095-A is a Health Insurance Marketplace Statement you may have received from your health care provider. This is an important document that may have an impact on your Federal income tax return.

If you have received Form 1095-A please follow the steps below: 

- Select 'Yes' to the question 'Did you receive 1095-A form?' on Step 4 Offset your expenses, sub-step Other Expenses;

- Complete all the required steps in your application and generate your Federal tax return (after you cover the Sprintax fee payment);

- Send us your 1095-A form via email here: info@sprintax.com;

- Once our tax experts review your form, you will be emailed back and informed whether or not you would have to receive Form 8962; 

Important: Please do NOT e-file or paper file (mail) your automatically generated Federal income tax return before our tax experts complete the review. If you are required to file Form 8962 our tax experts will manually prepare it for you and we will notify you once it's ready. Only after our tax experts complete the review and confirm that your Federal return is ready to be filed should you file it (e-file or paper file)

Q. Am I eligible to claim the Child Tax Credit?

Please note that certain residents of Canada, Mexico, South Korea, or India may be eligible to claim the child tax credit, however your child shall be a US citizen.

Child tax credit and the additional child tax credit. “Qualifying child,” for purposes of the child tax credit and the additional child tax credit, is a child who: 

• Was under age 17 at the end of 2025;

• Is your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild, niece, or nephew); 

• Is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or resident alien;

• Did not provide over half of their own support for 2025; 

• Lived with you more than half of 2025 (temporary absences, such as for school, vacation, or medical care, count as time lived in the home);

Q. Child tax credit

If you're eligible to claim the Child Tax Credit, then you will be notified of that in Sprintax. You should report details regarding the day care/nanny/babysitter taking care of your child/children in that section.

- Please provide details of each child care provider and the amount you paid them during 2025. You have to enter the details and the total amount you paid the child care provider for tax year;

- Please enter the amount of qualified expenses incurred for each eligible dependent. Qualified expenses are the ones that you have paid the care providers to take care of your child/children. This can include babysitters, daycare facilities, after-school programs, nursery schools, preschools, day camps, certain household services such as cooking and housekeeping. 

Non qualified expenses that you cannot outline would include: tuition costs for kindergarten; private schools; overnight camps; summer schools; tutoring programs; child support payments etc. 

Step 5 About your college/Program

Q. What to fill on College I’m not a Student

If you do not hold a Student Visa, the system will only ask you about your Program details.

Q. My school is not on the list or my school is outside the US

If the school you’re attending is not on the list you can select ‘Other’ and manually type in the name of the school.

Q. What to fill on Major

Please fill out the name of the major in your school.

Q. What to fill on Program director

Please check your I20 or DS2019 for the details of the responsible agent.

Q. What to fill on the phone

You can provide the phone number of the program director or the phone number of your school.

Q. Program Director details on DS2019

- The program coordinator’s details can be found in box 7;

- The program’s name – box 4;

- The phone number – if missing, you can use the university’s official one.

Q. Program director details on I20

- The program coordinator’s details should be “Official to call upon arrival”;

- If the phone number is missing – just enter the university’s official one.

Q. My wife children family are not in the US or are US citizens

In Step 5 you will only need to fill any family members on a dependent Visa such as J2 or F2 which have been in the US with you during 2025.

Q. I need to get an ITIN for my dependents to claim them on my return

Please note in general non-residents cannot claim dependents and in such cases your family members do not need an ITIN. However if you’re eligible to claim any credits for your dependents and an ITIN is needed the system will let you know.

Q. My spouse had no income, how to file his/hers tax return.

If your spouse is on a dependent Visa such as J2 or F2 and has no income, you can prepare form 8843 only. You will only need to report your spouse’s details on Step 5 About your college/program and the system will prepare form 8843 which can be mailed to the IRS alongside your forms.

Q. Would you like to prepare and receive Statement for Exempt Individual (Form 8843) for any of your family member on J2,F2,M2 or Q3 visa and who do not have US income?

If you're seeing this question that means that your family members are required to file Form 8843 based on the information you provided the software with. If you select 'Yes' the system will ask you to provide your family members' US visits so that Form 8843 could be generated. It'd have to be printed, signed and submitted on paper to the IRS. You will receive full mailing instructions when you complete the Sprintax process. 

Q. What is Family member's Statement for Exempt Individual?

If you have family members (spouse or children) visit the US on a dependent Visa (F-2, J-2, M-2 or Q-3 Visa), and they haven't earned any income, they might only need to prepare and file Form 8843 with the IRS.

Important: It's not mandatory to prepare form 8843 for your family members with Sprintax, however if they are exempt Visa holders and need to file this statement with the IRS, please consider preparing and filing Form 8843 for your family members.

Q. My wife/children/family are not in the US or are US citizens

If your family members have not been on a dependent Visa (F-2, J-2, M-2 or Q-3) in the US during the tax year and have spent the entire year outside the US, you do not need to fill out their information in Sprintax and you will not need to prepare Form 8843 for them.

To remove a dependent on Step 5 About your college, you have to slide the scroll bar all the way to the right side of the table and click on the 'X' option. That will remove the previously added row and you will be able to continue with your application.

Step 6 State Taxes

Q. The system says my information is being transferred. Where is being transferred?

The Sprintax software will transfer the details you’ve filled so far to the next step so it can be determined if you need to file a State tax return

Q. How to fill Living in the US part

You will have to report where you have been during the tax year from first of January until the end of December. After you add an exit date new row will pop up and if you have been outside the country there is "Outside US" option.

Q. Living in the US section

In order to complete step 6, you must provide details of each state you have lived in during the year - plus any periods you spent outside the US. It is important to list all of your visits in and out of each state as Sprintax will determine your state residency status based on these dates.

Q I don’t see option Outside the US

Option Outside US will not appear on Step 6 – State taxes, Living in the US if you have not entered any entry-exit dates during 2025 on Step 1 – Residency, Visiting the US. If you need to use Outside US option on Step 6 then you will need to go back to Step 1, Residency and correct the visits that were entered.

Q. Is my visit to the US temporary or permanent?

Your visits to the US are considered as temporary and the visits to your home country are considered permanent.

Q. What type of accommodation to select?

Please select the appropriate type from the drop down menu corresponding to the type of living arrangements you’ve had in each state. For your home country you can select ‘Own home’

Q. Why can I change the entry date from Jan 1 2025 or the exit date from Dec 31 2025

For your State return the system will need only the dates you’ve been in and out of the US or in different States only during the 2025 tax year.

Q. What is domicile?

Domicile is the place you plan to live in permanently. It is usually considered to be your home country.

Q. What is permanent place of abode NY state?

In general, a permanent place of abode is a residence (a building or structure where a person can live) that:

• you maintain, whether you own it or not; and

• that is suitable for year-round use.

It is possible for you to have more than one permanent place of abode. Additionally, a permanent place of abode generally includes a residence your spouse owns or leases.

Q. What is “living quarters”?

Living quarters are housings available for people to live in. You are considered maintaining a living quarter if you or your spouse have a dwelling available for you to use.

These living quarters would include a house, apartment, co-op, hotel, or any other living quarters that are suitable for year-round use, maintained and paid by you or your spouse or maintained and paid for you by another person, family member or employer.

Q. What is "principal residence"?

Principal residence refers to the main home where an individual lives.

A temporary absence due to special circumstances, such as education, business, military service, or vacation will not change your principal residence.

Q. The system doesn’t let me select ‘No’ for permanent place of abode in NY

Please note that Sprintax can pre-select the answer for this question based on the details provided in the Living in the US step and the regulations of the NY tax office. If you have lived in NY for any part of the tax year, you will have ‘Permanent place of abode’ there.

Q. Do I need to file a State return?

Sprintax will determine if you have legal obligations to file a State tax return based on the information provided in your account and you will be notified about this in Step 6 State taxes.

Q. I’m a non-resident why I do have part-year or resident State form.

Please be advised that your residency for tax purposes can be different for Federal and State tax purposes. Each State tax office has different regulations on how they determine if you’re deemed as a non-resident, part-year resident or full-year resident in the State.

Q. I owe money to MA due to health care penalty

The State of MA requires all part-year residents and full-year residents to have an eligible health care plan, usually reported on the 1099HC form. If that form is not provided, they will apply a health care penalty.

Based on the information currently listed in your account and according to Massachusetts residency determination rules, you may be classified as either a part-year resident or a full-year resident for Massachusetts state tax purposes.

If you are considered a resident for any portion of the year, Massachusetts requires you to provide Form 1099-HC, which is the official proof of health insurance coverage issued by your Massachusetts health insurance provider. This form is mandatory for residents because the state has its own health insurance mandate.

Q. Form 1099-HC

1099-HC is a form showing your health care coverage during the tax year and it’s specific to Massachusetts (MA). If you are asked to report this form on Step 6 State taxes and you are not sure whether you have it or not, please contact your health care provider and check if they can provide you with such form.

Keep in mind that the MA state requires that all part-year residents and full-year residents to have an eligible health care plan, usually reported on Form 1099-HC.. If that form is not provided, the MA state tax office will apply a health care penalty.

If you are a nonresident on a Federal level, don't forget that you may not have the same residency status on a State level. Your Federal and State residency statuses are different. Based on the details provided in your account and the MA residency determination requirements, you may be deemed as a part-year or full-year resident for tax purposes in the state and in that case Form 1099-HC will be mandatory to avoid a penalty. 

Only Form 1099-HC is acceptable to avoid the penalty.  If you have any other health care form such as 1099-B or 1099-C, for MA, these will not be required/acceptable. 

Q. How is State residency determined?

In general each State tax office has different regulations about the residency determination, however most commonly it’s based on your income and tax reported in the state, your duration of stay and often your intention on whether you will make the State your permanent home or not. However please note that different states may also take different details into consideration.

Q. Do you intend to make the state your permanent home?

The answer to this questions depends entirely on your personal intentions to make the state your permanent home. If you’re unsure you can answer ‘No’

Q. Date when I plan to leave the State

You can provide any approximate date in the future on which you may leave the state even if your plans change later on.

Q. Do I need to report foreign income?

Please note that certain states may ask you for the amount of non-US income earned during your stay in the state. In such case you will be asked about it on Step 6 State taxes and you must report it.

Q. I’m being taxed on my total US income even if it wasn’t earned in the state

Please note that some State tax return require you to reported your Federal Adjusted Gross income first and include your total US income, even if a portion of that wasn’t earned in the State, however you may not be taxed on that.

Some State tax returns will tax you only on the portion earned in said State, however in some cases depending on your residency the State may tax you on your total US income.

Q. What is 1099HC?

1099HC is a form showing your health care coverage during the tax year and it’s specific to the State MA.

Q. Where to find 1099HC?

Please ask your health care provider for this form.

Q. The system didn’t ask for 1099HC?

Please note that having a 1099HC is mandatory only for part-year and full-year residents of the State of MA.

Q. Did you move to a new home because you have a new principal workplace?

This question asks if you have moved from one home to another within the state you are filing for as per your employer’s request.

Moving from another State to the state you are filing for or from outside the US to the state you are filing for should not be reported here.

Q. Did you make any purchases online where sales/use tax was not collected?

This question asks if you have made any type of purchases and sales/use tax was not charged. Please check the receipts/invoices for these purchases and if such tax was charged do not report them.

Q. I’m being taxed on my total US income even if it wasn’t earned in the state, why?

Please note that some State Tax Offices require you to report your Federal Adjusted Gross income first and include your total US income, even if a portion of that wasn’t earned in the state you are filing for, however you may not be taxed on this.

Some State Tax Offices will tax you only on the portion earned in the said state, however in some cases depending on your State residency, the state may tax you on your total US income. 

Such double taxation often happen if you worked in two states during the tax year, but don't worry as this is a very common case that many nonresidents face. 

Step 7 Summary

Q.Do you have a VITA volunteer helping you to prepare your tax return?

A VITA volunteer is a person who has passed the IRS certification with the VITA test and is assisting you in preparing your tax return. Please mark ‘No’ as Sprintax is not considered as a VITA volunteer.

Q. I don’t see an estimation or calculations for the State return

Please note that not all State tax forms we prepare are automatically generated by the system. If a return you wish to file has to be manually prepared by our tax experts, no estimation can be provided beforehand. In such cases you need to pay the fee for the State tax return and it will be prepared as soon as possible by our tax experts.

Q. I want to see an estimation before I pay for the State return (manual return)

Quite unfortunately as the return has to be manually prepared by our tax experts we cannot provide you with an estimation.

Q. What are Itemized deductions?

The Itemized deductions on your Federal tax return include State and Local taxes paid from your income documents and all expenses reported in Step 4 Offset your expenses.

  Q. How is the Federal estimation calculated? Why do I owe money? Why Can I claim full refund?

Please note that your Federal tax refund is estimated based on the overpaid amount of Federal taxes. The system will subtract the amount of deductions and tax treaties you can claim from your gross income. The remaining amount is your taxable income. The tax require on your income is found in the tax tables provided by the IRS which you can find here on page 65: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf

If you’ve paid more than the amount required by the IRS you can refund the difference. However if you have underpaid your taxes you have to pay the remaining amount to match the tax expected by the IRS on your income.

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When you file your tax return there are three possible outcomes on your tax calculations:
1.    Your balance is 0 – meaning that you paid exact amount of taxes required.
2.    You are about to receive a tax refund – in cases your employers overpaid your taxes you will receive the difference back as a refund.
3.    You owe tax to the tax office – this means that your employer underpaid your tax required on your taxable income and you need to pay the difference by yourself to clear your tax balance.

Q. Each Federal line explained. Can provide the explanation to customers

Line 1a Wages, salaries, tips, etc. – This line reports your total gross income from your wages (usually reported on W2)

Line 1c Total income exempt by a treaty from Schedule OI- This line reports the amount exempt under tax treaty. The amount reported here is subtracted from Line 1a

Line 11 reports your Adjusted Gross income.

Line 12a Itemized deductions- this line reports your Itemized deductions which are also reported on Schedule A.

Line 15 Taxable income. Subtract line 14 from line 11. If zero or less, enter -0- This line reports your taxable income based on which the tax required by the IRS is calculated.

Line 24 This is your total tax-This line reports the amount of tax the IRS expects as per your taxable income and the tax brackets.

Line 33 Add lines 25d, 25e, 25f, 25g, 26, and 32. These are your total payments- This line shows your total tax withheld across all your income.

Line 34- This is the amount you overpaid based on your tax payments made and total tax requested by the  IRS

Line 35a Amount of line 34 you want refunded to you.- This the amount of Federal income tax refund you will receive if you had an overpayment on Line 34

Line 37 Amount you owe- This is the amount you owe if your tax was underpaid.

For Indian Students with tax treaty:

If you’re claiming Standard deductions under the US-India tax treaty they will be reported in Line 11 of your 1040NR form and you won’t receive Schedule A Itemized deductions.

Q. What is the interest statement?

If you have received interest you will receive an interest statement with your tax return which you can post to the IRS. The interest is non-taxable for non-residents and it does not affect your return.

Q. The interest statement shows my foreign address  or home address?

Yes, the interest stamen requires your foreign address to be filled out.

Q. My wages in the return or estimation do not match my gross income

If you’re using a tax treaty it will be subtracted from the total gross income amount first and this will cause the difference. If you sum the income reported with the tax treaty amount you will receive your total gross income.

Q. I see a message for Final confirmation

The system will ask you to confirm that the information provided is correct so you can proceed.

Q. How to receive Federal refund?

The system will ask you how you wish to receive your Federal refund. You can either receive a direct deposit in your own personal US bank account or a cheque sent to your address.

Q. Can the Federal refund be sent to a friend’s account or foreign account?

No, the IRS allows transfers only to your own personal US bank account.

Q. How to pay Federal liability?

You can pay the amount you owe to the IRS either by sending a cheque when posting your forms alongside the 1040-V payment voucher or online on their website: https://www.irs.gov/payments

Q. How to receive State refund?

The system will ask you how you wish to receive your State refund. You can either receive a direct deposit in your own personal US bank account or a cheque sent to your address

Q. I requested a deposit for my State refund, but the forms says cheque

Please note that some State tax offices do not allow deposits for the refunds for non-residents or first time filers. In this case the only option is a cheque posted to your address.

 Q. How to pay State liability?

You can pay the amount you owe to the State tax office either by sending a cheque with your return or online on the tax office website.

Q. I closed my US bank account, how will I receive my refunds?

If your US bank account is no longer active, the tax office will send a cheque to your address.

Q. How to cash a cheque outside the US?

You can cash your tax refund cheque in a local bank such as Raiffeisen bank or a brand of Bank of America in your country. Please consult with the local bank as well if they are able to cash the cheque.

Q. How to receive FICA refund?

The FICA refund is only issued via cheque send to your address.

Q. What is Post-filing Support?

The Post-filing support is a service we offer with which we can review any notices you have received from the tax office, call the tax office and if possible resolve the issue on your behalf.

Q. What is Sprintax Forms?

This is a service which will provide you with the needed pre-employment tax forms for 2026 you may need in order to be taxed with the correct rate.

Q. Can I e-file?

You may be eligible to e-file, if that’s the case you will see the ‘Proceed with e-file’ button at the last page of Sprintax. You can e-file your Federal return and you will be notified if it’s accepted or rejected. If you’re not eligible to e-file or the return is rejected, you will need to print your Federal form and post it to the IRS in paper. The e-filing option is only available for the Federal income tax return, if you have any other forms prepared by Sprintax you will need to post them. In order to meet the deadline you need to post the forms by April 15, it’s not a problem if they are delivered later on.

Q. Why can’t I e-file?Q. Why was my e-filed return rejected?

The e-filed Federal returns are approved or rejected by the IRS. The reason depends entirely on them. Please post your forms as per the instructions provided if your e-filing was rejected.

Q. Can I e-file State, FICA, ITIN, Amendment?

Please note that the e-filing service is only available for the Federal income tax return.

Q. I e-filed, do I need to post my forms?

If your e-filed Federal return was accepted you do not need to post it to the IRS. You would only need to post other forms you’ve received such as your State tax return.

Q. How to post the forms?

Please print the forms and sign them by hand in ink. Post them using any preferred postal service as per the instructions provided in the PDF files.

Q. Where to post the forms?

The full address to which you must post your forms is included in the instructions of each form.

Q. I see a different address on the tax office website. Sprintax gave me a wrong address

Please note that each tax office has multiple addresses. We have provided you with the correct address for foreign taxpayers.

Q. What supporting documents to include?

Each form you download from Sprintax includes full instructions how to file and a full list with the needed supporting documents you must include.

Q. How and where to sign the forms?

Each form has a different field for your signature, however it’s usually mark with a pen icon, ‘Signature’ or ‘Taxpayer Signature’ text.

Q. Can I staple the forms?

No, please do not staple or fold the forms.

Q. Can I add a paperclip?

Please do not attach the forms with any paperclips.

Q. How to get a discount code?

You can obtain your access code from your school. As Sprintax does not distribute the access code, I would recommend to contact your school directly.

Q. The income I get taxed on is not the same as the one reported on my income document

The main reason is that you might have part of your income which is not considered as taxable under the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) or the tax treaty benefits that you were eligible for (please refer to Step 3 - Let's talk money - Tax Treaty verification).

Also there are other applicable deductions and exemptions that can reduce your taxable income such as the Itemized deductions (your state and local taxes paid).

Q. Your federal tax return details - Income part

- Wages, salaries, tips, etc., Line 1a - This is your total income earned for the tax year you are filing for (the details are on Line 1a of your 1040-NR form);
- Total Exempt Income, Form 1040NR, Line 1c - This is the income exempt under the tax treaty - Line 1k of your 1040-NR form;
* Type of your exempt income - You have to check Schedule OI - Line L1. If there is nothing here, you can contact us via our live chat;
* What is the applicable tax treaty article claimed on your tax return?, Line L1.(b) - Once again, please check Schedule OI Line L1. If there is nothing here, you can contact us via our live chat;
* Number of months on which you claimed this tax treaty in prior tax years?, Line L1.(c) - You have to count all of the months you had US income in, without including the tax year you are filing for;
* Did you claim another tax treaty on your tax return? - If you have another tax treaty answer, please answer the questions the same way as the previous boxes;
- Taxable refunds, credits, or offsets of state and local income taxes, Schedule 1, Line 1 - This is your state and local taxes paid (Itemized Deductions). Those details can be found on Schedule A - Line 1 of your 1040-NR;
*If you are an Indian citizen, you have not claimed such itemized deductions. 
- Adjusted gross income, Line 11 - This is the final amount listed on Line 11 of your 1040-NR form;
- Itemized deductions (from Schedule A) or, for certain residents of India, standard deduction, Line 12a - This can be the same amount from Schedule 1 - Line 1 or a different amount depending on the Itemized deductions you have reported on Line 12a of your 1040-NR;
- State and local income taxes, Line 1a, Sch A - This is once again the amount from Schedule A - Line 1 on your 1040-NR;
- Taxable income, Line 15 - This is the amount from Line 15 of the 1040-NR form; 
- Tax, Line 16 - This is the amount from Line 16 of the 1040-NR form; 
- How much was your Federal income tax?, Line 33 - This is the amount from Line 33 (Add lines 25d, 25e, 25f, 25g, 26, and 32. These are your total payments) of the 1040-NR form;

Please keep in mind that any boxes you do NOT have, you should enter 0s. 

Q. Why is my refund so low?

Please be advised that the refund is the taxes that you have overpaid only, not the total tax you have paid during the year. 

If you are unsure about the refund you are seeing on Step 7 - Summary, you can go back through the steps and check that the information you provided on Step 3 - Let's talk money is correct.

If the details are correct, then that is the refund you would receive. Don't forget that as a nonresident you are not taxed the same way as the residents and the deductions you can use are very limited. 

Q. I don’t see an estimation or calculations for the State return

Please note that not all State tax forms we prepare are automatically generated by the system. If the return you wish to file needs to be manually prepared by our tax experts, no estimation can be provided beforehand.

In such cases you need to pay the fee for the State tax return and it will be prepared as soon as possible by our tax experts.

Be advised that there might be delays with the manual preparations as each states releases their State tax returns for the tax year individually and until the said state releases the updated forms, we cannot prepare the State tax return, so please allow our tax experts some time. You will be emailed as soon as your State tax return is ready. 

Q. When is the deadline?

The deadline to file your tax return is April 15, 2026.

Q. How to download my returns before 2022?

Quite unfortunately Sprintax does not keep records longer than 3 years and you cannot download your forms prepared before 2022. If you wish to get a copy of your returns, please request a transcript on the tax office website.

Q. How to file a return before 2022?

Sprintax only supports the following tax years: 2022 (till April 15), 2023, 2024, 2025.

For any prior tax returns, please proceed with a CPA/accountant.

Q. How to get SSN?

You can apply for SSN through the Social Security Administration, please visit their website for more information as we are unable to advise you on this. https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/request-number-first-time

Q. I lost my SSN

Quite unfortunately we cannot advise you on this issue, please contact the Social Security Administration for more information.

Q. Should I file an extension?

You can file an extension until April 15 if you are unsure that you will be able to file on time. An extension cannot be filed through Sprintax, please visit the tax office website for more information.

Q. I will miss the deadline, are there any penalties?

Please note that if you owe money to the tax office and file/pay after the deadline they will apply late payment and late filing penalties. This depends entirely on them and you will receive a notice about this.

If you’re due a refund, the tax office will not apply a penalty.

Q. I lost (any) document.

Please contact the person/company that issued the documents for a new copy.

Q. How to track my Federal refund?

You can check the status of your Federal refund here: https://www.irs.gov/refunds

If no information is provided on their website this means that they either haven’t started working on the forms yet or they haven’t received them.

You can confirm the delivery of your papers to the tax office by contacting the postal services used.

However please have in mind that the IRS are experiencing a huge delay due to the high volume of returns they need to process.

Q. How to track my State refund?

You can track the status of your State tax return on the State tax office website using the tool ‘Where’s my refund?’

Q. How do I confirm my documents were received by the tax office?

You can confirm that the forms were delivered with the postal service used or contact the tax office over the phone for an update.

Q. What is IRS?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a US government agency responsible for the collection of taxes and enforcement of tax laws.

 Q. What is an IRSN?

An IRSN is an Internal Revenue Service Number that has been assigned to your tax return for processing purposes when you do not have a valid SSN or an ITIN.

Q. Difference between SprintaxNR (taxprep) and SprintaxForms (Calculus)

The SprintaxForms (Calculus) system prepares only pre-employment documents such as W4, W8BEN, W9 for 2026 now. SprintaxNR is self-preparation software for your US tax returns for 2025 and prior tax years.

Q. How to file an amendment?

The Sprintax software can help you prepare an amended tax return form for tax years 2022, 2023 and 2024. To prepare an amendment, please log-in to your Sprintax account: https://www.sprintax.com/returns/, click on 'Get Started', navigate towards the tax year that you wish to amend, tick the box "I want to correct my tax return that I already sent to the IRS" and afterwards simply click on the 'Edit' option
 

You will have to complete your Sprintax application by providing the software with all the necessary information. At the end of the process, you will receive your amended Federal tax return (form 1040-X) alongside further instructions on how to submit it to the IRS.
 

NOTE: Sprintax cannot automatically prepare State amendments and therefore, if you require a State amendment as well, please send us a copy of the originally filed State tax return to info@sprintax.com so that we could forward it to our tax experts, who will be able to manually prepare the amendment for you. Please do NOT mail the automatically prepared State tax return by the Sprintax software, unless you did not file it prior to that.

Q. What are the amendment steps?

- Register/Log in here www.sprintax.com (Choose “Returns”) then simply go to the tax year section of your account (by clicking on the tax year in the upper part of your screen);

- Click on the amendment option for the tax year in question (I want to correct my tax return I already sent to the IRS);

- Simply go through the whole process by carefully entering your details;

- You would have Form 1040-X (the amended tax return form) generated along with a correct nonresident tax return and instructions of the next steps of the process;

- The fee is $79.95 for Federal and $49.95 for State;

*Once you finish the process, you would need to send us your originally filed State tax return so we can check it and confirm with you whether you'd need an amendment or not. That's why it is best to contact our chat support so they can give you further instructions on where to provide your State tax return. 

P.S Please keep in mind that you would need your originally filed Federal and State tax return before processing with the Sprintax amendment option. 

Q. Amended Tax Return

Here is a brief explanation of the fields in the Federal Amendment sub-step:

• Reason for amending your 2024 tax return: Select the specific reason why you are amending your return. For example, you might choose "Filed resident tax return instead of nonresident."

• Select your filing status from your 1040: Choose the exact type of Federal tax return you filed originally.

• Select your marital status from your 1040: Indicate the marital status you selected on your 1040/1040-NR form.

• Enter your Adjusted Gross Income: This information is found on Line 11 of your 1040/1040-NR form.

• Enter your Tax: This is the amount listed on Line 16 of your 1040/1040-NR form.

• Total federal tax paid: This amount appears on Line 25d of your 1040/1040-NR form.

• Total amount paid with extension request, original return, and additional tax paid after filing: Enter the total amount you owed on the original Federal tax return (only if you have already paid it).

• Your refund from the previous tax return: Enter the refund you have already received from your Federal tax return.

Q, State amendment

On this Step, you need to answer based on your originally filed State tax return:

- Select the State Tax Return/s you would like to file - You have to choose the State that you have already filed for;
- Did you file this State Tax Return already? - If you have already filed the State tax return, please choose 'Yes', if you haven't yet, please choose 'No';
- Do you want to correct your State Tax Return as well? - If you want Sprintax to amend your State tax return as well, please choose 'Yes';
- Did you receive a refund from the State Tax Return you already filed? - If you had a refund and you have already received it, please check 'Yes' and enter the amount that you have received;
- Did you pay any amount to the State tax authorities with the already filed tax return? - This question will pop up if you owed instead of having a refund. If that is the case, please check 'Yes' and enter the exact amount you paid to the tax office; 

N.B Please note that the State tax return is prepared manually by our tax experts once you finish the process and pass the Sprintax fee payment. If you do not need an amendment, we will refund you the Sprintax fee you paid for the State Amendment. 

Q. Why do I have to pay the fees again?

If you have filed with us previously, but an amendment is needed, the amount that you have paid before cannot be deducted from the amendment fee amount. Also, there are usually no discount codes for the Amended returns on Sprintax. 

If you do NOT need an amendment yet you have somehow entered the amended return module and are asked to pay the fees to have an amended return generated, please log out of your Sprintax account then log back in and choose the relevant tax year then uncheck 'I want to correct my tax return I already sent to the IRS' so that you'd be able to log into the normal tax filing module. 

Step 8 Finalizing

Q. Review

If you have reached Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Review that means that you're almost at the end of the process.

This is where the system is informing you of the Sprintax services that you're about to purchase. If you have an access (discount) code, you can apply it in the 'ACCESS CODE' box and then click on 'Validate'. Click here for more information about the access code.

If Sprintax has prepared a State tax return for you and you see the 'REMOVE' option next to it, please note you have been provided with the option to exclude your State tax return from your order in case you only wish to file a Federal tax return with Sprintax or you will file your State tax return with a different company. If you have not filed your State tax return before and you wish to do that with Sprintax, please do not remove the return from your order as based on your information you're required to file it.

Once you're done reviewing the details of the added services, you can click on the 'NEXT' option and proceed further.

Q. Payment

On Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Payment you are able to view the total fee that needs to be covered for the use of the Sprintax services. For you to obtain your tax forms prepared by Sprintax, you have to click on 'Checkout'. You will have to option to either pay via a link or using your card. 

If you have an access code, you can apply it on Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Review by navigating towards the 'Access code' box.After you enter your code, you'll have to click on the 'Validate' option. Once you successfully apply the code, you can proceed onto the next step.

Please note that the Sprintax fee that you pay here is not affiliated with the amount that you may owe to the IRS/State Tax Office. Keep in mind that Sprintax only prepares the tax forms for you which you need to file to the relevant US tax authorities. Any potential tax refund or tax debt on your tax return has to be handled by you as you're the taxpayer.

Q. Why can I remove my State tax return?

If Sprintax has prepared a State tax return for you and you see the 'REMOVE' option next to it, please note you have been provided with the option to exclude your State tax return from your order in case you only wish to file a Federal tax return with Sprintax or you will file your State tax return with a different company. If you have not filed your State tax return before and you wish to do that with Sprintax, please do not remove the return from your order as based on your information you're required to file it.

You can consider removing the State tax return only if you have already filed such with a different company or you only want to file a Federal tax return with Sprintax.

Q. I purchased the Post-Filing Service and received some additional forms, what do I do?

The Post-Filing Service is additional support that we offer through which we can review any notice letters you've received from the tax office and/or call the tax office and try to resolve the issue on your behalf.

Our clients who have ordered the Post-Filing Service will receive additional tax forms that they do not need to send to the tax office. The documents will be needed in case you request Sprintax to contact the IRS/State Tax Office on your behalf.

The purpose of these forms is to provide legal authorization for Sprintax to contact the US tax authorities on your behalf ONLY if you need Sprintax do to so. Please do not submit them alongside your tax return.

Q. I don't have an access code, can I get one?

Please be informed that Sprintax does not distribute any access codes. If your organization has a partnership with Sprintax they may be able to provide you with a discount code. You can contact them directly to check whether that is the case.

Q. My access code is not working

If your code is not working after you entered it in the 'Access code' box and clicked on 'Validate', there could be a few reasons for that:

1. You have entered your code incorrectly. Ensure that the code is typed in accurately. If the issue persists, please enter it manually and do not copy-paste it. Basic browser troubleshooting could also help.

2. Your code does not cover the fee of the services that you wish to purchase. You can confirm which services your code covers with your institution.

3. Your code is out of uses. If your institution/company has a partnership with Sprintax and you have been provided with a discount code that is no longer valid, it's very likely that the code's usage has already reached its limit and cannot be applied any longer.

If you see the "Your details do not meet the conditions to validate the code you provided!" that means that your code does not cover the fee for the services in your order or the code has reached its limit, as most codes are limited.

If your institution has provided you with a code, it's very recommended that you start preparing your taxes with Sprintax as soon as possible as most codes have limited usage.

Q. I paid the Sprintax fee, do I still owe money to the IRS?

Please note that the Sprintax fee that you pay on Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Payment is not affiliated with the amount that you may owe to the IRS/State Tax Office.

Keep in mind that Sprintax only prepares the tax forms for you which you need to file to the relevant US tax authorities. Any potential tax refund or tax debt on your tax return has to be handled by you as you're the taxpayer.

Sprintax takes no part in your Federal/State debt and that amount must be paid by you.

Complete instructions on how to handle your tax liability can be found in your tax return's PDF file. To download it, please log-in to your account and click on the document-shaped icon located in the upper right corner.

Q. Download files

If you have reached Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Download files then you have reached the end of the Sprintax process, however that does not mean that your returns were filed by Sprintax.

The next steps for you are to download your tax returns and submit them to the US tax authorities.

Each tax form is located in a PDF file that also contains the complete filing instructions on how to submit your tax return to the tax office. Please download your returns, review them and  submit them in accordance to the instructions which can be generally found on the first few pages of the PDF file.

Fortunately, you may not have to physically mail your Federal tax return like the rest of your tax forms as the 1040-NR Federal income tax return can be submitted online as long as you're eligible to do so.
If you see the 'Proceed with e-file' option in the beginning of Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Download files that means that you meet the necessary criteria to submit your Federal return online. If you decide to e-file it and the IRS accepts it, you will not have to mail it.

Q.How to e-file?

In case you meet all the requirements to e-file your Federal tax return, the 'Proceed with e-file' option will pop up on Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Download files:

Once you click on the e-file option, the system will take you to the next and final step of the e-file process: Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step E-file. To e-file your Federal tax return, you will have to enter all the required information. Here's a breakdown of each e-file question:

1. Have you e-filed your federal tax return last year?

This question asks if you have e-filed your tax return last year. If you have and you select 'Yes' you will be asked about the 5-digit PIN that you have used for your last year's e-filing:

If you remember the e-file PIN that you used last year, please select 'Yes' and enter it. It must be the same exact one. If you do not remember your PIN, you can use your last year's AGI in such case. You should enter the AGI from your last federal tax return on question "Please enter the AGI from your last processed federal tax return" and you will be able to proceed further.

If this is your first time e-filing, please create a 5-digit PIN and make sure to remember it.

2. Please enter the AGI from your last processed Federal tax return.

To answer that question, please retrieve a copy of your last processed federal tax return. The Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) can be found on line 11 of your last processed Federal tax return.

If this is your first time filing a tax return, please enter ‘0’ (zero).

3. Did you get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) for filing your 2024 tax return?

What is an IP PIN? An IP PIN is a 6-digit number that prevents somebody else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification number (ITIN). If you have personally requested such PIN from the IRS, please make sure to enter it. Otherwise, select ‘No’.

After you confirm that the information that you have provided the Sprintax software with is accurate and you consent to the e-file policy, you will be asked about the one-time password. It is issued via an automated email sent to the email address that you originally registered your Sprintax account with. Please check your email account for the password. If you do not see it, please make sure to check your Spam/Junk folder. Once you locate it, please enter it in Sprintax and attempt to e-file your Federal tax return.

Once you’ve attempted to e-file your Federal tax return, the IRS will need around 3-5 days to process it. The status of your e-filed Federal tax return can be:

PENDING: While you wait for the IRS to process your e-file, the status of it would be ‘Pending’.

ACCEPTED: Once the IRS checks your e-file and there is no mismatch in the information that you’ve provided, your e-file will be ‘Accepted’.

REJECTED: In case the IRS comes across any discrepancy in the provided details, your e-file will get rejected and you will have to submit your Federal tax return on paper.

Sprintax will send you an automated email to inform you of the outcome of the e-file.

Keep in mind that only the Federal tax return can be e-filed. Any other tax forms prepared by Sprintax such as the 8843 form, State tax return, FICA refund claim must be submitted on paper. However if your 8843 form is included in your e-filed Federal tax return package then you do not have to mail it.

Q. Am I eligible to e-file?

The Sprintax software will carefully check the information that you've provided and will determine if you're eligible to submit your Federal tax return online. If you see the 'Proceed with e-file' option on Step 8 Finalizing, sub-step Download files you can attempt to e-file your Federal tax return. 
Please have in mind that State tax returns and FICA refund claims cannot be e-filed and must be submitted on paper.

Do note that there are certain limitations to the e-filing service and you will not be able to e-file your Federal return if any of the following applies to you:

If you have an ITIN;

Any names and SSN do not coincide with the information provided on Step 2 Getting to know you, sub-step About you;

The payment document does not have a EIN;

The W-2 form does not have a control number;

Your employer's state on your W-2 is entered as a full name instead of an abbreviation; 

The 1042-S form does not have а Unique Form Identifier;

Any of the income you earned is allocated as earned outside the USA;

You have capital gains income;

You have form 1099-NEC;

You have form 1099-MISC with box 4 higher than 0;

You have included one of the following documents - final pay slip, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-G or 1099-B;

Self-employment income;

If you have Academic Expenses reported on Step 4 Offset your expenses;

You have claimed the Child Tax Credit;

If your gross income, taxable income and balance due is 0;

If you feel like all these points do not apply to your case, please make the necessary correction on Step 3 - Let's talk money by ensuring that on the W-2 form, the employer's address state is written with the abbreviation (for example 'FL' instead of "Florida"). Additionally, please review your SSN reported on the form as it should be corresponding to the details you have provided on Step 2 Getting to know you, sub-step About you. After making the necessary correction(s), please pass through all the steps from the first to the last until the end to verify if the e-file button appears. If the e-file option does not appear, please submit your Federal tax return on paper. 

Q. One-Time Password

For you to complete the e-filing process of your Federal tax return, you must enter your one-time password. It is issued via an automated email sent to the email address that you originally registered your Sprintax account with. You'd have to check your email account for the password. If you do not see it, ensure to check your Spam/Junk folder. Once you locate it, please enter it in Sprintax and attempt to e-file your Federal tax return. 

If you cannot retrieve your one-time password please check whether automated emails are restricted in your email account. If you have trouble checking these settings, please contact the support team of your email domain. If you cannot locate the one-time password, you'll have to submit your Federal tax return on paper.

Q. Can I e-file my State tax return?

Quite unfortunately it is not possible for the State tax return to be e-filed. Instead, it has to be physically mailed.

Complete mailing instructions can be found on the first few pages of your return's PDF file.

How can I download my PDF file? To download your tax returns prepared by Sprintax, please navigate towards the upper right corner of your screen and click on your profile icon. Afterwards, please click on the 'Download Your Forms' option.

Q. Can I e-file my FICA refund claim?

Unfortunately the IRS does not support the online submission of FICA refund claims. You'd have to submit the form as per the instructions on your form's PDF file which you can download from your account.

How can I download my PDF file? To download your tax returns prepared by Sprintax, please navigate towards the upper right corner of your screen and click on your profile icon. Afterwards, please click on the 'Download Your Forms' option.

Q. Can I e-file my 2023 and/or 2022 tax return prepared by Sprintax?

Unfortunately the IRS no longer accepts e-filing for previous tax years. You can only attempt to e-file your 2025 Federal tax return in case you're eligible to do so.

NOTE: The IRS has not yet started accepting e-filing. You will receive an email from Sprintax once the IRS starts accepting e-filing for 2025 tax returns.

Q. Can I e-file Form 8843?

Unfortunately the 8843 Form alone cannot be e-filed and must be submitted on paper. However if you have e-filed your federal tax return that has the 8843 included then you're not required to mail it separately.

Q. How can I know if form 8843 is included in my federal tax return?

You can download your tax return from your account by navigating towards the document-shaped icon located in the upper right corner of your screen. The 8843 Form is usually included in the last pages of the federal tax return. 

Q. The IRS rejected my e-file. Can I e-file again?

It's sadly not possible for an e-file to be attempted more than once. In case the IRS has rejected your e-filing, you must submit your federal tax return on paper.

How can I submit my federal tax return on paper? Complete mailing instructions can be found in your federal tax return's PDF file which you can download from your account by navigating towards the document-shaped icon located in the upper corner.

Q. Why was my e-file rejected by the IRS?

The reason for rejection entirely depends on the IRS. Once you submit your e-file to the IRS, they will review the information that you have provided on the e-file step and if all the information is correct, they will approve it. If they find any mismatch in the information that you have entered, they will reject it. If the AGI or PIN entered from your end do not match their records, your e-file will be rejected. Other reasoning for rejected e-file attempts may include:

1. Mismatch in Names, Date of Birth, nationality, SSN of the taxpayer;
2. Mismatch in Names, address, EIN of any employer;
3. Name, address, EIN of any other payer of income;
4. Control number of the 1042-S and W-2;

Please note that it's not possible to attempt to e-file more than once. If any mismatch is found or any of the details are entered incorrectly, the IRS might reject the e-filed application. In this case, you must physically mail your federal tax return as per the PDF instructions that you can download from your Sprintax account by navigating towards the document-shaped icon in the upper right corner.