Skip to main content
Financial Services

International Student FAQs

  • The U.S. has a self-reporting tax system. Taxpayers are responsible for reporting their U.S. income, calculating their U.S. tax liability, and paying the appropriate amount every year. This is done by filing a tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Having taxes withheld from a paycheck or other payment is not equivalent to filing a tax return. Tax returns are due to the IRS by April 15th of the year following the tax year (i.e., taxpayers file their tax return for calendar year 2026 by April 15, 2027). In some cases, an extension of time may be requested.

  • The IRS generally classifies individuals as resident aliens or nonresident aliens for U.S. tax purposes. The rules include the green card test and substantial presence test, with special rules for some students and exchange visitors. Visa type, dates of presence in the United States, and prior years in the country may matter.
    BYU uses a software program called Sprintax to help international students determine their U.S. tax residency status. Sprintax will calculate students’ U.S. tax residency statuses, gather supporting documentation for U.S. residency status, claim tax treaties on certain income to nonresident alien students, distribute Form 1042-S, and file Form 1040-NR and Form 8843.

  • For more guidance on Sprintax, see the comprehensive guide here.

  • Individuals file their personal tax returns on the following forms:
    1.      Form 1040: Used when the individual is a U.S. person. A U.S. person is a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien (permanent resident)
    -OR-
    2.      Form 1040-NR: Used when the individual is a nonresident alien (has not met the substantial presence test and does not have a green card)

  • The forms you receive depend on your income and circumstances. An information form does not tell you by itself which return to file or whether you must file.

    Common Forms Include

    • Form W-2 — wages from a campus job, internship, or other employer
    • Form 1042-S — certain scholarship or fellowship income, treaty-exempt wages, or other U.S.-source income paid to a foreign person
    • Form 1098-T — tuition information from the school; only use if filing a 1040

  • If you were issued Form 1042-S by BYU, it will be available for download in your Sprintax account. BYU is required to issue the form by March 15 of the following year. Contact the BYU Tax Office if you believe a 1042-S form is missing.

  • Form W-2 for BYU employees, are available online. Please follow the navigation as outlined below.

    • Use your NetID and password to log in to myBYU
    • Select the Work tab
    • Select W-2's View/Print
    • Select the form for the relevant tax year

    For W-2s related to jobs outside of BYU, reach out to your employer.

  • Your 1098-T can be found online.

    • Use your NetID and password to log in to My Financial Center
    • Click on the button for Student Tax Information
    • Click on the link for IRS Form 1098-T - Tuition Statement
    • Click view/download to access the form for the relevant tax year
    • If you have any issues, reach out to 1098T@byu.edu

  • Form 1040 Filing Assistance:

    Form 1040-NR Filing Assistance:

    • Tax Information BYU’s ISSS Office offers free tax preparation labs – see link details.
    • Self-Filing Instructions from the ISSS Office provides step-by-step filing instructions.
    • Sprintax – approximate cost $55.
      • To access the Sprintax Filing Software, click the button inside the green box “Yes, Take Me To Sprintax”. Sprintax will automatically populate your tax forms using the information in your profile and the information reported to you on your Form(s) 1042-S. If you worked with the BYU Tax Office to claim a tax treaty on your scholarship income, this will be your best filing option to ensure your scholarship income is not taxed.
      • Filing your Utah state tax return in Sprintax costs $49.95; however, Utah has an easy-to-use free filing option on their website (see details below)

    Discount code FS25BYU100 will allow the first 100 BYU students to file their Federal tax returns for free. YOU MUST ACCESS THE SPRINTAX FILING SOFTWARE THROUGH YOUR BYU SPRINTAX ACCOUNT FOR THE CODE TO WORK!

For more guidance on Sprintax, see the comprehensive guide here.