Tax Information
Tax help has been provided to international students at Penn State since 1985--the first several years by staff/volunteers in OISS and later by volunteers through the International Hospitality Council. This year we will provide tax help through a variety of means: tax software, group sessions, and individual tax appointments. The program this year will operate differently than it has in the past, so we ask that you read this information carefully.
Tax forms are filed between January 1 and April 15 for the previous calendar year (January to December); thus, between January 1 and April 15, 2007, everyone will be filing tax forms for income received in January to December 2007.
Instructions
- Gather your documents:
Any tax forms received in the mail (federal 1040NR-EZ or 1040NR; 8843); (Pennsylvania—PA40 2005); local tax forms.
If you did not get any forms in the mail, you can find the forms on the Web:
- U.S. income taxes are based on the calendar year and tax reporting is done the following year by April 15. You are required to complete tax forms if you have earned income during the year. You are required to complete U.S. federal tax forms, Pennsylvania state forms, and local forms. If you lived in another state during the year and earned income while living there, you will need to file a tax return for that state if that state has income tax. If you had no income, you must complete the 8843 (see below).
If you are an international student in F-1 or J-1 status, you have been emailed instructions and a password for using CINTAX, a tax software for international students in F-1 or J-1 status who are non-residents for tax purposes. Even if you had no income, you may need to submit the Form 8843.
To access CINTAX instructions for both those who had earned income and those who did not, you need to use your Penn State Access ID and password to view the CINTAX instructions.
If you are an international student in a status other than F-1 or J-1, you should seek advice from a tax consultant. The forms and instructions for those forms are available below.
If you use CINTAX, the software will provide the federal (1040NR-EZ) and state tax forms.
You can find fill-in federal forms at:
There are several tax programs on-line that students who are residents for tax purposes can use. Many of these require a nominal fee.
Local tax forms
(NOTE: if you don't know in which township or borough you live, you can ask your landlord)
Students in F-1 and J-1 status are considered non-resident for local taxes (those in H-1B, H-4, and J-2 status are considered residents for tax purposes.
