[Updated Feb 11, 2025]
For the 2024 tax year, Portland State University's Office of International Affairs has made arrangements with Sprintax to provide free (with code) preparation of your federal personal income tax.
For F and J visa nonresident aliens
Federal (1040-NR) and state (OR 40-N) income tax forms
Suggested (not required) that you use Sprintax to prepare your federal and state income tax returns.
Regardless of how you complete your tax forms, if your status is nonresident alien, you MUST file 1040-NR to report your income.
Create an account with Sprintax.
If you created an account in previous years, use that same account for this year.
There is no charge to create an account and enter data.
But you will not be able to see the prepared return (1040-NR) until you have paid for it.
Getting Help Using Sprintax
See Getting Help
Read carefully the opening pages of Sprintax
Residency Status Screen: Enter your immigration information.
Information regarding your visa and U.S. entry and departure dates and other information regarding your presence in the U.S. on your visa.
Retrieve your entry and exit dates at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/history-search.
When you move to the next page, Sprintax will then tell you if your status is resident alien.
If Sprintax determines you are a resident alien, Sprintax will refer you to TurboTax.
TurboTax only prepares resident forms (1040 and 1040A).
See Resident Aliens.
If your federal tax status is nonresident alien, the next page you see will be "Visa Details."
Information about you: Sprintax will ask you for information about yourself that is needed for filing tax returns: Name, Address, Country, Martial Status, Dependents (if any)
Income Section
Enter your tax documents that report taxable income (such as W-2 and/or 1042-s).
Sprintax will show you a list of various tax forms that you MAY have received.
These forms report information needed to complete your tax forms.
If you had taxable income and Sprintax informs you that you must complete a federal income tax form.
Previous Tax Years
Sprintax will request information about previous tax years.
Treaty Benefits
Based upon your visa and country information, Sprintax will check if treaty benefits can reduce taxable income.
Possible Deductions
Deductions reduce your taxable income.
Nonresident aliens get very view deductions. Here are the more common ones.
State taxes withheld
Contributions to charitable organizations
Interest paid on qualified student loans. If you have a qualified student loan, you will receive from 1098-E from your loan institution or company.
A few others
Nonresident citizens of India can take the standard deduction.
School Information
School name, address, your major
State Information
Next you will be asked some additional information that is needed to prepare any personal state income tax forms.
Sprintax will do all the work of calculating and completing your tax forms
Sprintax will produce PDFs containing important information and completed tax forms.
Whether you e-file or send hard copies, you will download the PDF for each federal and state return you may need to file.
A full set of instructions will be included in the PDF of each form Sprintax produces.
It is not necessary to print out all the pages in the PDF.
See "Submitting Tax Forms" for information on which documents you need to include as well as my YouTube videos for how to assemble and mail the documents.
If Sprintax is able to efile your federal return, you won't need to send hard copies of your federal forms to the IRS.
You will still mail a hard copy of your federal form with the hard copy of your state form.
Before you can download the forms:
You won't be able to see the completed forms until the payment is made.
The PSU code will pay for the federal form.
You will pay an extra fee for the state form.
You will pay an extra fee if you request that Sprintax produces any addtional forms.
You are free to prepare these other forms using other services or complete them yourself.
Oregon OR-40N: see the download forms page.
FICA (Medicare and Social Security) Refund: if your status is nonresident alien and you have had Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from your paycheck, see how to get this money refunded (for free).