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posted Sep 17, 2025 2:04:49 PM

J-1 Student Tax Filing Question (Worked 2 Summers)

Hello,

I worked in the U.S. twice as a J-1 student, each time for about 2 and a half months (last summer and this summer). I haven’t filed taxes for either year yet, and I’m wondering:

  1. Will there be any penalty or fee for not filing last year’s return yet?

  2. I’m confused because when I uploaded my W-2 form to another agency’s tool, it said I owe about $150. But when I tried to do my taxes with TurboTax, it showed that I should get around a $200 refund.

Why could there be such a big difference, and what should I do to make sure I’m filing correctly as a non-resident?

Thank you!

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1 Replies
Level 15
Sep 17, 2025 2:35:20 PM

If you are due a refund, no, there won't be a penalty.  If you owe tax, yes, there will be penalties and interest due.  The IRS (and State) will send you a separate bill for that.

 

TurboTax (and most other Do-It-Yourself programs) is not able to prepare the kind of tax return needed for a Nonresident Alien like yourself.  You should either consult a tax professional that is EXPERIENCED with Nonresident Aliens, or possibly look for a program that is specifically designed for "Nonresident Aliens".