This is a detailed reply to
your question, so please read it in the entirely so you understand
everything. This area of United States tax law -- for international
visitors and foreign citizens -- can be especially difficult to navigate.
For United States tax filing
purposes, F1 student visa holders are generally considered "nonresident aliens," at least for the first 5
calendar years (students). They fall under a category called "exempt" individuals. As a nonresident alien, you only need to file
a US tax return for taxable income that you receive from US sources. This
is unlike "resident aliens" and US citizens, who must report their
worldwide taxable income.
There are certain specific circumstances under which F-class visa holders can be considered not exempt individuals. Those are explained at the following IRS webpage:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/exempt-individual-who-is-a-student
If you could qualify as resident alien, then you could file the same Form 1040, 1040A, 1040-EZ
series of tax returns that other US taxpayers do. If you must file as a nonresident
alien, then you will need to file a Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ, plus Form 8843, and perhaps a state tax return as well.
Here are some other helpful links to learn
more about the resident alien test for student visa holders, as well as other
foreign scholars and students:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/determining-alien-tax-status
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/references-for-foreign-students-and-scholars
While TurboTax can complete
most any type of tax return for US citizens and resident aliens, at the present
time we do not support the nonresident Form 1040NR series of tax returns.
However, TurboTax has
partnered with a company called "Sprintax.com" to offer
nonresident tax preparation services. They can certainly help you with
filing a Form 1040NR; and we think you would be pleased with their
services. If you decide to go with them, you won't need to find a
specialized tax lawyer or accountant. They are a cost-effective way to
take care of your nonresident tax compliance needs. Basic federal tax return preparation starts at $35.95, and state tax preparation at $25.95.
For further information you
can visit them on the internet at:
https://www.sprintax.com/non-resident-alien-tax-1040nr-turbotax.html
We hope this information will
prove useful to you, and thank you for thinking of TurboTax.
