As a non-citizen with a US bank investment, can I still file my tax return via TurboTax while I am living outside the US?

[DoninGA]

If you are a non-resident alein you cannot file a Form 1040 or use TurboTax.

If you need to file a US tax return then you must use the Form 1040-NR, which is not supported by TurboTax.

IRS Form 1040-NR - https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-nr

In this case you may be able to use a TurboTax partner, Sprintax, to assist you with the Form 1040-NR - https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-forms/turbotax-handle-form-1040-nr-n...

[pk]

@mengtaizhang , agreeing with my colleague @DoninGA ,  what your post does not clarify :

(a) Are you a US person i.e. GreenCard ?  Because if that is so , then you still have to file a US 1040 return  recognizing your  world income.

(b) the answer by my colleague assumes that you are  NRA ( Non-Resident Alien) with US source income.  Yes , you have to file a 1040-NR recognizing ONLY US sourced income.  To do this though you still need a Tax ID -- SSN or ITIN.  Do you have that ?

(c) your post implies that you were resident in the USA   ( and that is how you have US Bank earnings -- interest ? ).  How long were you here  and with which visa ?  Did you inform the IRS and Immigration that you have left the country ?   There may be Exit Tax considerations depending on how long you were a resident . (d) Which country are you a resident of now ?  Are you also a citizen of that country ?  There may be treaty considerations.

[Opus 17]

In addition to the comments by @pk , let me point out that,

If you are not a US resident or green card holder,

and your only income is from passive investments,

then your income may not be considered US-sourced and you may not be required to file any US tax return.

Quick overview:

If you are a US citizen or green card holder, or you are a "resident alien" per the substantial presence test, you are required to report all your world-wide income and pay US tax, using form 1040, no matter where in the world you are living.

However, if you are not a citizen, not a green card holder, and not a resident alien, then you are only required to file a US tax return and pay US tax on income that is "sourced" to the US, or "effectively connected" to the US.  This income would be reported on a 1040-NR, which as noted, Turbotax does not include.  You would have to check with a provider that does offer the 1040-NR to see if they allow electronic filing.

Also, special rules apply if you enter the US or leave the US in the middle of the year.  I will leave that to @pk to cover.

Which income is considered "US source" is complicated, you can start on this web page.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/nonresident-aliens-sourcing-of-income

However, the term "US bank investment" is not enough by itself to determine if you need to pay US tax. 

[mengtaizhang]

Hi pk,

Thank you for your reply. I’m not a US citizen or green card holder. I’ve lived in the US for about 10 years, currently on an O1 visa with a valid SSN. At the moment, I’m still in the US and considered a resident alien for tax purposes. However, if I return to my home country (China) later this year and I might not return for several years, I expect to become a non-resident alien starting in 2026 and onwards. Also, do I need to inform IRS and Immigration about I left the country? 

[LenaH]

Once you file your final dual-status tax returns, the IRS will be effectively notified of your change in status. You also have to get a departure permit approximately two weeks before you plan to leave, but cannot apply earlier than 30 days before your planned departure date. You get this by filing either Form 2063 or Form 1040-C. 

Lastly, if you are leaving the country and do not plan to return on your current visa, you typically do not need to notify immigration. 

@mengtaizhang 

[pk]

@mengtaizhang , generally agreeing with the answer from my colleague @LenaH ,  just wanted to add

(a) if there is any way possible  it would be tax beneficial for you to depart the USA around 31st of December of 2025.  This would allow you to be a full year  tax resident -- full standard deduction and no need to file as dual  status  taxpayer ( form 1040 for the year 2025).

(b)  if you have been a tax resident for significant time ( 7-10 years ) you would be treated as a long-term  resident and thus  come under the need  for exit/ sailing permit  ( as mentioned by @LenaH  ). Please consider familiarizing yourself  page 73 through 76 of the IRS Pub 519 --> 2024 Publication 519    ( I am not aware of  any substantial changes to this  under the  OBBB Act  of 2025  and so the 2024 Pub is generally valid ).

Is there more I can do for you ?