Taxes for Foreign Students, Faculty, Staff, and Guests

All international students and scholars who were in the U.S. during the calendar year in any visa type other than B (Visitor) visa, and received income (scholarship / fellowship, wages, prizes, royalties, self-employment income, etc.), must file an annual income tax return with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you earned wages of $10,000 (filing as single) or $20,000 (filing as married) or more, you will also be required to file a New Jersey state income tax return.

The annual tax filing deadline is April 18.

Residents for Tax Purposes 

For U.S. taxes, international students or scholars are considered either 'non-residents for tax purposes' or 'residents for tax purposes'. Your tax residency status depends on your current immigration status and/or how long you have been in the United States.Sprintax Tax Prep will determine your residency status after you have entered all prior visits to the U.S. and completed your Sprintax Tax Prep profile.  

Tax Season

Tax Forms  

Not every international student or scholar receives the same tax forms. The tax forms you receive will be based on:

  • The type of income you have received, such as a scholarship / fellowship, wages, prizes, royalties, etc.;
  • Your residence country; and 
  • Whether your home country has a tax treaty with the United States.  

Below are the types of tax forms you may receive:

 

Accessing your W-2 or 1042-S electronically

W-2 forms from Princeton University are available online for active faculty, staff, and students to view and print. The Payroll Office will distribute Form W-2 forms by January 31 to individuals who did not opt for the online version of the form.

To obtain your Form W-2 or 1042-S online:

Request a Duplicate 1042-S 

For those faculty, staff and students who are no longer able to access TigerHub or HR Self Service, you can request a duplicate copy of your 1042-S form. To do so, please complete the Request a Duplicate Form 1042-S and submit it by email.

Assistance with Filing Nonresident Taxes

Princeton offers free access to Sprintax, a nonresident tax preparation software to assist international students and scholars with filing their annual federal tax return. The program asks you a series of questions, and as you answer each question, the program will generate the forms for you to file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For more information about how to use the Sprintax software, please view the Sprintax Tutorial, which is available on the Sprintax YouTube Account. For any particular questions about your taxes or the program, please email Sprintax Support.

Please note: Princeton staff members in the Davis International Center or in Global Financial Services are not tax preparation professionals and cannot grant tax advice.  We recommend that you consult with a professional tax advisor if you need more assistance than what is offered through Sprintax.

Additional information can be found on the Prepare and File a Nonresident U.S. Tax Return webpage.

Tax Season Frequently Asked Questions for Nonresidents

What taxes does Princeton withhold?

For more information about tax rates, please visit the IRS website.

WAGE TYPE WITHHOLDING
Scholarships or Fellowships Federal (Visit Taxation of Scholarships and Fellowships to learn more)
Wages

Federal
New Jersey

Prizes Federal

Other IRS Resources