Cornell has teamed up with Sprintax to provide you with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students, scholars, alumni, and their dependents. Sprintax will generate your tax return and allow you to file it electronically.
Sprintax Calculus is used at the Division of Financial Services to help you determine your U.S. tax status and eligibility for a U.S. tax treaty and to help Cornell evaluate your U.S. tax status for proper tax withholding. Submit a service request if you have questions on Sprintax Calculus.
Sprintax meets the tax needs of most of Cornell's international community. TurboTax is designed for residents and is not suitable for most international students and scholars. Don't try to use it unless you are a resident for tax purposes.
International Services staff are not tax specialists, and we do not provide individual tax advice. Please use the software and direct your tax preparation questions to the Sprintax help team.
To prepare for filing, attend a virtual Sprintax information session for Cornell international students and scholars. Two sessions will be offered in 2026 - register for the February 3rd session at 12:00 or the March 12th session at 5:00. You'll be able to ask questions from the Sprintax team directly. You can also watch a recording of a past session.
Sprintax also runs special workshops for those who worked on OPT/CPT during the tax year and for J-1 scholars. Sign-up information will be provided here when available.
Sprintax has a comprehensive blog that addresses more unusual situations, like how to file a return for multiple states.
Need to file an amended return? If you need to file an amendment because you filed your 2025 tax return and then received an updated/corrected tax document, Sprintax will help you prepare an Amended Tax Return (Form 1040X), along with the corrected Form 1040NR. More information on amendments can be found here. Sprintax code requests for amended 2025 returns should be submitted to International Services via ticket. Submit a ticket with the subject line "Amended return code request."
The April 15th deadline pertains to Initial returns - there will be no associated fines or penalties if an amendment is submitted after the 15th.
We hope these online resources help you during tax season.
Most Cornell international students, faculty, and staff file as “nonresident aliens.” You only become a resident for tax purposes if you get a green card or if you pass what is called the substantial presence test. The first few questions of the Sprintax questionnaire will determine if you're a Resident or non-Resident. If you're a Resident, we cannot assist with filing your return; see the resources below for how to file as a Resident.
Next Up: File Your Return with Sprintax
