Cornell has teamed up with Sprintax Returns to provide you with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students, scholars, alumni, and their dependents. Sprintax Returns 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 to the Division of Financial Services 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 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 Returns help team.
To prepare for filing, attend a virtual Sprintax Returns information session for Cornell international students and scholars. The session will be offered during the tax season in 2027 - watch this page and the listserv for an announcement on when the session will be held. You can also watch a recording of a past session.
Sprintax Returns 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.
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 Returns questionnaire will determine if you're a Resident or non-Resident. If you're a Resident, see the resources below for how to file. We cannot assist with filing your return as a Resident.
Next Up: File Your Return with Sprintax
