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Tax Preparation Help

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.

Support from Sprintax

To prepare for filing, attend a virtual Sprintax information session for Cornell international students. Register for a session on February 3 (12:00 ET) or March 12 (5:00 ET) to receive information about joining the webinar. You'll be able to ask questions from the Sprintax team directly if you attend the session. If you can't attend on March 12th, watch a recording of the February 3rd session, or attend another free tax workshop from Sprintax

Sprintax also runs special workshops for those who worked on OPT/CPT during the tax year and for J-1 scholars. Sign up for one of their workshops and be prepared for tax season.

Sprintax has a comprehensive blog that addresses more unusual situations, like how to file a return for multiple states.

Resources for Everyone

We hope these online resources help you during tax season.

Resources for Residents

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.