Mandatory Income Tax Filing (regardless if income is earned)
All students and scholars in F-1 and J-1 status and their dependents must file an income tax form every year in order to comply with the regulations. This is true regardless of whether they earned income (worked) while in the United States or not. Income tax issues for foreigners can be complex and confusing.
The university’s will help you understand your U.S. tax residency status and associated personal responsibilities as a U.S. taxpayer. The International Tax Office provides access to resources and tools designed to help you fulfill your U.S. tax filing obligations.
All international employees working at CU Boulder, or individuals receiving a stipend or scholarship payment through the CU payroll system, must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office and should anticipate keeping in touch with the tax office throughout their CU career.
To ensure accurate taxation, it is crucial for new employees at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ to update their information and submit documentation to the CU International Tax Specialists promptly.
- New CU employees will receive an email notification within approximately 14 days of their employment start date from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com inviting them to complete their Sprintax Calculus profile.
- Pay close attention to your CU email, including spam folders, for this activation email and complete your profile as soon as possible.
Students receiving taxable scholarship or stipend through their Campus Bursar’s Office must also complete a Sprintax Calculus profile and will receive an activation email from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com the first time a taxable scholarship is identified on their student account. These students will also receive direct email correspondence from the International Tax Office alerting them each time tax charges are applied to their student bursar account.
Existing international employees and student scholarship and stipend recipients will receive periodic emails from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com asking them to update their information and documentation online as needed.
Tax Filing Support
To assist students and scholars in F-1 and J-1 status with U.S. tax filing obligations, University of Colorado’s provides a variety of helpful resources including to qualified CU Boulder students and scholars. Review the Tax Preparation Support document for further information.
Caution
USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) use the terms "resident" and "nonresident" to mean different things. While an international student on an F-1 or J-1 visa or an Exchange Visitor on a J-1 visa hold nonimmigrant/nonresident status in terms of immigration, they can in some instances be considered a resident for tax filing purposes.