Am I a resident for tax purposes?

Step 1 - Residency - Residency status on Sprintax will determine your residency for tax purposes. If you can continue to the next steps, you would be a nonresident for tax purposes and can continue to use Sprintax. If you are deemed a resident for tax purposes, you will not be able to use Sprintax and we will point you in the direction of Turbotax, our partner for resident taxes.

Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered nonresident for tax purposes. International students on J1 & F1 visas are automatically considered nonresident for their first 5 calendar years in the US. Scholars/Researchers (and their dependents) on J visas are automatically considered nonresidents for 2 out of the last 6 calendar years in the US.

If you have been in the US for longer than the 5 or 2 year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.  You will be considered a United States resident for tax purposes if you meet the substantial presence test for the calendar year. To meet this test, you must be physically present in the United States (U.S.) on at least:

1. 31 days during the current year, and
2. 183 days during the 3-year period that includes the current year and the 2 years immediately before that, counting:
   • All the days you were present in the current year, and
   • 1/3 of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and
   • 1/6 of the days you were present in the second year before the current year.