Tax Information

If you earn any income while you are here as a student or scholar in the U.S., you will need to file income tax returns with the U.S. Government and the State of Iowa. You are responsible for making sure this gets done. Filing an income tax return can be confusing and difficult, but you do not need to do this by yourself. Most international students here at UNI rely on the free, expert assistance offered by the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or V.I.T.A. These well-trained volunteers will help you prepare your income tax returns and submit them to the Federal Government and the State of Iowa.

All international students and scholars must file IRS form 8843, even if no income was earned during a calendar year. This is a simple form that you can do yourself. You can find the form here. If you did earn income, the VITA volunteers will make sure that you file form 8843 along with your 1040 form.

VITA assistance is available during tax season, beginning around February 10 each year and ending on the U.S. tax deadline day of April 15. In the past, this assistance has been available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. in the Curris Business Building, room 224. Please check with International Services, or read UNI-Online, for more information. If you seek VITA assistance, be sure to bring your I-20 or DS-2019 form, your passport, and all tax documents (W-2 and possibly 1042-S and 1099 forms) that were sent to you by your employer.

Professional tax preparation services are also available. If you would prefer to hire someone to do your taxes, look in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under “Tax Return Preparation”.

You may also prepare your income tax return yourself. To get started, read the information provided by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service at their web site.

Everyone who earned income will file some version of the 1040 form. Most international students can use form 1040NR-EZ, which is the simplest form. Others may need to use form 1040NR.

The Tax Guide for Aliens, IRS publication 519

Information about Iowa income tax, from the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Iowa form 1040 can be found in several versions here.

If you have questions about what to do or where to go for help, remember that you can always contact International Services for help