F1 and OPT Student Tax Filing
International students are among the most consistently over-taxed filers in the US. We file your return correctly and recover what was wrongly withheld.
F1 and OPT Student Tax Filing with EvoTax
Two things go wrong for F1 and OPT filers with striking regularity. The first is filing as a resident when you are an exempt individual and should have filed Form 1040-NR, usually because commercial tax software asks the wrong questions. The second is having Social Security and Medicare tax withheld from OPT wages when you were not liable for it, because a payroll department treated you like any other employee. Both cost money and both are fixable. EvoTax establishes how many of your years still fall under the exempt-individual rule, files Form 8843 whether or not you had income, prepares the correct return, applies any treaty article your country provides for students, and where FICA was wrongly withheld helps you pursue it back. If you have been filing your own returns since arriving, it is worth having the earlier years reviewed too.
Benefits & What You Get
Exempt-individual years established
F and J visa holders do not count days toward residency for a limited period. We work out exactly where you stand.
Form 8843 filed even with no income
Exempt individuals must file Form 8843 regardless of earnings. Skipping it is the most common student omission.
Wrongly withheld FICA recovered
Non-resident students on OPT are generally not liable for Social Security and Medicare tax. We help you claim it back.
Student treaty articles applied
Several treaties give students specific relief, and Indian students may claim the standard deduction. We apply what you are entitled to.
Prior years reviewed
If earlier returns were filed on the wrong basis, we assess whether amending them recovers money.
How It Works
Visa and dates review
We map your arrival date, visa history and years present to determine your status for each tax year.
Check withholding
We review your W-2 for Social Security and Medicare withholding that should not have been taken.
Prepare and file
We file Form 8843 and your 1040-NR with any treaty position, plus state returns.
Pursue refunds
We claim your income tax refund and guide the separate process for recovering FICA.
Pricing
No US income during the year
With W-2 income and Form 8843
Recovering wrongly withheld FICA
Per year assessed and amended
Final pricing depends on the complexity of your case. Contact us for an exact quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do F1 students have to file a US tax return?
If you had US income, yes. If you had no income at all, you still generally need to file Form 8843 to document your exempt-individual status for the year. Many students skip Form 8843 believing that no income means no filing obligation, which leaves a gap in the record of their residency history.
Do students on OPT pay Social Security and Medicare tax?
Generally not, while you remain a non-resident alien for tax purposes. Employers often withhold it anyway because their payroll system treats you as it would any other employee. The tax can be recovered, first by asking the employer to correct it and refund you, and failing that by claiming it from the IRS directly with supporting documentation.
Should F1 students file 1040 or 1040-NR?
Form 1040-NR for as long as you are an exempt individual, which for F visa holders covers a limited number of calendar years of presence. After that the substantial presence test applies normally and you may become a resident filer. Popular consumer tax software generally prepares resident returns and will happily produce a 1040 for someone who should have filed a 1040-NR.
Can Indian students claim the standard deduction?
Yes. This is a genuine and unusual benefit: the US-India tax treaty allows students and business apprentices from India to claim the standard deduction on a non-resident return, which non-residents otherwise cannot do. It is frequently missed, and on a typical student income it is worth a substantial part of the refund.
I filed the wrong form in previous years. What now?
It can be corrected by amending those years. Whether it is worth doing depends on the direction of the error — if you filed as a resident and claimed deductions or credits you were not entitled to, correcting it reduces your exposure; if you overpaid, an amendment can recover it, generally within three years of the original filing. We review the years in question and tell you which are worth amending.
Ready to get started with F1 and OPT Student Tax Filing?
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