January through April is commonly referred to as “tax season” in the United States (U.S.) because we have to file tax forms by mid-April each year for the previous calendar year.

The 2024 tax year will close as of 12/31/2024. If you were present in the U.S. during any part of the year 2024 in any immigration status other than tourist (B visa or ESTA), there is at least one tax form (IRS Form 8843) you must file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you were not in the U.S. at all during 2024, or you were only present in tourist status, you do not need to complete any tax forms at this time.

To assist you, the HIO provides access to an online tax preparation software called Sprintax Returns. Please note, Sprintax Returns will not be available to use for the tax year 2024 until mid- to late February 2025. 

Please follow the steps below to prepare for tax season:

1. Determine your U.S. income

• Did you receive a stipend, grant, or fellowship from a U.S. source in 2024?
• Were you employed by Harvard University in 2024?
• Were you employed in the U.S. but outside Harvard in 2024?
• Did you receive investment income from a U.S. source in 2024?

2. Determine which tax documents you are required to receive for tax filing

• If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you will likely receive one or more of the following documents from the entity that provided you with your income. If you did not receive any U.S. source income in 2024, you will not receive any of these documents.

Remember, you will not receive a tax reporting document if you did not receive any U.S. source income in 2024. Do not file any tax forms until you have received all of your tax reporting documents.

The HIO does not send tax reporting documents. Please refer to the Office of the Controller’s  website to determine which Harvard office will send you your applicable tax reporting form(s) for your Harvard funding. If you received funding/salary in 2024 from other U.S. sources, you will receive separate tax documents directly from those sources.

3. Review the Resources for Tax Season:

• Review the HIO website for general tax information.
• Review the HIO website for information about tax residency.   You will be able to determine your tax residency by using the Sprintax Returns tax preparation software once it is available.
• ​Sprintax will be hosting a series of free tax webinars to provide helpful information around nonresident tax filing obligations. For more information and to register for a webinar, please click here.

4. Confirm your mailing address and report your SSN or ITIN to the University if you have not already done so.

• Confirm your Address: All employees and stipend recipients must maintain a current home address listed in PeopleSoft. This will ensure that your Form W-2 (if applicable) and any other official documents are mailed to the correct address. Students must update their address in my.harvard.
• Report your SSN or ITIN: Please visit the HIO website for more information on how to report your SSN or ITIN.

5. Beware of Scams

• Tax season is the time of year when scammers attempt to extort money from people or steal identities by pretending to be IRS or other government officials. Students and scholars who have received scam phone calls have reported that their caller ID said the IRS or an immigration office (e.g., SEVP, USCIS) were calling. Scam phone calls have also been received where the caller ID stated that the Massachusetts State Police, Cambridge Police, or other local police were calling. If you do not know who is calling, do not simply assume it is someone from the office identified on your caller ID. Scammers are able to fake the caller ID so it appears the call is coming from an official government office.
• Government officials will never ask you for money or to provide them with gift cards. The IRS would never call individuals regarding their taxes; USCIS, ICE, SEVP or other immigration agencies would never call you to threaten you with arrest or deportation. If you receive any calls like those described above, simply hang up.  Official information from legitimate government officials always comes via regular mail. You should also never email your Social Security Number or give it to someone you do not know over the phone.
• Please review the HIO website for more information about Safety, Scams, & Identity Protection, as well as the HUPD website for information about Scams and Identity Theft Attempts Targeting International Affiliates.