Please read all of the information below in its entirety.
Income is taxable in the United States. Every spring, the US federal government, and
most states require American citizens and many international visitors to file a “tax
return.” A tax return documents the income that someone earned the previous year
and determines if any additional tax is owed, or if a refund is available.
All international students are REQUIRED to file federal AND state tax returns with
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year they are in the United States. If you were studying in the US for any length of time in 2015, you must file documents
declaring your income, or one stating that you did not earn an income. The deadline to file your tax return is April 15, 2016.
International Student Services provides access to Glacier, an online tax software package designed specifically for Nonresident Aliens. Access to file your FEDERAL tax return through Glacier is offered at no charge
to international students who were enrolled at the University of South Carolina or
on USC administered Optional Practical Training (OPT) during 2015. You will not be able to file your STATE tax return using Glacier.
If you were NOT enrolled at USC or NOT participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) granted by USC during 2015, then you will NOT be eligible to access the Glacier software under the USC Glacier account. You do not have to file a 2015 tax return.
If you were NOT present in the United States during 2015, then you do NOT have to file a 2015 tax return, and you can ignore this information.
IF YOU DID EARN AN INCOME IN 2015 – You must file BOTH a FEDERAL (U.S.) and a STATE tax return.
To request an access code to use Glacier, please fill out and submit this online request form. Please do not submit this request form more than once! Once your request is processed, an email will be sent to your University email containing
your assigned access code for the Glacier Tax Software. **Please be aware that it may take up to 7 business days to process your request.**
IF YOU DID NOT EARN AN INCOME IN 2015:
International students who were in the United States for any length of time during
2015 and did not earn income must file the Non-Employed 8843 Form. This form is also available through the Glacier software, which is available for use by students who were enrolled at the University
of South Carolina for any term in 2015.
To request an access code to use Glacier, please fill out and submit this online request form. Please do not submit this request form more than once!
Once your request is processed, an email will be sent to your University email containing
your assigned access code for the Glacier Tax Software. **Please be aware that it may take up to 7 business days to process your request.**
The Non-Employed 8843 Form is also available online at the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf)
FILING YOUR STATE TAX RETURN:
Please note, your Glacier “Access Code” only allows you to file your Federal Tax return,
free of charge. You cannot use Glacier to file your state tax return.
You may use another software to file your South Carolina State Tax return as well,
but you will need to enter your own credit card information in order to cover the
additional filing fee.
If you do not want to pay an additional fee to file your state tax return through
a software or tax specialist, you can print out your own copy of the “1040” form (for
South Carolina State Taxes ONLY), which can be found at https://dor.sc.gov/forms/find-a-form?name=1040&category=&year=2015
If you lived in another state during 2015, you must file a tax form for that state
as well. Federal and state tax forms can also be downloaded from the IRS website (www.irs.gov).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
International Student Services and the USC International Payroll Office CANNOT offer
individual assistance for filing taxes in the U.S.
Students who need tax advice are strongly encouraged to consult a tax preparation
specialist. To find a local tax preparation specialist, please visit the IRS Website.
OUTSIDE RESOURCES:
-Information on South Carolina income taxes
-Information on United States Federal income taxes
-Find a local tax preparation specialist