Introduction to filing taxes:
Q- Were you studying and/or working in the US at some point in 2025?
A- If you answered yes, then you are required by law to file taxes.
Q- Can someone at the ISSS office help me with taxes?
A- No, the members of the ISSS staff are not tax experts and as such they cannot be advising you on tax-related matters. Use Sprintax instead. Sprintax is a tax preparation webpage specially devised for F-1 & J-1 students. Think of Sprintax as your tax expert that will walk you through how and what documents to upload. Use the Sprintax live chat feature to get the answers to your questions and concerns.
Q- What is the deadline for filing taxes?
A- The federal income tax deadline is Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Step #1- Gather all of your tax documents:
- I-94 (Go to the I-94 webpage, open the Travel History tab)
- Passport
- Your I-94 (Go to the I-94 webpage, open the Travel History tab)
- Your passport
- One or more of the following document(s): W-2 / 1042S / 1098. These forms will be either sent to your mailing address or you may be expected to retrieve them from a portal accordingly:
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If you worked for Aramark: Aramark does not send your tax documents or W-2 form to you, instead, you are to retrieve it from mypay.aramark.com: Step 1-Go to: mypay.aramark.com
Step 2-Click on mypaylogin
Step 3-Enter your username (consist of 0 + 8-digit #)
Step 4-Click to login
Step 5-look for Taxes W-2
=> Contact Margaret Arnold from Aramark if you need assistance retrieving your W-2 form arnol3me@jmu.edu (540) 568-3103 |
If you worked for JMU: Retrieve your W-2 electronically: Log into MyMadison => If you cannot retrieve your electronic W-2 form and/or 1042-S form, contact Payroll Services (540) 568-6233 or payroll-operations@jmu.edu with any questions or concerns. |
If you worked off-campus:
Contact the company’s HR department where you worked to request your W-2 form
Step #2- File your taxes with Sprintax:
Sprintax is the tax software for F-1 and J-1 international students to guide you step by step to file your taxes. Unlike other tax software (such as Turbo Tax), Sprintax takes into account your immigration status and existing tax treaties between your country and the US into consideration.
Once you open the Sprintax webpage - Take me to Sprintax:
- First-time users, need to sign up to create an account.
- Returning users will need to retrieve their previous account.
- All of the data you enter is automatically saved in the system… you can therefore stop at any time and come back to it later.
- If you have questions, check this Sprintax FAQ, and don't hesitate to use the Sprintax live chat feature
Sprintax FAQ
Sprintax will require some general details about you, such as your name, your SSN and your income. All of this information can be found on your W-2 and/or 1042-S form(s) and on your passport.
If you have been in the US for 5 calendar years, you may be considered a “resident for tax purposes.” Complete this step to learn if you can continue with Sprintax to prepare your tax documents or if you need to use another tax provider (e.g., Turbotax).
A W-2 form comes in 1 sheet of paper with 3 copies on it. If you have more than 1 sheet, you most likely have at least 2 different W-2 forms. The different w-2s will need to be uploaded.
A 1042-S form comes in sets of 3 (or 3 copies). If you have more than 3 sets, you most likely have at least 2 different 1042-S forms. The 2 different 1042-S will need to be uploaded.
Complete this section of Sprintax using this information:
State: Virginia
Name of University: James Madison University
Advisor: Jonathan Kratz
Address: 800 South Main Street –MSC 5731
City: Harrisonburg 22807
Phone: (540) 568-5209
Sprintax will ask you for details of any expenses that you may be able to offset, such as qualified student loan interest and charitable contributions. Look for receipts if you have contributed to a charitable organization, or 1098-E or 1095-A forms to offset your expenses.
When completing the dates when you lived/resided in a specific state, make sure that you start on January 1 and end on December 31 (and do not leave any gaps in between dates). for example:
- Jan. 1 - Jan. 15 out of the US
- Jan. 16 - May 12 in the US (Virginia)
- May. 13- Aug. 19 in the US (New York)
- Aug. 20 - Dec. 16 in the US (Virginia)
- Dec. 17 - Dec. 31 out of the US
Step #3- JMU Code and Mailing
Sprintax will ask you to pay for the services they provided you for preparing your tax form(s). CGE is covering the fee for your federal tax form preparation. To do so, make sure to use the JMU code found in this final step.
Next, you will need to print the pdf documents that Sprintax has issued you and submit all of the necessary documentation to CGE.

