1. Healthcare

Important Tax Information for RIT International Students
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Who must send tax forms to the US government?
Where can international students get help completing their tax forms?
Free tax-filing software
Beware of tax scams
Three important things to know TODAY about filing taxes
Who has to send tax forms to the U.S. government?
All students in F and J status who were in the U.S. in 2014 are required to file at least one tax form each
year, even if they didn’t work or earn any income in the United States. If you did work during 2014, you
may be eligible for a refund of some or all of the taxes that were held out of your paychecks.
Where can international students can get help completing their tax forms?
Because we know that completing tax forms can be a very confusing process, ISS has many resources for
you! The first thing to do is visit our website: www.rit.edu/iss/life-at-rit/taxes On our site you will find
information about tax workshops, free tax software, state tax forms, and FAQ’s about filing tax returns
in the United States.
FREE Tax software
Our office has purchased a license for all RIT international students to use tax software called Glacier Tax
Prep. The software will be available in mid-February and we will send you an email with details. This
software will generate and fill-in all the federal tax forms for you. You will then follow simple directions
to print them out and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Beware of Tax Scams
Each year, millions of people receive phishing emails “from the IRS” that look very real asking them to
click on a link in order to get their refund electronically deposited into their bank account. The person is
asked to enter his or her Social Security number and bank information and told that the refund will be
there in about 24 hours. Also, RIT students have reported that they have received phone calls
purportedly from the IRS asking for their Social Security Numbers. The callers use fake names and supply
bogus IRS identification badge numbers. Some of the callers alter the caller IDs to look like the IRS is
calling.
Please note: the IRS DOES NOT and CANNOT send emails to taxpayers. In addition, the IRS will never call
individuals about taxes owed without first mailing a bill. Please do not respond to any emails or
telephone calls asking for your personal information. If you are the recipient or victim of an online or
telephone scam, contact RIT Public Safety at (585) 475-2853.
Finally, three important things you need to know TODAY about filing taxes.
1. Free tax software will be available in mid-February and at that time ISS will send instructions on
how to access it.
2. If you worked on campus in 2014, make sure that your GLACIER account is up to date.
GLACIER is a tax compliance system used by the RIT Payroll Office. RIT relies on this system to
identify your appropriate tax status. Students who have a GLACIER account will be able to access
the tax filing software through GLACIER once the software is available.
3. Keep any tax forms that are issued to you. In most cases if you worked in the U.S. during 2014
you will receive a W-2 Form in the mail (and possibly more than one if you had more than one
job). Many of you have received this form already. The W-2 form reports the wages you earned
and any taxes your employer withheld from your paycheck for federal or state taxes. Some
Graduate Research Assistants will have a Form 1042-S and not a W-2 Form. And some students
will have a W-2 Form and a Form 1042-S. Do not worry if you do not receive the same forms
received by your friends. Every person’s situation is different. The most important thing is to
hold on to the forms you receive in the mail and online because you will need them to file your
taxes.
While the staff members in ISS are not tax experts, we do want to assist you with this responsibility by
connecting you to the resources described above. Unfortunately, we cannot advise you on the
particulars of your own tax return filing but we encourage you to use the information on the ISS website
and the free software to promptly complete your tax forms in an easy and efficient way.
The deadline to complete your tax return this year is: April 15, 2015
Once again, please take full advantage of all the valuable services and programs described here:
www.rit.edu/iss/life-at-rit/taxes
Sincerely,
RIT International Student Services Team