Best Tax Software for International Students 2027

$0Federal return, no code or card

Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 are free for every nonresident student, with no school code, and one payment of $30 plus a $2 fee covers the state return in any of 9 states. For 2026 returns it also takes Form 1042-S and 1099-B and prepares amendments for $35.

• State returnYes: CA, NY, IL, MA, IN, MI, NC, AZ, NJ: $30 plus a $2 fee, one payment per returnNew for 2026 returns
• E-fileNo: No: a paper return you print, sign and mail
• Form 1042-SYes: Takes it: scholarships, fellowships and treaty-exempt payNew for 2026 returns

Watch out: Paper only: you print, sign and mail. It does not prepare dual-status returns or J-1 scholar returns.

From $54.95Federal return without a school code

Sprintax says it e-files the federal return for eligible filers, and it prepares state returns more widely. Many universities give a code that makes the federal return free.

• State returnYes: From $49.95 each with its federal return; $59.95 for a state return only
• E-filePartly: Federal only, for eligible filers, it says; state returns are mailed
• Form 1042-SYes: Lists it among the forms to have ready

Watch out: Without a code, federal preparation lists from $54.95, each state from $49.95 and amendments from $79.95. Codes can run out, and state returns are mailed.

$49Federal return without a school licence

Nonresident federal software that reviews every income tax treaty, it says, free at the universities that license it, with Form 8843 for spouses and children too.

• State returnNo: Not prepared, Glacier Tax Prep says
• E-fileNo: No: print, sign and mail, its home page says
• Form 1042-SPartly: Not for royalty or rental income on Form 1042-S (codes 10, 12 and 14)

Watch out: Federal only: Glacier Tax Prep says it does not prepare state returns. Without a licence, a code is $49. Print and mail.

$0At a site with a foreign student volunteer

A volunteer certified for foreign students prepares the return and a second one checks it, free, and Form 1042-S wages and scholarships are in scope.

• State returnPartly: Depends on the site; ask before you book
• E-filePartly: E-filed, or mailed when it cannot be
• Form 1042-SYes: In scope for wages and scholarships

Watch out: Only sites with a certified volunteer prepare Form 1040-NR, and dual-status returns and FICA refund claims are out of scope.

Not publishedNo Form 1040-NR price on its student page

TaxAct says it prepares and e-files Form 1040-NR with Form 8843 and helps you claim a treaty.

• State returnNot stated: Not stated for nonresidents
• E-fileYes: E-files Form 1040-NR, TaxAct says
• Form 1042-SNot stated: Not stated on its student page

Watch out: Its pages name no Form 1040-NR price and say nothing about Form 1042-S or nonresident state returns.

VariesSet by the preparer

The usual route when no software takes your return: the year you switched to an H-1B, income from several countries, or a business of your own.

• State returnYes: Usually, any state
• E-fileYes: Usually
• Form 1042-SYes: Yes, any income form

Watch out: Fees vary. A paid preparer must sign your return with a PTIN; the IRS warns against one who bases the fee on your refund.

From $124Expat plan, plus $99 for Form 1040NR

H&R Block says its international tax experts can help with a Form 1040-NR.

• State returnPartly: $99 per state return on its expat plans
• E-fileNot stated: Not stated for Form 1040-NR
• Form 1042-SNot stated: Not stated

Watch out: Its regular online product cannot prepare Form 1040-NR. Its DIY expat plans, designed for US citizens abroad, start at $124 with Form 1040NR at $99 more.

$0Your time, and the instructions

With no US income, Form 8843 is the only form you file, and it is a short PDF you can fill in and mail yourself.

• State returnYes: Free, on your state's own forms
• E-fileNo: No: you mail them
• Form 1042-SYes: You report it yourself

Watch out: Doing Form 1040-NR by hand means working out every line, the treaty and the schedules from the instructions yourself.