If you want it free
Free federal return, no code
F1TaxReturn's Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 cost nothing at any school. Sprintax and Glacier Tax Prep are free only with your school's code or licence.
2027 tax season · 2026 returns
Tax Software for International Students, Compared
A nonresident student files Form 1040-NR, and most tax software does not prepare it. Here is what each option does for an F-1 or J-1 student's return, in its makers' own words.
The short answer
For a nonresident F-1 or J-1 student in the 2027 tax season, the software that prepares Form 1040-NR is F1TaxReturn, Sprintax, Glacier Tax Prep and TaxAct; TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA say they do not. F1TaxReturn's federal return is free with no code, with state returns in 9 states; Sprintax lists from $54.95 without a school code and e-files for eligible filers; Glacier Tax Prep is $49, or free where your school licenses it, and prepares no state return.
Which one fits your return?
Start from what your year looked like. Each card names what handles it, and links the comparison.
If you want to e-file
E-file Form 1040-NR
Sprintax says it e-files the federal return for eligible filers, and TaxAct says it e-files Form 1040-NR. F1TaxReturn and Glacier Tax Prep prepare paper returns.
If you got a Form 1042-S or 1099-B
Scholarship, treaty pay or stock sales
For 2026 returns F1TaxReturn takes Form 1042-S and 1099-B. Sprintax lists 1042-S among the forms to have ready, and a VITA site certified for foreign students has 1042-S wages and scholarships in scope.
If you worked in CA, NY, IL, MA, IN, MI, NC, AZ, NJ
A state return as well
F1TaxReturn's state forms are $30 plus a $2 fee per return in these 9 states. Sprintax lists states from $49.95 each; Glacier Tax Prep prepares none.
If last year's return was wrong
An amended return
F1TaxReturn prepares Form 1040-X and the state's amended return together for $35, including a Form 1040 filed by mistake. Sprintax lists amended returns from $79.95.
If you are now a resident alien
Form 1040, usually from year six
Once you pass the substantial presence test you file Form 1040, like a US citizen, and mainstream software fits. Check with our resident alien test first.
If your year was split
A dual-status year
The year you became a resident, such as an F-1 to H-1B switch, is a dual-status return. Neither F1TaxReturn nor Sprintax's online software prepares one.
- A CPA or enrolled agent
Every option, side by side
Scroll the table sideways on a phone. A product's name opens its full comparison.
| Question | F1TaxReturnOurs | SprintaxRead Oct 29, 2026 | Glacier Tax PrepRead Oct 29, 2026 | TaxActRead Oct 29, 2026 | IRS VITA siteRead Oct 22, 2026 | H&R BlockRead Oct 29, 2026 | TurboTaxRead Oct 29, 2026 | FreeTaxUSARead Oct 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form 1040-NR (federal return) | Yes: Free, with the schedules your income needs | Yes: From $54.95; free at many schools that give a code, and codes can run out | Yes: $49 for an access code; free where your school licenses it | Yes: Prepares it, TaxAct says; it publishes no Form 1040-NR price | Partly: Free, only where a volunteer is certified for foreign students and a second one reviews it | Partly: Not in its regular online product; its DIY expat plans (from $124) add Form 1040NR at $99 | No: Not supported, Intuit says; it sends nonresidents to Sprintax | No: Not supported, FreeTaxUSA says |
| Form 8843 on its own | Yes: Free | Yes: $19.95 | Yes: Prepares it, for spouses and children too | Partly: With a Form 1040-NR; on its own you print and mail it, TaxAct says | Yes: Free; it is also short enough to fill in yourself | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not stated; it prepares resident returns | No: Not for nonresidents |
| State return | Yes: CA, NY, IL, MA, IN, MI, NC, AZ, NJ: $30 plus a $2 fee, one payment per returnNew for 2026 returns | Yes: From $49.95 each with its federal return; $59.95 for a state return only | No: Not prepared, Glacier Tax Prep says | Not stated: Not stated for nonresidents | Partly: Depends on the site; ask before you book | Partly: $99 per state return on its expat plans | No: Not for nonresidents | No: Not for nonresidents |
| E-file | No: No: a paper return you print, sign and mail | Partly: Federal only, for eligible filers, it says; state returns are mailed | No: No: print, sign and mail, its home page says | Yes: E-files Form 1040-NR, TaxAct says | Partly: E-filed, or mailed when it cannot be | Not stated: Not stated for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR |
| Tax treaty benefits | Yes: Applied for you on Form 1040-NR | Yes: Applies treaty benefits, it says | Yes: Reviews all income tax treaties, it says | Yes: Helps you claim one, it says | Yes: Covered in the volunteers' guide, Publication 4011 | Not stated: Not stated for students | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR |
| Form 1042-S income | Yes: Takes it: scholarships, fellowships and treaty-exempt payNew for 2026 returns | Yes: Lists it among the forms to have ready | Partly: Not for royalty or rental income on Form 1042-S (codes 10, 12 and 14) | Not stated: Not stated on its student page | Yes: In scope for wages and scholarships | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR |
| Form 1099-B (stock sales) | Yes: Takes it, for stock salesNew for 2026 returns | Partly: Takes it, but then the federal return is mailed, not e-filed, it says | Not stated: Not stated on its pages | Not stated: Not stated on its student page | Not stated: Ask the site | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR |
| FICA refund claim (Forms 843 and 8316) | Yes: $20 add-on, after your employer is asked; the letters to it are free | Yes: $19.95, sold only with its federal return | Not stated: Not stated on its pages | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not prepared; a volunteer may give you the form | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for Form 1040-NR |
| Dual-status year | No: Not prepared | No: Not in its online software, its FAQ says | Not stated: Not stated on its pages | Not stated: Not stated | No: Out of scope | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: Not for nonresidents |
| Amended return (Form 1040-X) | Yes: $35 for the federal and state amendment togetherNew for 2026 returns | Yes: From $79.95 for the federal return; a state amendment through its team, its FAQ says | Not stated: Not stated; it prepares earlier years back to 2019 | Not stated: Not stated for Form 1040-NR | Not stated: Ask the site | Not stated: Not stated | No: Not for Form 1040-NR | No: No nonresident amendments, it says |
| Who prepares it | You, with the software; no human review | You, with the software and live chat | You, with the software | You, with the software | A certified volunteer, checked by a second | Its international tax experts can help with a 1040-NR, it says | Resident returns only | Resident returns only |
- Does it
- With limits
- Does not
- Its pages do not say
Head to head
From $54.95: Federal return without a school codeF1TaxReturn vs SprintaxFor 2026 returns, both take Form 1042-S and 1099-B and prepare amendments.Read it$49: Federal return without a school licenceF1TaxReturn vs Glacier Tax PrepBoth prepare a nonresident's Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 to print and mail.Read itNo Form 1040-NRF1TaxReturn vs TurboTaxA nonresident F-1 or J-1 student cannot use TurboTax: Intuit says it does not support Form 1040-NR, and it sends nonresidents to Sprintax, its partner.Read itNot published: No Form 1040-NR price on its student pageF1TaxReturn vs TaxActTaxAct says it prepares and e-files Form 1040-NR with Form 8843 and helps you claim a treaty, but its pages name no Form 1040-NR price and say nothing about Form 1042-S, nonresident state returns or dual-status years.Read itFrom $124: Expat plan, plus $99 for Form 1040NRF1TaxReturn vs H&R BlockH&R Block's regular online product lists Form 1040-NR among the forms it cannot complete.Read itNo Form 1040-NRF1TaxReturn vs FreeTaxUSAA nonresident F-1 or J-1 student cannot use FreeTaxUSA: a FreeTaxUSA agent wrote in April 2026 that it does not support Form 1040-NR returns or nonresident amendments.Read it$0: At a site with a foreign student volunteerF1TaxReturn vs IRS VITA siteA VITA site prepares a nonresident's Form 1040-NR free, with a person doing the work, but only where a volunteer is certified in the IRS Foreign Student and Scholar course and a second one reviews it, and many sites have none.Read it
Ranked lists
2027 tax season · 2026 returnsBest Tax Software for International Students 2027The tax software that prepares Form 1040-NR for F-1 and J-1 students in the 2027 tax season, ranked by what each is best for: price, states and e-file.Read it2027 tax season · 2026 returnsFree Tax Filing for F-1 Students 2027Five free ways for F-1 and J-1 students to file Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 in the 2027 tax season, what a state return then costs, and what is not free.Read it2027 tax season · 2026 returnsSprintax Alternatives 2027Six alternatives to Sprintax for a nonresident's Form 1040-NR in the 2027 tax season, from free software to a VITA site or a CPA, and when Sprintax still fits.Read it2027 tax season · 2026 returnsBest Tax Software for OPT Students 2027Tax software for F-1 students on OPT or STEM OPT in the 2027 tax season: who prepares Form 1040-NR, the state return, and a refund of FICA taken in error.Read it2027 tax season · 2026 returnsBest Tax Software for J-1 Visa Holders 2027Tax software for J-1 students, scholars and researchers in the 2027 tax season, and which of them each one serves. J-1 students and scholars differ.Read it
01Which tax software supports Form 1040-NR?
Sprintax, Glacier Tax Prep, TaxAct and F1TaxReturn prepare Form 1040-NR, and H&R Block's expat service sells it as an extra form. TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA say they do not support it, and IRS Free File Fillable Forms did not offer it in the 2026 filing season.
02What is the cheapest way to file Form 1040-NR?
Free. F1TaxReturn prepares Form 1040-NR and Form 8843 for $0 with no code, a VITA site certified for foreign students prepares them free, and Sprintax or Glacier Tax Prep are free where your school gives a code or a licence. Without one, Sprintax lists federal preparation from $54.95 and Glacier Tax Prep charges $49.
03Can I use TurboTax on an F-1 visa?
Not while you are a nonresident alien, usually your first five calendar years. Intuit says TurboTax does not support Form 1040-NR. Once you are a resident alien you file Form 1040, and TurboTax fits.
04Does any of them e-file a state return for nonresidents?
Sprintax says its state returns are printed and mailed, Glacier Tax Prep prepares none, and F1TaxReturn's are paper returns. A VITA site or a paid preparer may e-file one; ask them.
05How did you compare them?
We read each company's own pages, linked below with the day we read them, and the IRS's publications for VITA. Where a company does not say, the table says "Not stated" rather than guessing. We make F1TaxReturn: what it adds for 2026 returns is tagged, and the table also says what it does not do.
Sources and how we checked
We make F1TaxReturn, so we compared it with what each company says on its own pages, read on the dates below and linked, and with the IRS's own publications. A company's page is the best source for what it sells; where it does not say, the table says so instead of guessing. Prices change each season: check the company's page before you buy. How we research.
- Sprintax Returns: prices and e-filingSprintax, read October 29, 2026
- Sprintax Returns FAQSprintax, read October 29, 2026
- Nonresident federal tax e-filing: who can e-fileSprintax, read October 29, 2026
- Glacier Tax Prep: purchase an access codeGlacier Tax Prep, read October 29, 2026
- Glacier Tax Prep home pageGlacier Tax Prep, read October 29, 2026
- File international student taxesTaxAct, read October 29, 2026
- Form 1040-NR can be e-filedTaxAct, read October 29, 2026
- Publication 4011 (Rev. 10-2026), Foreign Student and Scholar Volunteer Resource GuideIRS, read October 22, 2026
- Publication 4152, Electronic Toolkit for Nonresident Alien VITA/TCE SitesIRS, read October 22, 2026
- Free tax return preparation for qualifying taxpayersIRS, read October 22, 2026
- Tax form availability (forms not available online)H&R Block, read October 29, 2026
- DIY expat tax filing onlineH&R Block, read October 29, 2026
- Does TurboTax handle Form 1040-NR for nonresident aliens?Intuit, read October 29, 2026
- FreeTaxUSA agent answer on nonresident returns (April 3, 2026)FreeTaxUSA, read October 29, 2026
Your Form 1040-NR, Free
Answer a few questions and F1TaxReturn fills in Form 1040-NR and Form 8843, ready to print, sign and mail. Free, once the final 2026 forms are published.