Sprintax CALCULUS

What Is Sprintax CALCULUS?

Sprintax CALCULUS is a software program provided by the University of San Francisco to assist foreign students with determining their U.S. tax residency status and possible eligibility for tax treaty benefits.

The United States has a “pay-as-you-go” method of taxation, where taxes are withheld from certain payments and paid over to the various taxing agencies. Certain payments made by the University of San Francisco to its foreign students, employees and visitors are subject to these withholding requirements.

However, the United States has a number of income tax treaties with other countries, some of which include provisions which allow the University to reduce or eliminate the rate of withholding from payments made to students. Certain requirements must be met and certain documentation must be provided to the University before these treaty benefits can be applied. Sprintax CALCULUS assists students with completing the required documentation for claiming any available treaty benefits.

Who Should Complete a Sprintax CALCULUS Profile?

The most common taxable payments made by the University to its foreign students include wages earned from a campus job and scholarships for room and board or other living expenses (please note, scholarships for tuition only are not taxable). If you are a foreign student who has a campus job or is receiving a scholarship for room and board, Sprintax CALCULUS can assist with determining whether any treaty benefits are available to lower or eliminate the withholding of taxes on your payments.

How Do I Access Sprintax CALCULUS?

Foreign students who are working on campus must complete the on-boarding process through the University’s Workday system. Once you have completed your Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, the Office of Tax Compliance is notified and will send you an email from Sprintax CALCULUS inviting you to log-on and complete your Sprintax CALCULUS profile.

Foreign students receiving taxable scholarships will receive an email from Sprintax CALCULUS once the department granting the scholarship (for example, Athletics) provides information to the Office of Tax Compliance and Internal Audit.

The email comes from the address “noreplay@sprintax.com” with the subject line “Welcome to Sprintax Calculus.”  Follow the instructions and links in the welcome email to access and update your Sprintax CALCULUS profile.

Assistance in completing your profile is available via a live chat function in the Sprintax CALCULUS software. Sprintax also hosts a number of video tutorials that explain the process and guide you through the software.  The videos can be found at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprintax/videos

Additionally, the link below provides further instructions on how to complete your Sprintax CALCULUS profile:

Calculus_Training_Manual_Users.pdf

Once I Complete My Sprintax CALCULUS Profile I Won’t Be Taxed, Right?

No. Completing your Sprintax CALCULUS Profile is only the first step toward determining your tax status. The U.S. does not have income tax treaties with all countries and some treaties do not include provisions to assist with lowering your tax withholding.

You should review the “Sprintax Tax Summary” form after completing your Sprintax CALCULUS profile, which will list any available treaty benefits.

If you would like to claim available treaty benefits, you must download all of the forms under the “Tax Forms” section of your Sprintax CALCULUS profile (including the “Supporting Documents” which are listed at the end of your Sprintax Tax Summary). These forms must be signed and submitted to the Office of Tax Compliance and Internal Audit on the 3rd floor of Lone Mountain North. Alternatively, the signed and completed forms can be uploaded through the Document Exchange section of Sprintax CALCULUS.

Do I Need a Social Security Number or ITIN to Claim Treaty Benefits?

Yes. IRS Form 8233 (along with other supporting documentation) is used to claim treaty benefits to lower withholding on compensation from a campus job. IRS Form W-8BEN (along with other supporting documentation) is used to claim treaty benefits to lower withholding on a taxable scholarship. In both cases, treaty benefits cannot be applied until a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is included on the form.

Please do not submit the Form 8233 or Form W-8BEN, as applicable, to the Office of Tax Compliance and Internal Audit until you have received your SSN or ITIN and updated your Sprintax CALCULUS profile with your number. The University cannot apply treaty benefits to lower or eliminate withholding unless you have your SSN or ITIN included on the required documentation.

If you are working on campus, you should have applied for a Social Security Number in connection with obtaining your job. Please see the following link and contact the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Office for more information: https://myusf.usfca.edu/isss/apply-for-social-security-number

If you are receiving a taxable scholarship for which you would like to claim treaty benefits and do not have a SSN or ITIN, you will be prompted in Sprintax CALCULUS to complete the documentation to request an ITIN.

Does Completing my Sprintax CALCULUS Profile Mean I Have Filed My Taxes?

No! Sprintax CALCULUS is a tool used by the University to determine your tax residency status and assist with claiming treaty benefits.

Separately, all international students and visiting scholars who were physically present in the U.S. under an F, J, M or Q visa during the calendar year are required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), along with the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), to complete and submit a tax return. In general, your tax return must be submitted by April 15 following the end of the calendar year.

The International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSS) provides tax preparation software to assist with completing your tax return. Visit this link for more information: https://myusf.usfca.edu/isss/taxes