How does the F1 Visa 5-Year Exempt Rule impact Substantial Presence Test? Help with my tax residency status!

The F1 visa exemption rule can definitely be confusing! Let me break it down for you. As an F1 student, you're considered an "exempt individual" for the Substantial Presence Test for the first 5 calendar years you're in the US. Being an "exempt individual" doesn't mean you're exempt from paying taxes - it means those days don't count toward the Substantial Presence Test. Based on your timeline, you were first in the US in 2013. So your exempt years would be 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Starting in 2018, you'd start counting days for the Substantial Presence Test. For 2020, we need to calculate: - All your days in 2020: 159 days - 1/3 of your days in 2019: 221 ÷ 3 = 73.6 days - 1/6 of your days in 2018: 218 ÷ 6 = 36.3 days Total: 268.9 days Since this is less than 183 days, and assuming you don't have a green card, you would be considered a nonresident alien for 2020 tax purposes. You should file Form 1040NR. Hope this helps clear things up!

After dealing with a similar F1 visa tax situation, I found an incredible tool that saved me tons of headaches. I was confused about my residency status after being in the US for 6 years as a student, and tried everything to figure it out. I finally found https://taxr.ai which literally walks you through the entire residency determination process. You input your visa type and entry/exit dates, and it calculates your status and tells you exactly which forms to file. It even explains all those confusing exempt rules specific to F1 visas! I uploaded my travel history and visa documents, and within minutes I knew my exact status for each tax year. The tool spelled out why I was a nonresident for certain years and resident for others based on the Substantial Presence Test calculation. Wish I'd found it years ago!

I was in the exact same boat as you with F1 visa tax confusion last year. After seeing the recommendation here, I decided to try https://taxr.ai and it completely cleared up my situation. I was overthinking everything about the 5-year exempt rule and getting conflicting advice. Their system analyzed my entire 7-year history in the US as an F1 student and showed me that I was actually a nonresident for 5 years, then became a resident in year 6 due to the Substantial Presence Test. It explained exactly when my exempt period ended and how my days counted afterward. The best part was it generated a detailed report I could use as documentation to prove my status. When I had a follow-up question, they even had a tax expert review my specific situation. Totally worth checking out if you're stuck in F1 visa tax limbo like I was!

If you're still struggling with the IRS after getting your status figured out, I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had major issues with my F1 visa tax filings and absolutely needed to speak to someone at the IRS, but kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is ready. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c My issue was that I had filed as a resident when I should have been nonresident due to the F1 visa exempt individual status, and needed guidance on how to correct my previous returns. The IRS agent walked me through the whole process once I finally got through.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr and need to apologize. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had a lingering issue with my F1 visa tax status for previous years. The service actually worked exactly as described. I entered my number, and the system called me back when an IRS representative was on the line - took about 45 minutes instead of the 4+ hour wait I experienced previously. The agent helped me understand that I had been misclassifying my tax status for two years due to misunderstanding the F1 visa exempt individual rules. I was able to get clear guidance on how to file amended returns and what documentation I needed to provide. Would've taken me weeks more of frustration without this. Sometimes it's good to be proven wrong!

I think people are overthinking this F1 visa situation. The 5-year rule is pretty straightforward - for your first 5 calendar years in the US on an F1 visa, you're automatically a nonresident alien for tax purposes. After that, you start applying the Substantial Presence Test. For the original poster: 2013-2017 were your 5 exempt years. Starting in 2018, you count days. For 2020, you'd calculate: - All 159 days from 2020 - 1/3 of 221 days from 2019 = 73.6 - 1/6 of 218 days from 2018 = 36.3 Total: 268.9 Since that's over 183 days, you would actually be a resident alien for 2020 tax purposes unless you qualify for an exception. You'd use Form 1040, not 1040NR.

I dealt with this exact scenario last year. The most important thing to remember is that the 5-year exemption for F1 students isn't consecutive - it's the first 5 CALENDAR years you're present in the US in F1 status, even partially. So for you: - 2013 = Exempt Year 1 - 2014 = Exempt Year 2 - 2015 = Exempt Year 3 - 2016 = Exempt Year 4 - 2017 = Exempt Year 5 From 2018 onward, you start applying the Substantial Presence Test. Based on your days (and doing the weighted calculation), you were likely a resident alien for tax purposes in 2020. The best software I found for this was TaxAct's nonresident version - it specifically walks through the F1 visa questions and calculations.

I went through a very similar situation with my F1 visa tax status and understand how overwhelming it can be! Based on your timeline, you're actually dealing with two different calculations that people are mixing up in the comments. For your 5-year exempt period: You were in F1 status from 2013-2017, so those are your 5 exempt calendar years. This means for 2013-2017, you were automatically a nonresident alien regardless of days present. For 2020 tax status: Starting in 2018, you begin applying the Substantial Presence Test. Let me walk through the correct calculation: - 2020 days: 159 (meets the 31-day minimum requirement) - 2019 weighted days: 221 ÷ 3 = 73.7 - 2018 weighted days: 218 ÷ 6 = 36.3 - Total: 269 days Since 269 > 183, you would be considered a resident alien for 2020 tax purposes and should file Form 1040 (not 1040NR). However, there's one important exception to consider: the closer connection exception. If you maintained closer ties to your home country and were present less than 183 days in 2020 (which you were at 159 days), you might still qualify to be treated as a nonresident by filing Form 8840. I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international student taxation to review your specific situation, especially given the complexity and potential amended returns you might need to file for previous years.

I've been through the exact same F1 visa tax confusion and want to add some clarity to the great advice already given here. The key thing that helped me understand this was realizing there are actually TWO separate tests working together: 1. **The 5-year exemption rule**: Your first 5 calendar years in F1 status (2013-2017 for you) automatically make you a nonresident alien, regardless of days present. 2. **The Substantial Presence Test**: Starting in 2018, you calculate using the weighted formula. Based on your numbers, you'd likely be a **resident alien** for 2020 tax purposes (Form 1040), but here's what saved me: the **closer connection exception** via Form 8840. Since you were present less than 183 days in 2020 (only 159), and it sounds like you maintained strong ties to your home country, you can likely still elect to be treated as a nonresident. The bank account, family home, and voter registration you mentioned would be strong evidence. **Important warning**: You'll probably need to review 2018 and 2019 too. I made the mistake of filing as nonresident those years when I should have been resident, and had to file amended returns. It was a pain but ultimately got me a refund! My advice: Get help from a tax pro who specializes in international student taxes. The potential amended returns and Form 8840 elections can get tricky, and you want to make sure you're doing everything correctly to avoid future IRS issues.

As someone who went through this exact F1 visa tax maze a few years ago, I can tell you that you're asking all the right questions! The confusion is totally understandable because the rules are genuinely complex. Based on your timeline, here's what I learned when I was in your shoes: **Your 5-year exempt period**: 2013-2017 were your exempt years as an F1 student. During these years, you were automatically a nonresident alien regardless of how many days you were present. **For 2020**: Starting in 2018, you begin using the Substantial Presence Test. Your calculation would be: - 2020 days: 159 - 2019 weighted (÷3): 73.7 days - 2018 weighted (÷6): 36.3 days - **Total: 269 days** Since this exceeds 183 days AND you were present more than 31 days in 2020, you'd technically be a **resident alien** for 2020 tax purposes and should use **Form 1040**. **BUT** - and this is important - since you were present less than 183 days in 2020 (only 159) and it sounds like you maintained strong ties to your home country, you might qualify for the **closer connection exception** using Form 8840. This would let you elect to be treated as a nonresident. **Red flag**: You should also check 2018 and 2019. I made the mistake of filing as nonresident those years when I was actually a resident alien under the test. Had to file amended returns, but it worked out fine. My recommendation? Find a tax professional who specializes in F1 visa situations. The potential amended returns and Form 8840 can get tricky, and you want to get it right the first time!