Getting Started with Glacier Tax Prep
- Elizabeth Clevenger
- Brian Todd
Glacier is software used by the university to be sure all foreign nationals are in compliance with tax regulations, including tax residency, tax treaty eligibility, and FICA taxes. More information about Glacier can be found at Glacier Nonresident Alien Tax Compliance System - Payroll, Benefits and Retirement or by contacting the Payroll office. All F-1 and J-1 international students employed by the University of Tennessee should have received instructions for creating a Glacier account at the start of employment. When you first log in to the account, you should create your record by answering questions about your visa status in the US. Be sure to update your Glacier record when any of the information changes. This information is necessary to be sure payroll taxes are being withheld properly.
The UT Payroll office will notify you that GTP access is available via email in late February or early March. Students who are not UTK employees may purchase an access code from GTP if needed. Please note that Glacier Tax Prep may only be used by those who are not resident aliens for tax purposes.
Before logging into Glacier to complete your tax forms, gather necessary documents for completing tax paperwork. Most of the necessary documents will not be available until the end of January or early February. This includes your W-2, if you were employed, and a 1042-S, if you are eligible for any tax treaties or were taxed on any scholarships. Not all students will have a 1042-S; your 1042-S will be available in Glacier under “view/print my forms.” Please address all questions about your 1042-S to the Payroll Office; ISSS does not have any records related to 1042-S forms issued by the university. You may also have 1099 forms, depending on your situation. You will need your passport, I-20, and I-94 (as well as the same documentation for your dependents) to complete the tax paperwork.
After logging in to Glacier (https://www.online-tax.net/), select the option to complete your tax return using Glacier Tax Prep.
Before proceeding, acknowledge that Glacier Tax Prep will not file your tax returns electronically. It is your responsibility to print and mail the necessary documents. When you complete the steps of the GTP process, your tax documents will print with a detailed instruction sheet that will explain exactly what to send where.
Once you have started the first step, complete the forms with the required information. Notice that there is a column of additional explanations on the right side of the screen. If you do not understand a question, consult this section for further information.
At the end of Step One, Glacier will determine if you are a nonresident alien for tax purposes. If you are instead a resident alien for tax purposes, you will not be able to use Glacier Tax Prep.
In Step Two, add any income forms that you have received. This is a list of possible forms; most people will have only a few of these. The most common are the W-2, which documents income from a job, and the 1042-S, which documents taxable scholarships and tax treaty benefits. Once you have added the information from all of the forms you have, click Next to proceed.
For each form that you have, click on ‘add form’ and enter the information from your form into GTP. Match the box numbers on the form you have with the box numbers on your GTP screen; your form may not look exactly like the one shown. You only need to enter the information from the boxes that are highlighted; some of the highlighted boxes may have a '0' on your form.
Once you have documented all of your income, move to Step Three. In this step, complete questions such as your address, Social Security Number, marital status, educational institution, and other information related to financial decisions during the tax year. The name of your Designated School Official can be found on your most recent I-20. The other information for this section is noted above.
Again, read the additional information in the right column if you are unsure about the meaning of a question.
Once you have completed all of the necessary steps, GTP will calculate whether you owe tax or are due a refund of tax paid. If you are due a refund, you may be asked for your direct deposit information so that the IRS can send your refund to you.
Finally, download the tax forms that GTP has generated for you based on your responses. Follow the instructions on the first page of your pdf to sign, compile, and mail your documents by the tax deadline of April 15.
If you have any difficulty with Glacier Tax Prep (GTP), International Student and Scholar Services is not able to answer your question. Also, we cannot advise about your specific tax situation. However, GTP does offer a number of virtual live Q & A sessions. Specific times are listed in your Glacier Profile.
