Overview
An innovative solution for international students to guide them through the complex US tax forms with a document checklist, support from university financial experts, and resources for financial literacy.
Duration
2 Months
Team
Danny
Anjani
Akhila
Srujan
Contribution
Research Ideation
UI/UX
Our solution was a simplified app that prepares students for Tax filing
I was responsible for the background Research, UI
Step-By-Step
Tax Filing Guide
Document
Checklist
Financial Resources
How can we simplify tax filing for international student and improve their financial literacy?
Our Design Challenge:
International students in the U.S. face significant tax filing challenges.
Due to the complexity of the system and unfamiliar forms such as 1040-NR, 8843, and W-2.
Many students are unaware of their tax obligations, including which forms to fill out and the deadlines for submission.
Common tax software platforms may not cater to the specific needs of international students for tax preparation.
The U.S. tax forms contain jargon and require detailed information that may be unfamiliar to international students.
International students often struggle to understand tax treaties between their home country and the U.S., leading to confusion about exemptions and credits.
Introduction
Research carried out at universities across the US have identified significant challenges faced by international students, out of which 32% felt "not at all prepared" to file their taxes. The IRS acknowledges that nonresidents generally have higher error rates on their tax returns compared to residents.
Process
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Design
Test
Better understanding about the U.S. tax system.
" I managed my first tax return with software, faced challenges but succeeded. A better understanding of the tax system would've helped ."
unawareness of specific deadlines
" I was not aware that there are specific deadlines for submitting the tax documents, I didn’t get any returns ."
consistent disorientation and confusion
"I consistently feel disoriented during tax filing, often forgetting the process, required documents and needing to relearn and comprehend it each time."
" I'm always confused on how many forms I need to fill and where I need to find them - Every year is a new year to me ."
Forgetting the tax process and required documents
Interview
As part of the user research, our team conducted 16 interviews with students from various universities across the country, of which I conducted four. The recurring themes that emerged were a lack of awareness, concern about the tax system, and a lack of resources. They reported that university-hosted webinars fell short of their expectations. Furthermore, practically all participants stated that navigating through current tools was quite difficult.
(https://www.internationalstudent.com/tax/)
One study found over 60% of international students reported the tax filing process as "difficult" or "very difficult"
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/mba_student/18/
Lack of financial literacy is a significant problem for international students
2018 survey by NAFSA
Association of International Educators found that 54% of international students reported needing more information on US tax filing."
52% of international students reported feeling unprepared to file US taxes, highlighting a knowledge gap.
NAFSA 2021 Survey
Secondary Research
over
60%
of international students reported the tax filing process as difficult.
over
54%
of international students reported needing more information on US tax filing.
Persona
Paper Prototypes
We used a collaborative and iterative method for the ideation. Each team member independently came up with 10 ideas. During the team session, an evaluation of the pros and cons of each solution, considering feasibility and viability, was done, and it was decided to address three key issues.
Design Direction
Support from Financial Advisors
It establishes communication to seek credible
guidance from Uni-Affiliated Financial Advisors
How does it solve our problem?
Providing contact information of their
university officials to get advice from
credible resources.
HiFi Prototypes
Generating Document Checklist
It simplifies Tax preparation by displaying a
tailored comprehensive checklist.
How does it solve our problem?
It assists students in finding all necessary
tax filing documents in one place and
educates them about each form.