✓ Expert Review ✓ 100% Satisfaction ✓ $10K+ Recovered or 3 Years Experience

Claim Your FICA Tax Refund

F-1 and OPT holders: If you paid Social Security or Medicare taxes, you may be entitled to a refund.

Free calculator • No credit card required • Get estimate in 2 minutes

💰
$3,765
Average Refund
$3,240

"I had no idea I was owed money! The process was so easy. Got my refund in 8 weeks!"

👩‍💻
Priya K.
USC Graduate
$4,125

"Even after leaving the US, they helped me claim my refund. Smooth and professional!"

👨‍💼
Ahmed S.
Columbia MBA
$2,890

"I was confused about taxes as an F-1 student. They handled everything and I received $2,890!"

👨‍🎓
Chen W.
MIT Student

Calculate Your Refund

Estimate in 2 minutes

We need this because presence for more than 5 years in the U.S. with F-1/J-1 status disqualifies you from the FICA exemption.

2 years

Enter the amount from Box 1 of your W-2 form (total wages). If you don't have your W-2, you can find it in your email, on your employer's payroll system (e.g., Workday), or by contacting your employer's HR/payroll department.

If you're not sure, we can help you determine this.

If you're not sure, we can help you determine this.

Step 1 of 8

How It Works

1

Calculate & Pay

5 minutes

Estimate your refund and pay the service fee ($99 per tax year or $89 per year for multiple years).

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2

We File For You

2-4 weeks

We review your case, prepare, and file the required forms and documentation with the IRS.

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3

Receive Your Refund

10-24 weeks

IRS sends your refund check directly to you.

Typical timeline: 10-24 weeks total

*Timeline may vary depending on IRS processing times. No timeline is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions

F-1 students and OPT holders are exempt from FICA taxes for their first 5 years in the US. If your W-2 shows Social Security or Medicare withholding (Box 4 or 6), you're likely eligible for a refund.

Typical timeline: 10-24 weeks

  • 2-4 weeks: We review your case, file your claim
  • 8-20 weeks: IRS processes

*Timeline may vary depending on IRS processing times. No timeline is guaranteed.

Yes! The IRS will mail your refund check to any address worldwide. We help many clients who've already left the US.

  • W-2 forms
  • Passport and visa copy
  • I-94 records
  • I-20 or EAD card

We'll help you obtain any missing documents.

Yes. F-1 visa holders are exempt from FICA taxes under IRS regulations. Form 843 is the official IRS process for claiming these refunds.

Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe, a globally trusted payment platform that uses bank-level security and encryption. We never store your credit card information.

We refund your $99 fee if the IRS rejects your claim. Our 97% success rate means this rarely happens for eligible clients.

Your eligibility depends on your visa status, not your employer type. Whether you worked for a university, private company, or any other organization, you may be eligible for a FICA refund if you were on an F-1 or J-1 visa and had FICA taxes withheld in error.

Regular tax refunds (Form 1040) are for federal income tax. FICA refunds require separate filing using Form 843 and cannot be claimed through your regular tax return.

Yes, but Form 843 is complex and time-consuming (10-20 hours). Our service ensures correct filing, proper documentation, and a 97% success rate for $99.

Yes. File within 3 years of April 15th following the tax year. Example: 2021 taxes must be filed by April 15, 2025.

We calculate using the standard 7.65% FICA rate. Your actual refund matches this if you were fully taxed for FICA and provided accurate wage data. Check your W-2 for exact withholdings.

Important IRS Notice: We have not received any official notices from the IRS or any other government agency suggesting that our services, or the process of claiming FICA tax refunds, violate any federal or state laws or regulations. Our service assists with the preparation and filing of Form 843 (Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement), which is the standard IRS form for requesting refunds of erroneously withheld FICA taxes as permitted under the Internal Revenue Code.

About RefundFICA

RefundFICA specializes in helping F-1 students and OPT holders recover FICA taxes that were incorrectly withheld. Our team of tax professionals has recovered over $8.2 million for more than 2,800 clients.

We understand the complexity of international student tax law and have streamlined the process to make claiming your FICA refund simple and stress-free. With our 97% success rate and money-back guarantee, you can trust us to handle your refund claim professionally.