Form W-4 #

• What is Form W-4
  • Form W-4 is used by your employer to calculate the amount of money that will be withheld from each of your paychecks and paid directly to the tax authorities as an estimated tax payment. This will ensure that the IRS collects federal income tax from you in a timely manner. Not paying enough during the year can result in a tax bill and perhaps a penalty, while withholding too much can create a refund when you file your tax return.
  • A W-4 form is completed by you and provided to your employer at the start of employment, so they know how much to withhold from your paychecks. 

• How do I fill it out
  • Every employee is asked to fill out a W-4, usually on the first day of the job. Failure to do so could result in you paying too much or too little taxes. W-4 Forms are designed for U.S. residents, not for visitors. So, there are a few special instructions you need to follow.
    • Home address: Indicate your permanent U.S. mailing address.
    • Box 2: Enter your Social Security number if you already have it. If you do not have your number yet, inform human resources at your host company that you applied for a number, and provide a copy of your receipt.
    • Box 3: Mark or check “Single,” even if you are married.
    • Box 4: Leave blank.
    • Box 5: Write “1” to claim only yourself as a dependent. 
      • *If you want to ensure that you will not owe any tax at the end of the year, write “0”. You will have more taxes taken out of your check however you will have no surprise bills when you file!!* 
      • (If you are a resident of Canada, Mexico, Japan, or South Korea, or India, please visit the IRS website for further instructions.)
    • Box 6: Write NRA for “Non-Resident Alien”
    • Box 7: Leave blank.
    • Sign and date your form.
    • Box 8-10: Leave blank.
    • Do not complete the Personal Allowances Worksheet; this does not apply to exchange visitors.

Form W-2 #

• What is W-2
  • The W-2 form, or “Wage and Tax Statement,” is a document that employers provide to employees and the IRS at the end of each year. It reports an employee’s annual wages and the taxes withheld from their paycheck.
• Why do I need it
  • Employees use the W-2 form to file their income tax returns and determine whether they owe additional taxes or are due a refund.
• How do I receive mine
  • Your employer will mail your W-2 Form to you by January 31, 2024. If you do not receive it by February 15, 2024, contact your employer to find out where it was sent or to request a copy. 
  • If you had more than one employer, you will have more than one form W-2. 
  • You will need to WAIT to file until you have ALL of your W-2 forms from ALL employers that withheld taxes.  If you do not wait, you may miss out on part of your refund and will need to file an amended return later which can be time consuming and costly! 
  • If you need help with locating the missing Form W-2, we do offer a service to help the participants with the process.
• How do I know if the information in W-2 is correct
  • Verify Personal Information: Check that your name, Social Security number, and address are accurate.
  • Check Employer Information: Confirm that your employer’s name, address, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) are correct.
  • Review Wage Information: Ensure that your total wages, tips, and other compensation (Box 1) match your final pay stub for the year.
  • Tax Withholdings: Compare the federal income tax withheld (Box 2) with your pay stubs.
  • State and Local Taxes: Verify the accuracy of state and local income taxes withheld (Boxes 17 and 19) against your pay stubs if applicable.

Form 1040NR #

• What is Form 1040NR?
  • Form 1040NR, “U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return,” is used by nonresident aliens to report U.S. source income, calculate tax liability, and claim tax treaty benefits. Nonresident aliens who have engaged in trade or business in the U.S. or received U.S. income must file this form. It allows them to report various types of income and claim certain deductions and exemptions. The filing deadline is usually April 15th for those with wage income subject to U.S. withholding, and June 15th for others.
• How do I fill this out?
  • To Obtain the Form, the participant may download the Form 1040NR from the IRS website.
  • Personal Information: Fill in your personal details including your name, U.S. taxpayer identification number (SSN or ITIN), and address.
  • Filing Status: Select your filing status in the “Filing Status” section.
  • Income:
  • Wages, Salaries, Tips, etc. (Line 8): Enter your total wages from U.S. sources.
  • Interest (Line 9): Report any interest income.
  • Dividends (Line 10): Enter dividend income.
  • Business Income (Line 13): Report any income from a U.S. business.
  • Capital Gains (Line 14): Include capital gains from U.S. sources.
  • Other Income (Lines 21-23): Report other types of income as specified.
  • Adjustments to Income: Complete Schedule 1 (Form 1040) to report adjustments like educator expenses, IRA contributions, etc., and enter the total adjustments on Line 24.
  • Deductions:
  • Itemized Deductions (Line 35): Complete Schedule A (Form 1040NR) to report itemized deductions such as state and local taxes, charitable contributions, etc.
  • Standard Deduction: Nonresident aliens generally cannot claim the standard deduction.
  • Tax Computation:
  • Tax (Line 42): Use the tax tables to calculate your tax liability.
  • Other Taxes (Line 56): Include any additional taxes such as self-employment tax.
  • Credits:
  • Foreign Tax Credit (Line 47): If you paid taxes to a foreign country, you may be eligible for this credit.
  • Other Credits (Lines 48-54): Include other applicable credits.
  • Payments:
  • Federal Income Tax Withheld (Lines 62a and 62b): Report federal income tax withheld as shown on your W-2 or 1099 forms.
  • Estimated Tax Payments (Line 63): Include any estimated tax payments made during the year.
  • Refund or Amount You Owe:
  • Refund (Lines 73-74): If you overpaid, enter the amount of your refund and provide bank details for direct deposit.
  • Amount You Owe (Line 75): If you owe additional taxes, enter the amount and payment method.
  • Signature: Sign and date the form. If filing jointly, your spouse must also sign.
  • Attachments: Attach any required schedules, forms, and statements, including W-2s and 1099s.
  • Mailing: Mail the completed form to the appropriate IRS address listed in the form instructions.
• Tax Filing service
  • The guidance above is for the overview of how to fill in the form. However, instructions for detailed guidance might be needed for specific scenarios. If you have a hard time understanding and filling in the form or if you have complex tax situations, it is suggested to seek help from a tax professional.
  • We do offer a service to file tax return for Summer Work and Travel participants. Please visit our tax page for further information.