Depending on a student employee’s country of origin, you may be eligible to sign a tax treaty. Otherwise, international students are asked to fill out and submit a Form W-4 to our office. Please read the following thoroughly before submitting or filling out any forms.
Tax Treaty Information
Students from countries that have tax treaties with the United States may be eligible to exempt a portion of their earnings from taxes. If you are an international student working on campus, email Payroll to find out if your income is eligible for any tax treaty benefit.
In your email, please include your:
- First and Last Name
- University ID number
- Country of Citizenship
In order to qualify for a tax treaty, you must:
- Currently be hired to work on BU’s campus; and
- Have a social security number
Please allow up to two (2) business days for a response to your email.
If Your Country Has a Tax Treaty with the U.S.
The Payroll Office will respond to your inquiry email with information to set up a virtual appointment to complete your tax treaty.
The following calendar year, students will receive a Form 1042-S. This is a statement of earnings for international students who have declared a tax treaty during the previous calendar year. It reports earnings which were exempt under the tax treaty.
1042-S statements are sent out by University Payroll during the month of March, typically during the third week of the month. 1042-S forms will be sent to the address provided to Student Payroll when completing the Foreign National Information System (FNIS) paperwork during the tax treaty process.
Submit address changes to Student Payroll in writing or via email. Include your full legal name, UID, and new address. For students to receive their 1042-S to a new address, the change must be submitted by January. Otherwise, please email Student Payroll with Subject “Address Change for Upcoming 1042-S” and work out distribution queries.
If Your Country Does Not Have a Tax Treaty with the U.S.
Complete Form W-4. Our office only needs students to submit the first page with the following information:
- Step 1: Input your first and last name, Social Security number, and your current local address in the United States.
- Skip Step 2 and 3.
- Step 4: Enter NRA (a tax term which stands for “Non-Resident Alien”) in space 4(c).
- Step 5: Sign (or type your full name out), provide your UID, and date. You do not fill out the Employers Only section.
International students from Canada, Mexico, India, or Korea, or who have been present in the United States for more than 5 1/2 years, may claim as a resident for tax purposes.
To submit electronically, you should attach the W-4 form and send it through secure email with the subject “W-4 Submission”. If the hyperlink does not work, the full link is: https://securecontact.me/seo@bu.edu. Please use your BU email. The email message must include your UID.
