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Scholarship

Non-service payment to cover student expenses (Only amount above "tuition and related expenses" is subject to taxation).

What is the “Location of Activity” when processing a payment in Accounts Payable, and why is it important to include?

  • Harvard is required to indicate the “location of activity”, particularly when paying income to foreign individuals and foreign entities, to comply with IRS tax withholding and reporting regulations. A clear indication of the location of the activity (such as the country) is necessary on all supporting documentation for the payment to be correctly classified for tax purposes. This applies to both service and non-service income.
  • Generally, the location of...
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Why didn't I receive a 1042-S tax reporting document for tax treaty benefits claimed last year, even though my fellowship/stipend/scholarship was not taxed?

Non-service fellowship income, in the absence of tax treaty benefits, is also exempt from tax withholding when paid to a resident alien. First, confirm your residency status, and only if you were a nonresident alien, last year, should you look into updating your mailing address and requesting a reprint of the document.

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Why didn’t I receive a 1042-S when I received a scholarship, stipend, fellowship, or grant?

If the Nonresident Alien Tax Office has classified you as a resident alien for tax purposes (a status based on your visa type and U.S. visa history), then you will not be receiving a 1042-S. As a resident alien, you are responsible for independently reporting your income to the U.S. tax authorities by referring to your personal pay records.

Alternatively, if your scholarship was less than your tuition and related expenses, it would have been reported on the 1098-T, not the 1042-S. Please contact the...

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Making Payments to Foreign Individuals

Use these guidelines to better understand payments to foreign individuals.

Harvard is required to follow:

  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations that govern the taxation of payments to nonresident aliens, which differ from those that govern payments to U.S. citizens and resident aliens; and
  • Regulations set by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when making payments to certain foreign scholars and students

These regulations, which can be complicated, determine the tax status and proper...

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Payments

Whether receiving or making payments, Harvard guidelines and U.S. tax/immigration regulations must influence the end result, including how the payment will be taxed. There are various compliance issues of which to be mindful, and numerous laws by which to abide, that will collectively determine the direction one should take. Work authorization, income category, visa type, tax residency status, and tax treaty eligibility are some of the many factors that influence how a payment to a foreign national should be processed.

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Stipend, Scholarship, Fellowship, or Grant

Stipends, scholarships, fellowships, and grants are meant to support personal scholarly activities. These income payments are often grouped together, for tax purposes, as "non-service fellowship" income. This may include also health insurance paid on behalf of non-employees and "reimbursements" for travel or other expenses that have not been deemed genuine University business expenses (i.e. in direct support of University research or scholarship).

Correctly distinguishing between income and business expense reimbursements has important ramifications for tax withholding and...

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Tax Treaties and Deadlines

Please note: In January 2024, Harvard launched Sprintax Calculus as our tax determination software for international payees (non-U.S. individuals and entities). This software replaced Glacier. Visit our Sprintax Calculus page for more information and resources.

Deadline to claim *new* tax treaty exemption for current calendar year 2024: If GLACIER (see Note 1) determined you were possibly eligible to claim a tax treaty...

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Tax Withholding and Payments to Foreign Individuals

Payments from Harvard University may be subject to tax withholding and/ or reporting in accordance with regulations strictly enforced by the U.S. tax and immigration authorities. As a withholding agent, Harvard University is required to collect the appropriate IRS certification form (W-8BEN or 8233) from nonresident aliens to establish their foreign status. Sprintax Calculus will generate the necessary IRS forms when paying a foreign supplier that has U.S. presence. In addition to the payment and reporting details, IRS certification form W-8BEN informs what statutory tax withholding or...

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