Form W-2, Form 1042-S, and Income Tax Withholding When You Are Employed
(For Tax Year 2007)
The W-2 form is also known as a Wage and Tax Statement. If you
were employed in the U.S. for any period of time during 2007, each employer
for whom your worked is required to report your earnings to both you and
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). By law, employers must mail W-2s
no later than January 31. If you worked during 2007, whether off
campus or on-campus at Binghamton University or at a previous school and
have not received your form W-2 by February 1, contact your former employer
right away. It's possible that they do not have your current address. You
will be required to include a copy of each W-2 form with your federal and
state income tax forms. The IRS computer system will match the income
you report with what they have received from the employer.
Different kinds of taxes are withheld by employers.
The W-2 form has boxes for reporting withholding of Federal Income Tax
(box 2), Social Security Tax (box 4), Medicare Tax (box 6), State Income
Tax (box 17) and local income tax (box 19). Some individuals who
received form W-2 will find that all of these boxes have amounts in them,
others will find only some or none of the boxes showing tax withheld.
For more information on Social Security and Medicare withholding, click
here.
Form 1042-S is used to report income paid to a non-resident regardless of whether the payment is taxable. The form has a number of purposes. It can be used to report wages exempt under a tax treaty, wages earned as an independent contractor, royalties, and scholarship or fellowship grants. By law, 1042-S forms must be issued by March 15. Many international students receive both form 1042-S and form W-2, some students will receive only form W-2.
International Student and Scholar Services staff are neither qualified nor permitted to give individual tax advice. Tax information is available only at tax seminars.