Why am I paying taxes when I’ve submitted all the required forms to claim tax treaty benefits?

This could be due to one or more of the following factors:

Sprintax Calculus has indicated that you're eligible for tax exemption on a dollar limit for the tax year, however, administrative/technical restrictions at Harvard prevent us from granting treaty benefits when there's a dollar limit.
On average, it takes around 1 month to process tax classification/treaty forms, and your submission is still in the queue. Once it has been processed, however, your earnings will be tax exempt and we can...

I don’t have to pay any tax in the U.S. because there is a tax treaty between the U.S. and my country. Do I still have to file tax returns?

Yes, you still have to file tax returns. Eligibility for tax treaty benefits has to be verified by the U.S tax authorities.

Do I have to file a tax return?

If you were a nonresident alien and were present in the United States during any part of the tax (calendar) year in question on an F,J, M, or Q visa, there is at least one tax form you must complete (IRS Form 8843).

If you were a nonresident alien who did not receive funding from a U.S. source (please be aware that funding from a foreign source that is paid through Harvard is usually considered U.S.-source), you do not have to complete an actual tax return (eg.1040 NR), but, as mentioned above, may...

Who should contact the International Payee Tax Compliance office?

All foreign nationals expecting to receive income from the University, including fellowships, stipends, compensation, and other payments for service, who have not received the link to the Sprintax Calculus online tax determination program and/or have tax-related questions. Please note that if the only “payments” from the University received by an undergraduate or graduate student are scholarship amounts applied directly to the student’s term bill, the student will not have tax withheld or be issued a tax reporting document, so does not have to contact this office. For more...

At what rate should my income be taxed?

In most cases, taxes are automatically withheld from your pay. Such tax withholding may include Federal, State and Social Security/Medicare taxes that can range from 14-30% of your total income. The amount of tax withheld depends on the type of income you receive and your tax status in the United States. Most incoming F and J visa holders are considered non-residents (students for the first five years in the United States and J-1 scholars for the first two years). But there are of course other visa types, and exceptions, so it’s important that the Nonresident Alien Tax Office classifies...