linear_scale How To

Claim Tax Treaty for Fellowship Payments

Stanford students, postdoctoral scholars and other fellowship recipients who are residents of a foreign country maintaining a tax treaty with the U.S., can submit a W-8BEN Tax Treaty Form plus attachments to Payroll for reduced federal taxation on their fellowship payments.

Claim Tax Treaty for Fellowship Payments

A Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer ID Number (ITIN) is required to claim the tax treaty.

To be eligible to claim a tax treaty for fellowship payments, the applicant must meet all three of the requirements listed below:

  1. Be a nonresident alien 
  2. Be in the U.S. on one of the following visas:
    • Student: F-1, J-1 or CPT/OPT
    • Postdoc/Faculty: H1-B, J-1 or O-1
  3. Be a resident of one of the Countries with Treaty Benefits for Scholarship or Fellowship Grants immediately preceding their arrival in the U.S

  1. Select IRS Form W8-BEN to download
  2. Print form

  1. Complete the following fields in Part I of W-8BEN form:
    • Field 1 – Enter your full name
    • Field 2 – Enter your country of citizenship
    • Field 3 – Enter your permanent address in your country of residence
    • Field 4 – Enter your U.S. address
    • Field 5 – Enter your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (required to claim a tax treaty)
  2. Complete the following field on Part II of the form
    • Field 9 – Enter your country of residence
  3. Complete Certification section in Part III
    • Read certification statement
    • Sign and date the form

What Happens Next?
  • After receiving your completed form, Payroll will exempt your future fellowship payments from taxation.
  • Payroll will automatically refund any federal tax withholding that was taken on your fellowship during the current tax year (Jan. 1 to  Dec. 31). Allow at least one week for processing student fellowship tax refunds. Postdoctoral fellowship tax refunds are included on the next regular monthly check.
  • Tax refunds for previous tax years must be claimed with the IRS on your tax return.
Last Updated: Dec 7, 2022