Tax Tips for Students Working this Summer

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Many students get summer jobs. It’s a great way to earn extra spending money or to save for later. Here are some tips for students with summer jobs:

1. Withholding and Estimated Tax. If you are an employee, your employer normally withholds tax from your paychecks. If you are self-employed, you may be responsible for paying taxes directly to the IRS. One way to do that is by making estimated tax payments on set dates during the year. This is essentially how our pay-as-you-go tax system works.

2. New Employees. When you get a new job, you need to fill out a Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. Employers use this form to calculate how much federal income tax to withhold from your pay. The IRS Withholding Calculator tool on IRS.gov can help you fill out the form.

3. Self-Employment. Money you earn working for others is taxable. Some work you do may count as self-employment. These can be jobs like baby-sitting or lawn care. Keep good records of your income and expenses related to your work. You may be able to deduct those costs. A tax deduction generally reduces the taxes you pay.

4. Tip Income. All tip income is taxable. Keep a daily log to report your tips. You must report $20 or more in cash tips received in any single month to your employer. And you must report all of your yearly tips on your tax return.

5. Payroll Taxes. You may earn too little from your summer job to owe income tax. But your employer usually must withhold social security and Medicare taxes from your pay. If you’re self-employed, you may have to pay them yourself. They count for your coverage under the Social Security system.

6. Newspaper Carriers. Special rules apply to a newspaper carrier or distributor. If you meet certain conditions, you are self-employed. If you do not meet those conditions, and are under age 18, you may be exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes.

7. ROTC Pay. If you’re in ROTC, active duty pay, such as pay you get for summer advanced camp, is taxable. Other allowances you may receive may not be taxable, see Publication 3 for details.

Visit IRS.gov for more about the tax rules for students.

File Now: Don’t Jeopardize Your Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credit

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If you filed for an extension of time to file your 2015 federal tax return – and you benefit from advance payments of the premium tax credit being made to your coverage provider – it’s important you file your return sooner rather than later.

You must file your 2015 tax return and reconcile your advance payments to ensure you can continue having advance credit payments paid on your behalf in future years. Advance payments of the premium tax credit are reviewed in the fall by the Health Insurance Marketplace for the next calendar year as part of their annual re-enrollment and income verification process. If you do not file and reconcile, you will not be eligible for advance payments of the premium tax credit in 2017. Use Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, to reconcile any advance credit payments made on your behalf and to maintain your eligibility for future premium assistance.

If you got a six-month extension of time to file, you do not need to wait until this fall to file your return. You can – and should - file as soon as you have all the necessary documentation.  Taxpayers who have not filed and reconciled 2015 advance payments of the premium tax credit by the Marketplace’s fall re-enrollment period – including those that filed extensions – may not have their eligibility for advance payments of the PTC in 2017 determined for a period of time after they have filed their tax return with Form 8962.

Remember that filing electronically is the easiest way to file a complete and accurate tax return. .

For more information, visit the Claiming the Credit and Reconciling Advance Credit Payments web page on IRS.gov/aca.

YOUR 2016 TAX REFUND COULD BE DELAYED.

New Federal Tax Law May Affect Some Refunds Filed in Early 2017; IRS to Share Details Widely with Taxpayers Starting This Summer

The Internal Revenue Service has announced initial plans for processing tax returns involving the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit during the opening weeks of the 2017 filing season. The IRS is sharing the information now to help the tax community prepare for the 2017 season, and plans are being made for a wider communication effort this summer and fall to alert taxpayers about the changes that will affect some early filers.
This action is driven by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act) that was enacted Dec. 18, 2015, and made several changes to the tax law to benefit taxpayers and their families. Section 201 of this new law mandates that no credit or refund for an overpayment for a taxable year shall be made to a taxpayer before Feb. 15 if the taxpayer claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit on the return.
This change begins Jan. 1, 2017, and may affect some returns filed early in 2017. Additional information is listed below.

• To comply with the law, the IRS will hold the refunds on EITC and ACTC-related returns until Feb. 15.
• This allows additional time to help prevent revenue lost due to identity theft and refund fraud related to fabricated wages and withholdings.
• The IRS will hold the entire refund. Under the new law, the IRS cannot release the part of the refund that is not associated with the EITC and ACTC.
• Taxpayers should file as they normally do, and tax return preparers should also submit returns as they normally do.
• The IRS will begin accepting and processing tax returns once the filing season begins, as we do every year. That will not change.
• The IRS still expects to issue most refunds in less than 21 days, though IRS will hold refunds for EITC and ACTC-related tax returns filed early in 2017 until Feb. 15 and then begin issuing them.

This is one more step the IRS is taking to ensure taxpayers receive the refund they are owed. The IRS plans to work closely with stakeholders and IRS partners to help the public understand this process before they file their tax returns and ensure a smooth transition for this important law change.
More information about this law will be posted to IRS.gov and shared with partners and taxpayers throughout the second half of 2016.

Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 09-Jun-2016