Tax Information and Procedures

Being a student does not automatically exempt you from having to pay taxes. Your earnings are subject to both federal and state income taxes. These can be adjusted by adjusting your federal and state tax withholding certificates (W-4 and M-4 forms respectively), depending on your student status. If you work during the summer, you will also have Social Security and Medicare taxes (also known as FICA) withheld from your paychecks.

International students may utilize many of the resources on this page regarding taxes, but must also follow the requirements at Tax Information for International Students.


Taxes as a Student Employee

The W-4 and M-4 forms mandate how much in taxes Payroll should be withholding from each paycheck. While not required, each student has different financial circumstances that can be reflected in the W-4. Please note that if you do not submit a W-4 reflecting your circumstances, the university will default to withholding the maximum amount at your income bracket: single with zero dependencies.

Depending on your eligibility, you may be exempt from a number of taxes.

All employed students will receive a Form W-2 the following calendar year in January. Form W-2 is a statement of earnings to show how much you earned during the previous calendar year and how much was withheld in taxes. You need your W-2 form to file federal and state tax returns.

Active Student Employees:

Electronic W-2s:  You can access their W-2 forms by logging into Equifax. You will be asked to enter your BU username and Kerberos password and will be taken to a new BU Tax Form Management page.

If you elect to receive your 2023 tax forms online, the election will be saved for future years, and you will no longer be mailed a paper copy of your W2.

W-2s prior to 2022 will continue to be available through Employee Self-Service in the BUworks Central Portal.

Physical W-2s: Mailed out by University Payroll during the month of January, typically during the last week of the month.  Physical W-2 forms will be mailed to the address on file at BUworks Central Portal.

Graduated/Former Student Employees:

If you have graduated and are no longer a student employee, you will receive your W2 form via US mail. You may view and download a copy of the forms by following these instructions:

  • Visit www.mytaxform.com and enter 17160 for the Employer Name/Code
  • If you are a first-time user, follow the steps shown below:
    • In the pop-up box, click on Register Now
    • Follow the registration process
    • After you are prompted to enter your email and personal phone number, you will receive a one-time push code if Equifax can verify your identity.
    • Once you are logged in, you must consent to receive your 2023 tax forms electronically before you can view them online.

If you do not receive a mailed copy and you able to access your W-2 electronically using the instructions above, please contact Payroll immediately.



Student Employment is not qualified to give students tax advice. Consult your parents or guardians for advice or seek out tax information from a professional. Free tax help options can be found here under Student Payroll.