Question

Filing a W2 form with tax withholdings but no wage income

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
March 31, 2024
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I am a graduate student who had federal and state taxes withheld from my fellowship income. My university has issued me a W-2 form that shows only the withheld amounts, with zero wage income reported. I intend to report my fellowship income on line 8r of my federal return. How can I include the withheld tax amounts on my return? If I input the W2 with no wage income, it doesn't allow me to e-file.

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M

mglauner

Correct, you can't Efile with a W-2 with no amount in Box 1. You do have options for reporting, though.

You could report your fellowship income in Box 1 of your W-2 entry, and you should have no problem Efiling.

Just keep the documentation you have of what you were paid to justify the Box 1 amount.

However, if you do have Education Expenses that were offset by the fellowship income, enter the expenses and fellowship as scholarship in the Education Section. Any excess fellowship income will automatically be transferred to Form 1040 as taxable scholarship income.

If that applies, you can enter the taxes you paid reported on the W-2 under Deductions & Credits > Estimates and Other Taxes Paid > Other Income Taxes Paid in 2023 > Withholding not already entered on a W-2.

Or, you can enter your total income under 8r as you suggested, and report taxes paid as mentioned above. In both these instances, you're not entering the W-2.

Here's more info on Reporting Internship Income.