Division of Business and Finance

General Tax Treaty Information

General Tax Treaty Information

To claim exemption from withholding on Employee Compensation:

  1. Fill out the Foreign National Information form (please reach out to payroll@brandeis.edu if you have any questions).  If you didn’t fill it out as part of onboarding or need to update your information, you can fill this form out by logging into Workday, typing “Create Request” in the search bar, then entering “Foreign National Form” as the request type. 
  2. If eligible, payroll can produce the 8233 Exemption Form Withholding on Compensation of a Nonresident Alien. You will need to sign and date the forms.  To confirm eligibility please reach out to payroll@brandeis.edu to start this process.
  3. Eligibility will be determined by visa history, payment type, and treaty language.
  4. Once signed, the exemption will start in the next available pay cycle. (Please note:  Best practice is to complete all the steps before payments start)

Time Limits

  1. IRS Form 8233 is only valid for the calendar year. 
  2. To renew an exemption, you must sign a new 8233 for each calendar year. Form 8233 for the following year will be available, if eligible, starting in December. 

To claim exemption from withholding on Scholarship or Fellowship:

  1. Fill out the Foreign National Information form (please reach out to payroll@brandeis.edu if you have any questions).  If you didn’t fill it out as part of onboarding or need to update your information, you can fill this form out by logging into Workday, typing “Create Request” in the search bar, then entering “Foreign National Form” as the request type. 
  2. If eligible, payroll can produce the W-8BEN Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United State Tax Withholding. You will need to sign and date the form.  To confirm eligibility please reach out to payroll@brandeis.edu to start this process.
  3. Eligibility will be determined by visa history, payment type, and treaty language.
  4. Once signed, the exemption will start in the next available pay cycle. (Please note:  Best to complete all the steps before payments start)

Time Limits

  1. Brandeis requires a new W-8BEN for each calendar year.  Previous years forms cannot be used in subsequent years because statuses may change from year to year. 
  2. To renew you must sign a new W-8BEN for each calendar year. Form W-8BEN for the following year will be available, if eligible, starting in December.  Please reach out to payroll to start this process for the new year. 

A U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) is required to claim tax treaty benefits.

Disclaimer

The information provided is informational only and not intended to be relied on for tax or legal advice.