Mission
Within the mission of the Controller's Office, the Tax Department is to ensure the university's compliance with various taxing authorities and to provide quality tax services to campus departments.
Tax Accounting Services Include:
- Administering the university and subsidiaries' tax compliance.
- Ensuring timely filing of the university and subsidiaries' federal, state and local tax returns, reports and payments.
- Developing necessary procedures and reporting systems to ensure compliance with federal and state tax laws applicable to the university and subsidiaries.
- Conducting tax research and advising on the tax consequences of certain activities or transactions of the university and subsidiaries.
- Providing tax-planning opportunities for the university and subsidiaries.
- Tracking legislative tax developments at the federal and state level and advising the university and subsidiaries accordingly.
- Functioning as the university and subsidiaries' liaison with federal and state tax authorities as well as with outside tax advisers with respect to tax issues.
New Tax Software for Foreign Nationals
Starting November 4, 2024, Rice will be switching from the Foreign National Information System
(FNIS) to Sprintax Calculus. This secure, cloud-based software will be used to manage tax
documents and determine tax residency, treaty benefits, and withholding requirements for foreign
national students and employees.
What’s Changing?
- Electronic Document Management: You can securely upload and manage important documents like passports, visas, I-20s, and DS-2019s electronically, eliminating the need for physical copies.
- No More Campus Trips: You won’t need to hand-deliver your tax treaty forms to the Payroll office anymore. Instead, you can electronically sign and submit your tax forms online, making the process more convenient and efficient.
- Integration with Sprintax Returns: Calculus will integrate with Sprintax Returns, allowing for automatic import of 1042-S data. This integration simplifies the U.S. income tax filing process for nonresident aliens, making it easier to complete your tax returns accurately and on time.
Who is Affected?
- All foreign national students and employees with FNIS accounts will transition to Calculus on November 4, 2024.
- New employees and unpaid students without FNIS accounts will get access on November 11, 2024.
- Lawful Permanent Residents or U.S. citizens will not receive Calculus accounts, except the few who will need a 1042-S form for 2024.
What Do You Need to Do?
- You will receive an activation email from Calculus. Log in to your account and update your information, including electronic 1042-S consent, contact info, U.S. tax ID, expected 2025 income types, and visa/immigration history.
Questions?
- Stay tuned for further announcements and join our Zoom office hours in November for help.
- Dates and Zoom links to follow by email by the end of October.
- Check our Sprintax Calculus FAQ for more details.
- Contact : Foreign National Tax
What You Can Expect for Your 2023 Tax Forms from the University
- W-2 forms
-
W-2 forms are issued by the Payroll office and are available now. The form is accessible through the MyADP system, which can be accessed through iO by following the Me > ADP – W2 Form links from the individual’s iO home page. Individuals who did not have US social security numbers or US addresses in iO as of 1/11/24 will not be able to access the W-2 online and will receive a paper copy instead. Paper forms will be sent to the designated primary mailing address in iO no later than 1/31/24. Please email payroll@rice.edu or call 713.348.3410 with any questions regarding the W-2.
- 1099 forms
-
1099 forms (such as 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC) will be issued by the P2P office by 1/31/24. 1099 is not available electronically; instead, it will be mailed to the address that was submitted on form W-9 or W-8BEN during the supplier setup process or graduate fellow onboarding. For those who have access to the supplier portal in iO, it is the address marked as “income tax reporting site” under their supplier profile. Please note that for students who have multiple addresses listed on their supplier profile (such as a permanent address and a local address), the income tax reporting site may or may not be the same as the address where payments are remitted. All graduate students who receive a 1099 should expect to receive form 1099-MISC. For your Form 1099 questions, please contact suppliers@rice.edu
- 1098-T forms
-
1098-T forms will be issued by the Bursar’s Office by 1/31/24 and will be available to view electronically through ECSI's website. ECSI is our 1098-T service provider. Once the form is available, an email from ECSI will be sent to the student’s Rice email address with further instructions to access the form online. For students who have not consented to receive the form electronically, a paper copy will be mailed to the student's permanent address in Esther, or mailing address if a permanent address does not exist. Forms will not be generated for students whose qualified tuition and fees were waived, paid with scholarships, or covered by a formal billing arrangement, or for students who are nonresident aliens. Please email bursar@rice.edu or call 713.348.4946 for questions regarding the 1098-T.
- 1042-S forms
-
1042-S forms will be issued by the Payroll office in March, no later than 3/15/24. If students have previously logged in to FNIS and consented to receive the 1042-S electronically, a digital copy will be uploaded to FNIS. If the electronic form consent in FNIS was not submitted, a paper copy will be mailed to the designated US mailing address in FNIS. If no US address is available in FNIS, the foreign address in FNIS will be used. If there is no address information in FNIS, the designated mailing address in iO will be used. Emails will be sent when the 1042-S is available. Please email payroll@rice.edu or call 713.348.3410 with any questions regarding the 1042-S.
- Rice Payment Reference Guide
-
Rice Payment Reference Guide can help you better understand what forms you should expect. This document provides a list of tax forms corresponding to various payment types. It is posted under the Payroll office link here
- Other helpful resources to assist you navigate through this tax filing season:
- Rice Student Tax Webinars: to equip yourself with some high level understanding of the US tax law on individual tax return, please check out the slides and Zoom recordings of three wonderful Student Tax Webinars from here
- OISS Office Sprintax Workshop: Rice international students and scholars can sign up with SprinTax during tax filing season to get tax forms prepared. Check details at OISS webpage here
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA): University of Houston Downtown Volunteer Income Tax Assistance offers free tax help to individuals and international students who can't prepare their own federal income tax returns. Check more details from here
Cambridge Office Building, 2nd Floor
6100 Main MS-70 | Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Phone: 713.348.3139 | Fax: 713.348.6001 | tax@rice.edu | Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.