At the beginning of each year, everyone who has worked in the United States must “file” income tax returns with both the federal and state governments. The term “file” means that you must complete federal and state forms that list your earnings, the amount of estimated taxes you have had withheld from your checks, and a calculation of the amount of income tax you owe. The federal form is then mailed to the Internal Revenue Service, and the state form is mailed to the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Before you can file your tax, however, you must receive your W-2 or 1042-S from your employer/s. If you worked for Winona State , by the beginning of February, you should receive one (or two) documents from the MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) in St. Paul. These forms will list the total amount of money you have earned during the previous year and the total amounts that were taken out of your paychecks. The forms are called a W-2 and a 1042S. The type of form you receive depends on whether you are from a treaty country or not.

     Your status :                                                                  Form/s you will receive :

     Not from a treaty country                            W-2 form

    From a treaty country:

          Earned less than treaty amount          1042-S form

          Earned more than treaty amount         W-2 form AND 1042-S form

If you worked for Chartwell’s, you will get a separate W-2 or 1042-S from them.

It is important to watch for this document in the mail. Your local address must be correct in the student record system. If you do not get the correct form/s by the second week of February, please go to the Student Payroll Office to request another copy. If you worked for Chartwell’s and do not get the correct form/s, please contact them.

There is a service on campus that helps students file their income taxes. The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Office is staffed by individuals who are trained to assist you in completing your tax forms and answer all of your questions. The office usually opens by the first week of February, and there is no charge for this service.

The deadline for filing each year is April 15 .

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