What Are the Most Common 1099 Forms for International Students?« Back to Previous Page

International students in the U.S. may receive different 1099 forms during tax season. A Form 1099 is not your tax return. Instead, it is an information return used to report certain payments and income to you and the IRS.

For example, you might receive a 1099 if you earned bank interest, received investment income, or were paid for certain independent work.

What Are 1099 Forms?

There isn’t just one Form 1099. The IRS has a whole family of 1099 forms, with each one used for a different type of payment.

Here are some of the most common ones international students may come across:

Form	What It Reports	Who Usually Sends It
1099-NEC	Nonemployee compensation	Businesses or clients
1099-MISC	Certain miscellaneous payments	Businesses and other payers
1099-INT	Interest income	Banks
1099-DIV	Dividends and distributions	Brokers or financial institutions
1099-B	Proceeds from investment transactions	Brokerage firms
1099-K	Payment card and certain third-party network transactions	Payment platforms and settlement entities

Other 1099 forms include Form 1099-G for certain government payments and Form 1099-C for certain canceled debts.

What Is the Difference Between 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC?

This is a common source of confusion.

If you’re paid as an independent contractor, Form 1099-NEC is generally the form used to report nonemployee compensation.

Before 2020, this type of payment was generally reported in Box 7 of Form 1099-MISC. Today, Form 1099-MISC is mainly used for other reportable payments.

⁠IRS Form 1099-NEC

Do All International Students Receive 1099 Forms?

No. The tax form you receive depends on the type of payment and your U.S. tax status.

For example, international students who are nonresident aliens may receive Form 1042-S for certain U.S.-source payments. If you work as an employee, you may receive a Form W-2 instead.

So don’t assume that every payment should come with a 1099.

What Should You Do With Your 1099 Forms?

Keep every tax form you receive and check that your name, taxpayer identification number, and payment amount are correct.

Also remember that receiving a 1099 doesn’t automatically tell you how much tax you owe. For international students, the tax treatment may depend on whether you’re a resident alien or nonresident alien, the type of income, and whether a tax treaty applies.

One more important point: tax reporting and work authorization are separate issues. Receiving a 1099-NEC does not automatically mean the work was permitted under your immigration status.

In short, 1099 forms tell you what income or payments have been reported. Your tax status determines how that information should be handled on your U.S. tax return.

Source of content

⁠IRS General Instructions for Information Returns

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Posted by IngStart