International Student on OPT (F1 Visa) received a 1099-MISC from Chase for $5 cash back - what do I do?

This is a common situation and not something to worry about! The 1099-MISC from Chase is likely for a referral bonus, cash back reward, or interest earned on your account. The good news is that $5 won't significantly impact your tax situation. As an F1 student on OPT, you're considered a nonresident alien for tax purposes if you've been in the US for less than 5 calendar years. You'll need to report this income on Form 1040NR (Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return). You should also file Form 8843 to establish your status as a nonresident alien. For the 1099-MISC specifically, you'll report it as "Other Income" on your tax return. It doesn't affect your immigration status at all, but not reporting it technically would be incorrect filing.

I was in almost exactly the same situation last year! Chase sent me a 1099-MISC for $7 from some promotion I forgot about. The tax forms for international students had me totally lost until I found https://taxr.ai which literally saved me hours of stress. It's built specifically to analyze tax documents (including weird ones like random 1099s) and then explain exactly what they mean for your specific situation. I uploaded my 1099-MISC and answered a few questions about my visa status, and it gave me super clear instructions on exactly where to report it on my 1040NR. The best part was that it explained why certain tax rules applied to my F1 status. It even flagged some deductions I qualified for that I had no idea about! Way easier than trying to piece together info from random websites.

Just wanted to update - I followed the advice about using https://taxr.ai for my small 1099-MISC situation and it was actually super helpful. I was really surprised because I was skeptical at first (I've tried other "tax help" tools before that were useless). The tool identified that my $10 Chase reward was actually eligible for a specific exemption based on my tax treaty with my home country. I would have never figured that out on my own! It also explained that even though the amount was small, not reporting it could potentially flag my return for review since the IRS already has a record of it. Took me about 10 minutes total to get a complete answer. Definitely less stressful than my previous attempts at figuring out international student tax stuff.

If you're struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about this 1099-MISC situation (which is common for international students), I highly recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to call the IRS about a similar issue last tax season, and their international taxpayer line is basically impossible to get through on. Claimyr basically holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an actual agent is about to answer. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was initially planning to just estimate how to report my bank bonuses on my 1040NR, but after talking to an actual IRS agent, I learned I was eligible for a specific exemption as an F1 student that would have been impossible to find on my own. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind.

I need to eat my words and admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still struggling with my OPT tax situation and getting desperate as the filing deadline approached. I decided to try it as a last resort. Not only did I get through to an actual IRS representative after my SIXTH failed attempt to call them directly, but the agent was able to confirm exactly how to handle my 1099-MISC from my bank (which was for $25 in referral bonuses). Turns out there's a specific way international students should report these small miscellaneous payments that isn't obvious from the form instructions. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes instead of the hours I'd wasted trying to call them myself. Wish I'd known about this sooner instead of stressing for weeks!

Another international student here! Just want to add something important - make sure you also check if your home country requires you to report worldwide income while you're on OPT. I'm from India, and I still had to report my US earnings (including small things like bank bonuses) on my Indian tax return. Also double-check if there's a tax treaty between your country and the US. It can make a big difference in how certain types of income are taxed.

For something as small as $5, I wouldn't stress too much about it. I got a similar 1099-MISC from Bank of America during my CPT last year for a $10 account opening bonus. I just reported it as "Other Income" on my tax return. Just make sure you're using tax software that handles nonresident alien returns properly. I tried using regular TurboTax first and it was a disaster because it doesn't handle Form 8843 properly for students.

Don't panic over $5! This is totally normal and happens to lots of international students. That 1099-MISC is probably from a cash back reward or account bonus from Chase - they're required to report any payments over $10 to the IRS, but some banks report smaller amounts too. Since you're on F1 OPT, you'll file as a nonresident alien using Form 1040NR. Just include this $5 as "Other Income" on your return. The amount is so small it won't meaningfully impact your tax liability, but you should still report it since Chase already sent the info to the IRS. This absolutely won't affect your visa status - it's just regular income reporting that all taxpayers (including international students) need to do. You're already on the right track by planning to file taxes for your OPT employment. Just add this small amount to whatever tax software or method you're using. The key thing is don't ignore it completely, but also don't lose sleep over such a tiny amount!

As someone who went through this exact same situation during my OPT, I can confirm this is completely normal! Chase and other banks are required to send 1099-MISC forms for various promotions, bonuses, and rewards - even small amounts like $5. The key things to remember: 1. This absolutely will NOT affect your F1 visa status - it's just regular income reporting 2. You'll report it on your Form 1040NR as "Other Income" 3. Since Chase already reported it to the IRS, you should include it in your tax return 4. The amount is so small it won't meaningfully change your tax liability I'd recommend using tax software specifically designed for international students like Sprintax, as it handles the nonresident alien forms much better than generic tax software. Don't stress about this - you're doing everything right by being proactive about reporting it!

I completely understand your panic - I had the exact same reaction when I got my first 1099-MISC during OPT! That $5 from Chase is most likely from a cash back reward, account opening bonus, or some promotional credit they gave you. Here's what you need to know to put your mind at ease: **This will NOT impact your visa status at all.** Bank rewards and bonuses are considered regular income that all taxpayers (including international students) report. The IRS and USCIS don't view this as problematic income. **For taxes:** Since you're on F1 OPT, you'll file Form 1040NR as a nonresident alien. Just include this $5 as "Other Income" - most tax software will have a section specifically for entering 1099-MISC forms. The amount is so small it won't meaningfully affect your tax liability, but you should still report it since Chase already sent the info to the IRS. **Don't ignore it completely** - even though $5 seems insignificant, the IRS already has a record of this payment from Chase, so it's better to include it than risk any questions later. You're being appropriately responsible by asking about this! Many international students get small 1099-MISC forms from banks and it's totally normal. Just add it to your regular tax filing process and you'll be fine.

I went through this exact same situation during my F1 OPT year! Got a 1099-MISC from Wells Fargo for $15 in account bonuses and was completely panicked about what it meant for my visa status. Here's what I learned after consulting with my school's international student advisor and doing my taxes: **Visa Impact: ZERO.** These small bank bonuses/rewards are considered normal miscellaneous income that has no bearing on your F1 status. USCIS doesn't view this type of income as problematic - it's not unauthorized employment or anything that violates your visa terms. **Tax Filing:** You'll report this on Form 1040NR Line 8 (Other Income). Since you're already filing taxes for your OPT employment, just add this $5 to that same return. Don't file separately for it. **Software Recommendation:** I used Sprintax specifically because it's designed for international students and handles all the nonresident alien forms properly. Regular TurboTax can work but you need their premium version that supports 1040NR, and even then it can be confusing for our specific situation. **Why Chase reported it:** Banks are required to report certain payments to the IRS, even small ones sometimes. This is completely routine and nothing you did wrong. The $5 amount is so minimal it won't affect your actual tax liability, but since the IRS already knows about it from Chase, definitely include it in your filing. You're being smart by asking about this rather than ignoring it!