Medicare Qualified Government Wages for University Student Employee

But what if my paystub DOES show Medicare being taken out even though I'm a student working less than 20 hours? My university is taking out these taxes but my friend who works in a different department doesn't have them taken out. Is that a mistake or does it depend on something else too?

If Medicare taxes are being withheld despite working under 20 hours as a student, it could depend on a few factors. Your enrollment status matters - you must be enrolled at least half-time (usually 6+ credit hours for undergrads) to qualify for the exemption. Some universities also have different policies for academic year versus summer employment. If your friend works in a different department but has similar enrollment status and hours, there might be an administrative error. The university might have classified your position differently. I'd recommend speaking with your campus payroll office directly - they can verify if you should be exempt and can correct any errors if needed.

Does this actually work for international students too? I'm on an F-1 visa working at my university's dining hall and have similar questions about Medicare taxes being taken out.

I'm skeptical about these online tools. How does it actually determine if you qualify for the exemption? Doesn't the university already know the rules about student employees?

For international students on F-1 visas, the tool is actually really helpful because your situation has additional complications. It specifically addresses different visa statuses and explains that most F-1 students working on-campus are exempt from Medicare taxes regardless of credit hours, but with certain exceptions depending on your specific employment arrangement. Universities definitely should know the rules, but in my experience, they often make mistakes with student workers because our situations are unique. The tool helped me identify that my department had incorrectly classified my position. It analyzes your specific situation based on enrollment status, credit hours, department classification, and work hours to determine if you truly qualify for the exemption. Mine was just a simple paperwork error that nobody caught until I brought it to their attention with the documentation the tool provided.

Wait, how does this even work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS. Is this some kind of scam where they pretend to connect you?

Yeah right. I've been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about my student tax situation. There's no way anyone can magically get through when millions of people can't. Sounds like someone's trying to make money off desperate students.

It's definitely not a scam - it uses a legitimate callback system that businesses use. When you call through their service, you basically get added to a priority callback queue instead of waiting on hold yourself. The system keeps dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree automatically until it gets through, then calls you when an agent is on the line. I was super skeptical too but was desperate after days of trying to get answers about my Medicare wages. The service just does the waiting for you instead of you having to sit on hold for hours. When they got through, it was definitely a real IRS agent who answered all my specific questions about student employee exemptions. Honestly wish I'd known about this earlier in the semester when I first noticed the tax withholding issues on my paystub.

Thanks for this detailed info! I'm definitely primarily a student (taking 15 credit hours this semester) and only work 15 hours/week in the library. So it sounds like I should probably be exempt then? I'll check if my Medicare taxes are being withheld on my next paycheck. If they are, should I just go to the payroll office and ask about the Student FICA Exemption?

Yes, with 15 credit hours and working only 15 hours per week, you should absolutely qualify for the student FICA exemption! Check your paystub first to confirm whether Medicare taxes are being withheld. Look for a line that says "Medicare" or "MED" with a deduction amount - it's usually 1.45% of your gross wages. If you see Medicare taxes being withheld, definitely visit your campus payroll office in person and specifically ask about the Student FICA Exemption. Bring proof of your enrollment status (like your course schedule showing credit hours) and your work schedule. They may need to update your classification in their system. If they've been incorrectly withholding all semester, you can request a refund of those withholdings as well.

Can you explain more about the difference between public and private universities for this? I work at a private university in the admissions office and now I'm confused if different rules apply to me.

Great question! The distinction is important but the student FICA exemption rules are actually the same for both public and private universities. The difference is mainly in terminology and reporting: For public universities (government employers): Your wages might be labeled as "government wages" on tax forms, but if you qualify for the student exemption, they still won't be subject to Medicare tax. For private universities: The exemption works exactly the same way - if you're enrolled at least half-time and work under the hour thresholds, you're exempt from Medicare and Social Security taxes. The key factors for ANY university (public or private) are: 1) You must be enrolled at least half-time, 2) Your primary relationship with the school is as a student, and 3) You typically work fewer than 20 hours/week during academic terms. Since you work in admissions at a private university, you'd follow the same exemption rules. Check your paystub to see if Medicare taxes are being withheld - if you meet the criteria above, they shouldn't be!