Harvard Works Because We Do Harvard Union of
Clerical and Technical Workers

News and Events

Updates on Harvard’s New Tax on Tuition Benefits

Below are the latest updates (9/26/2019) about the University’s new Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) process. These updates will hopefully help address some of the questions that have arisen in recent days. Further down the page is a recent message (sent 9/11/2019) we sent to all members about the new TAP process and important TAP deadlines.

UPDATE 1: For those of you who are taking Harvard classes that are job-related and submitted a TAP form with your supervisor’s signature by September 11: If you still had tax withheld in your 9/27/2019 paycheck, the Harvard Benefits Office indicates that Harvard will repay you for the tax that was withheld by (or before) the next paycheck (10/11/2019), and you will not have any more tax withheld in future paychecks. Harvard Benefits tells us that your signed TAP form (exempting you from tax withholding) did not get processed in time for the 9/27/2019 paycheck by Benefit Strategies, so Harvard felt obligated to withhold the tax until they received your signed TAP form from Benefit Strategies. Please contact the Benefits Office with any further questions about this issue (617-496-4001, benefits@harvard.edu). This is a Benefits Office process and Benefits Office policy.

UPDATE 2: For those of  you who are taking Harvard classes that are NOT job related this semester (or for those of you who did not submit a TAP form with your supervisor’s signature by September 11): Harvard will pay 100% the tax you owe on your TAP benefits if you do the following two things: (1) Fill out a TAP form if you haven’t done so already and follow the instructions for submission. Below we indicate that the TAP form was due on Sept 11, but you should still submit the TAP form even though that deadline has passed. On the form, where you are asked if your course is job related, please check “no.” You do not need to get your supervisor’s signature. Fill out and submit the TAP form as soon as possible. (2) Fill out a Transitional TAP Fund (TTF) form and submit it to Benefit Strategies by or before October 4. As you are filling out the TTF form, you may see a pop up box that says you are not eligible to apply for the TTF because you have not yet submitted a TAP form. You should ignore this message (hitting “Next” in the bottom right corner) and keep filling out the form. If you submit these two forms (TAP form and TTF form) by October 4, Harvard should pay for all the tax you owe on TAP benefits during the fall 2019 semester. This payment will happen over the next five paychecks (10/11, 10/25, 11/8, 11/22, 12/6) in the form of “grossing up” each of your paychecks to cover the tax you owe on your courses. We provide links to the TAP and TTF forms below. Please contact the Benefits Office with any further questions about this issue (617-496-4001, benefits@harvard.edu). This is a Benefits Office process and Benefits Office policy.

  • The graduate level Tuition Assistance Program form (TAP form) can be found on BenStrat’s website. Click on the second blue rectangle and keep clicking until you get to the form and set of instructions that applies to you: https://www.benstrat.com/harvard/
  • The Transitional TAP Fund form (TTF form) for tax reimbursement can be found on BenStrat’s website. Click on the third blue rectangle and follow the instructions to fill out the form: https://www.benstrat.com/harvard/
  • Learn more about “job-relatedness” here: https://huctw.org/tax-tap-job-related

The HUCTW office will try to answer your questions about the new TAP changes as best we can, however please note that this new TAP process is not a HUCTW process; this is a Harvard Benefits Office process. We didn’t create the policies or set the deadlines. So, if you would like definitive confirmation about deadlines, requirements, taxes-owed, etc, you should contact that Harvard Benefits Office (617-496-4001, benefits@harvard.edu).

HUCTW’S Original Communication to Members about Harvard’s New TAP Process & Deadlines

We want to make you aware of two upcoming deadlines (Sept 11 and Oct 4) for those of you who are using the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) during the fall 2019 semester. As you may recall from an earlier email we sent, Harvard is now withholding tax for graduate-level tuition benefits that meet certain criteria.

If you are taking a Harvard class during the fall 2019 semester, please read this entire message as it lists two different ways to for you to avoid owing tax on your TAP benefits this semester.

(1)   TAP Form Deadline: Weds, Sept 11, 2019

The Harvard Benefits Office requires all staff who are using the Harvard Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) this semester to fill out a TAP Form. You can find the form on Benefit Strategies’ website here: https://www.benstrat.com/harvard/. If you are taking a Harvard class this semester and have not yet filled out this form, please do so immediately. It is due Wednesday, 9/11/2019. Follow the instructions on the form for submission. Even if you have missed the deadline, you should submit the TAP form anyway. You will not be able to use the Transitional TAP Fund (which reimburses you for any tax you owe this semester and is described under #2 below) unless you submit a TAP form.

As we mentioned our email message from July, in order to ensure compliance with IRS policy, Harvard will begin withholding tax from your paycheck for any graduate-level tuition benefits (TAP/TRP) you receive from Harvard over $5250 per year for non job-related classes.  You may be able to avoid owing any tax on your classes, if you use the TAP form to attest that your course is “job-related” and have your supervisor sign that section of the form. Read more about how “job-relatedness” can be applied here. If you feel that your course is not job-related or if you are unable to get your supervisor’s signature, check “no” in the job-relatedness section on the form and skip to the next section of the form. If you check “no”, you will owe the tax on your graduate-level tuition benefits over $5250, however, Harvard is offering 100% reimbursement of that tax for the fall 2019 semester if you apply by October 1 (see details below).

(2)   Tax Reimbursement Deadline: Tues, October 4, 2019

If your course is not job-related (or if you are not able to get your supervisor’s signature on your TAP form), you can apply for 100% reimbursement of any tax you owe on Harvard courses for this semester (fall 2019) using the Transitional TAP Fund (TTF). You can find the TTF reimbursement form on Benefit Strategies website: https://www.benstrat.com/harvard/. This form is due 10/4/2019. You can learn more about how the Transitional TAP Fund works on the Q&A sheet created by Harvard. The 100% tax reimbursement is for the fall 2019 semester only.

Please email or call the HUCTW office if you have any questions (huctw.info@huctw.org, 617-661-8289)

The HUCTW office will try to answer your questions about the new TAP changes as best we can, however please note that this new TAP process is not a HUCTW process; this is a Harvard Benefits Office process. We didn’t create the policies or set the deadlines. So, if you would like definitive confirmation about deadlines, requirements, taxes-owed, etc, you should contact that Harvard Benefits Office (617-496-4001, benefits@harvard.edu).