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Glacier: Tax Withholding for Foreign Individuals (Non-PPS Payments)

All UC Campuses use Glacier to gather tax-related information from foreign individuals.

Note:

If you are processing Graduate student fellowship stipends, please do not submit a Glacier record request for your student(s). Instead, please submit your payment request via the Graduate Division Financial Support Request Tool, and the Graduate Division and UCSD Glacier & Taxation Teams will initiate Glacier records.

About Glacier

Glacier is a secure web-based nonresident alien (NRA) tax compliance system that the University of California uses to collect tax-related information from foreign visitors. Glacier helps determine tax residency, tax withholding rates, and income tax treaty eligibility. 

All Glacier Requests are submitted through PaymentWorks for foreign individuals receiving payments for scholarship/fellowships, royalties, and independent services (including honoraria recipients and performers). 

When making the request in PaymentWorks, you will need to submit a new payee request and the registration will go into a glacier workflow for review. If Glacier is required, access information will be sent to the payee. The registration will be approved for setup once the glacier paperwork is received and processed.

For payments processed through PPS, see "Glacier and PPS Instructions."

Process Overview

  1. Department submits new payee request through PaymentWorks for each new foreign individual. Individual then completes registration and submit.
  2. Registration goes to Tax Advisory Services team to review. If Glacier is required, access information will be sent to the payee.
  3. Foreign individual completes the Glacier record online and prints the forms generated by Glacier.
  4. Foreign individual signs forms and follows instructions to submit them to Disbursements with copies of required immigration documents.
  5. The Tax Advisory Services team will review Glacier paperwork submitted by foreign individual, facilitate tax treaties, maintain Glacier records for tax purposes and prepare year-end tax reports (Forms 1042-S). 

Note for payees with completed Glacier records: Tax rates vary based on what the payee is being paid for.  As a result, payees will have to update existing Glacier records if they are receiving payment for a different type of activity than what their Glacier record was initially approved for.

Department’s Responsibilities

Note:

If you are processing Graduate student fellowship stipends, please do not use a Glacier record request for your student(s). Instead, please submit your payment request via the Graduate Division Financial Support Request Tool, and the Graduate Division and UCSD Glacier & Taxation Teams will initiation Glacier records.

  • Submit the Glacier Record Request through PaymentWorks well in advance of the performance of service or activity that requires payment.
  • Tell the foreign visitor to expect an email from Glacier (support@online-tax.net) and to add that email address to their “safe senders” list. The email will contain a link to Glacier, a temporary User ID, and a temporary password.
  • Refer all tax and Glacier related questions to a Glacier Administrator via UC San Diego Services and Support.

Foreign Visitor’s Responsibilities

  • When you receive the email from Glacier (support@online-tax.net) with the subject line “Payments from the University of California San Diego”, use the links, temporary User ID and password to access Glacier.
  • Enter your information into Glacier within 10 days of receipt of the email.
  • Print, review, sign, and date all Glacier-generated forms.
  • Follow the instructions on page two (2) of the Tax Summary Report to submit your Glacier-generated forms and immigration document copies.
  • Note for payees with completed Glacier records: Tax rates vary based on what the payee is being paid for.  As a result, payees will have to update existing Glacier records if they are receiving payment for a different type of activity than what they were paid for when the Glacier record was initially created.

Glacier and Tax Information Links

Find answers, request services, or get help from our team at the UC San Diego Services & Support portal.
Read the University of California Sales and Use Tax Manual for detailed information on the University's tax responsibilities.