Hello,

I'm an F1 Student, so technically I'm not allowed to work anywhere but my school. I have a small blog in which I earn something ridiculous like 10 dollars per month. In order to get the money from AdSense, though, I need to notify them on my tax status. I am not sure what to answer -- do I need to fill out a W9? By answering their "guiding" questions (mainly, I am not a resident alien, or ciizen or partnership or corporation, I don't own any business tools or employ any american citizens) --> it seems that Google AdSense tells me I'm not required to give my social security number at all.

I am not sure if that's the right thing, though. Am I even allowed to get the earnings at all? Also, I'm hoping the earnings will grow a bit, but I don't expect them to be anywhere above 50 dollars a month, tops, so it's not really a salary or anything like that. How is this treated by the IRS? Am I supposed to report it... I'm not sure what to do. For now, I asked AdSense to "hold my earnings" while they accumulate.


I hope someone can help me,

Thanks!

~missmooey

QUOTE," I'm not allowed to work anywhere but my school. I have a small blog in which I earn something ridiculous like 10 dollars per month. . . I am not sure if that's the right thing, though. Am I even allowed to get the earnings at all? "---Regardless of the amountof your earnings,in principle, your F1 visa does not allow you to take off your campus employment anywhere or anytime you want. You can only take employment under specific circumstances, such as through OPT or CPT and there are hardship provisions too. But generally, an F1 student cannot simply go out and find employment including your own self-employemnt. This is ILLEGAL! As you know, probably many people would encourage you not to do this because it is a violation of your visa status.So the issue here MUST be; should the earnin' from running your blog, your website, be treateed as your off campus earning? Actually and technically, it is youroff campus earning as you earn money outside of your on-campus employment anyway. Your blog definitely carries another risky way by which you need to register your studio and hire someone at minimum wages to ‘run’ your blog to earn money;you, as a F1 visa holder, can open your business, But you have to start on other person's name who is having a valid visa(who can work legally and earn income).
If you don't want any kind of risk, the best way that you need to do is to yank off your monetizing avenues off your blog. But it is, as youcan see, fundamentally up to you.



"do I need to fill out a W9?"---No, UNLESS you are a resident alien under either the US Tax Code or US INS Rules. The form is a tax document which declares you to be a "resident alien for tax purposes ( under the US Tax Code)" Filing a W-9 has some immediate consequence: foristance, it negates all tax treaty protections and provisions between US and your home country.

She should file Form W-8BEN to define her tax status.

That said, the amount of the income (at about $150 per year) is so small that it is meaningless in the big picture of her filing a return. If she has OTHER income that dictates the need for her to file a tax return, then, yes, she needs to report the income on that return. However, the blog income, by itself, will not generate the need for a tax return. If it is her ONLY source of income, she need NOT report it and, most importantly, she need not worry about it affecting her status as a F-1 visa holder!

It is correct that the blog income is technically illegal under the provisions of her visa, but the violation and income is so small that it falls into the de minimus category. Both the IRS and the USCIS have more important things to do that to pursue a student who is making $10 a month in pocket change from Google Adsense.

QUOTE," Both the IRS and the USCIS have more important things to do that to pursue a student who is making $10 a month in pocket change from Google Adsense."---True.