Hi,
I am an F1 indian student on OPT. I just noticed that my Box 16 is slightly higher than Box 1 in my NJ state W2 form. Which value should I use for my Federal 1040NR-EZ in Line 3 ( wages, tips etc)..

Thanks.

Box 1.

Use the box 1 number for your federal return, and use the box 16 for your NJ-1040. The reason for the difference is that NJ doesn't recognize some of the "pre-tax" deduction(s) from your federal wages. For example - pre-tax deductions for things like medical and dental insurance, or health and dependent care savings accounts, are not included in your federal wages (and hence are not taxed by the feds), but ARE included in your NJ state wages.