Does FICA exemption mean the boxes for social security wages and medicare wages are blank? On my monthly paycheck, I was taxed on both medicare and social security wages. As far as I know, when you are on OPT or if you have an on-campus job, you are exempted from the social security and medicare taxes. I'm not sure if I was exempted or if the company messed up my entire year of income seeing that I have a few hundreds of dollars withheld under the social security and medicare taxes. So in that case, should I just file 1040A instead of 1040NR?
I was on my OPT in 2011 and got married in September. If I could file 1040A then I'd file jointly with dear husband. However, if it is 1040NR then I'd be filing it as married but filing separately.

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Originally Posted by cherylwng

Does FICA exemption mean the boxes for social security wages and medicare wages are blank? On my monthly paycheck, I was taxed on both medicare and social security wages. As far as I know, when you are on OPT or if you have an on-campus job, you are exempted from the social security and medicare taxes. I'm not sure if I was exempted or if the company messed up my entire year of income seeing that I have a few hundreds of dollars withheld under the social security and medicare taxes. So in that case, should I just file 1040A instead of 1040NR?
I was on my OPT in 2011 and got married in September. If I could file 1040A then I'd file jointly with dear husband. However, if it is 1040NR then I'd be filing it as married but filing separately.

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You are exempt from Fica and Medicare if you are a foreign student working on campus and have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years.

If you are not a foreign student you cannot be exempt from Fica and Medicare.

You can be exempt from federal and state taxes which do not include medicare and Fica if you did not pay taxes in the prior year and do not expect to pay taxes in the current year. This exemption does not exempt you from Fica and Medicare.