Form 1042-S: U.S. Income of Foreign Persons

Form 1042-S reports U.S.-source income paid to a foreign person, and any tax withheld on that income. If you are a nonresident alien, a foreign business, or another foreign person, the U.S. company, bank, or fund that paid you may send you this form. It is a copy of the information the payer sent to the IRS.

The Instructions for Form 1042-S (2025) explain the rules for the people who file it. This post is general information. It does not tell you how to file your own return.

Who files the form

A withholding agent files Form 1042-S. A withholding agent is the person who pays U.S.-source income to a foreign person. The withholding agent reports payments made during the preceding calendar year.

The payer must file even when no tax was withheld. This applies when the income was exempt under a tax treaty or the Internal Revenue Code. It also applies when the payer released the tax to the recipient.

Individuals who pay money outside a trade or business usually do not file. An individual who must withhold tax on a payment must report that payment, whether or not the individual actually withholds.

What the form is not used for

The instructions say not to use Form 1042-S for certain items. These include wages paid to employees, which go on Form W-2. They also include most items reported on Form 1099, and certain forms for foreign partners and for foreign sellers of U.S. real estate.

So if you were paid wages for work done as an employee in the United States, expect a Form W-2, not a Form 1042-S. Check which form you received before you read the boxes.

Deadlines

The payer must file Form 1042-S with the IRS and give the recipient a copy by March 15 of the following year. If March 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the due date is the next business day. Paper forms go to the IRS with Form 1042-T, the annual summary and transmittal.

A payer that files Form 1042-S must also file Form 1042, the annual withholding tax return for U.S.-source income of foreign persons.

Substitute copies

The payer must give the recipient a separate substitute Form 1042-S for each type of income. The substitute must show the same information as the copy filed with the IRS. Its size may differ, but the information must match. Only one Form 1042-S may be placed on each page.

Check the copy you receive

Your name and address. Compare them with your records.
Taxpayer number. Compare it with the number you gave the payer.
Income code and gross income. The income code tells you what kind of income it is. Match the gross income with your payment records.
Tax withheld. Compare any withholding with the amounts you actually received.
Exemption codes. An exemption code can show why no tax was withheld. Ask the payer about any code you do not understand.

If the copy is wrong, ask the payer for a corrected form. The instructions describe penalties for a payer that files or gives a recipient an incorrect form, so payers take corrections seriously.

Keep your records

Keep the form with your records for the year. For how long to keep tax records in general, see How Long Should I Keep My Tax Records?.

Checklist

Confirm the form type. Form 1042-S is not Form W-2 or Form 1099.
Match gross income and withholding with your payment records.
Check your name, address, and taxpayer number.
Ask the payer about any code or box you do not understand.
For the 30% tax on U.S.-source income, read The 30% Tax on U.S. Income for Nonresident Aliens.

This is general information only. It is not tax advice for your situation.

Sources: Sources: IRS, Instructions for Form 1042-S (2025) (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1042s--2025.pdf) This is general information, not advice about your specific return.

More guides on: Expats, military and international taxes

← Back to the blog · Leer en español