Taxes and Estimated Taxes - Self-Guided Online Workshops

1. Quarterly Estimated Tax for Fellowship Recipients** - For the 2024 tax year
Are you a Quad-based postdoc* who is on a fellowship, or paid directly by a foundation, government, etc., and do you need help estimating your quarterly estimated taxes?

Take advantage of this online, self-guided workshop with Dr. Emily Roberts, founder of Personal Finance for PhDs.
Please use your HMS, HSDM or Wyss email to access the online workshop.

Please note: This workshop is designed for postdocs who are US citizens, residents, and residents for tax purposes.If you are an international postdoc on a visa, please see the HIO tax resources page, which includes access to SprintTax software that the HIO offers at a discounted rate (Harvard covers federal fee).

Please use your HMS, HSDM or Wyss email to access the self-guided workshop
The OPF is offering Quad postdocs access to this self-guided online workshop, the OPF will pay the $20 fee:

Description: Your stipend or salary is almost certainly considered taxable income by the IRS, even if your university does not withhold income tax from your paychecks. How can you prepare to pay your tax bill and stay on the IRS’s good side? Whether your objective is to save up for your eventual tax bill, avoid an underpayment penalty, or both, this workshop shows you how to accomplish it in a time-efficient manner. The Estimated Tax Worksheet in Form 1040-ES tells you definitively whether you are required to make estimated tax payments and how large your tax bill is this year, and this workshop walks you line-by-line through how to fill it out. The workshop also addresses the common scenarios graduate students, postdocs, and postbacs face, such as switching on to or off of fellowship mid-calendar year and being married to someone who has automatic income tax withholding. Note: This workshop is only for US citizens, permanent residents, and residents for tax purposes.

Format: This is a largely asynchronous workshop. Upon registering, you will receive your login information over email. After logging in to the workshop, you can immediately access the modules (videos with transcripts) and spreadsheet. You also have the ability to receive answers to your questions by attending a live Q&A call or submitting a question in writing. The recordings and transcripts of the calls and answers to submitted questions are added to the workshop within about a week.

2. Workshop is now CLOSED for filing 2023 tax returns - How to Complete Your Postdoc Tax Return (and Understand It, Too!)** - For or US citizens, permanent residents, and residents for tax purposes only
This Personal Finance for PhDs workshop is provided to HMS Quad-based postdocs* for free by the the HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows.
The workshop comprises pre-recorded videos, worksheets, and live Q&A calls. It is for US citizens, permanent residents, and residents for tax purposes.
Enter your name and 'Harvard.edu' email address below for immediate access.
Please use your HMS, HSDM or Wyss email to access the self-guided workshop here: ~~https://www.pfforphds.community/4pmi7i4i~~

- Live Q & A Calls for How to Complete Your Postdoc Tax Return (and Understand It, Too!) | ~~March 20, April 1~~, ~~April 5 or April 11~~ - Register for the workshop to receive the Zoom links -

Description: Are you intimidated by the prospect of preparing your postdoc tax return because you are not considered an employee? Are you confused by the tax forms you received from your institution or funding agency – or the forms you didn’t? This workshop breaks down how to calculate your taxable income from your salary, stipend, fellowship, and/or grant and report your income and estimated tax paid on your tax return. It also points out the tax benefits that may or may not be available to you based on your unusual income type. The workshop is for US citizens, permanent residents, and residents for tax purposes.
Format: This is a largely asynchronous workshop. Upon registering, you will receive your login information over email. After logging in to the workshop, you can access the module videos, transcripts, worksheets, and spreadsheets. There is also at least one live Q&A call scheduled each month throughout tax season; the recordings of the calls are added to the workshop after they occur. Please work through all the relevant workshop modules prior to attending a live call.

Bio: Dr. Emily Roberts is a personal finance educator specializing in early-career PhDs. Through her business, Personal Finance for PhDs, she equips graduate students, postdocs, and PhDs with “real jobs” to make the most of their money. She gives seminars at universities and for associations; interviews PhDs on her podcast; and creates courses and workshops on taxes, investing, and more. Emily holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Duke University and lives in San Diego with her husband and two children.

*If you are unsure whether or not you are a Quad postdoc, please contact our office: postdoc_office@hms.harvard.edu

** NOTE: We acknowledge that taxes and estimated taxes can be stressful and confusing, unfortunately, the OPF and Harvard University are unable to provide tax assistance to individuals for personal tax filings or situations. These workshops are offered for informational purposes and do not qualify as an endorsement of Emily Roberts or Personal Finance for PhDs.Please contact a tax professional for questions about your particular situation.