International RA’s and TA’s and other graduate students across campus have been reporting problems about how Columbia has been reporting tax withholding to the IRS. After a GWC-UAW International Student Working Group meeting last week, with people from all across campus, we’ve taken action because the university continues to be unresponsive. We’re circulating this petition to make sure CU fixes this. Sign the petition below (all are welcome to sign):

Dear President Bollinger,

Columbia has acknowledged misreporting the tax withholdings for international RAs and TAs and other international graduate students for their 2014 tax-filings. As a result, many of them have received notices from the Internal Revenue Service saying they owe amounts ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars and that these amounts are due as early as March 7. This follows a yearlong delay in tax returns for international graduate students where they have had to support themselves without the thousands of dollars they were expecting to be refunded.
 
When international graduate student workers asked Columbia for advice and for the situation to be corrected, they got little help and conflicting advice, a response which is not commensurate with the scope, urgency and gravity of the problem. In return for the critical teaching and research service we provide, we expect Columbia to do better. We, the undersigned, demand that the University do the following.
 
1. Take full responsibility for this crisis and negotiate with the IRS on behalf of all affected graduate workers. In this the university will:
- Request an extension of deadline for debt payment for all graduate workers
- Immediately provide the IRS the correct 1042-S files
- Ensure that students' IRS records will not be tainted by this error
- Reimburse any unnecessary expenses incurred by individuals
 
2. Accommodate graduate workers due to delay in their 2014 tax returns: the university will offer emergency financial support and cancel late rent fees for Columbia housing, for those affected.
 
3. Reimburse affected graduate workers who sought legal advice in relation to this crisis.
 
4. Hire an impartial CPA or other tax expert on international student RA/TA taxes who can come to campus the week of February 29 to answer questions regarding this crisis and the forthcoming tax season.
 
5. Communicate the steps it is taking to address the above concerns to all graduate workers in a timely manner as the situation develops.
 
6. Communicate the steps it is taking to prevent such mistakes from re-occurring.

CC:
John Coatsworth, Provost
Amale Andraos, Dean, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Merit E. Janow, Dean, School of International and Public Affairs
Linda P. Fried, Dean, Mailman School of Public Health
Mary C. Boyce, Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Carol Becker, Dean, School of the Arts
Carlos Alonso, Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
R. Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School
Jeanette C. Takamura, Dean, School of Social Work
Steve Coll, Dean, Journalism School