Taxes and Payroll

Taxes and Payroll

J-1 participants are not considered employees of Camp America, they are considered employees of the camp as a J-1 host employer. Therefore, the camp is responsible for complying with all applicable employment laws. This includes ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local tax obligations. Camps should process J-1 visa holders through payroll in the same manner that they do for American staff members.

 

The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Reform Act”) has made some changes to U.S. tax laws that will affect nonresident aliens of the United States. In particular, the Tax Reform Act has eliminated personal exemptions (which had been $4,050 per individual). As such, J-1 participants will now be taxed on their first dollar of U.S. wage income unless an applicable U.S. Income Tax Treaty provides otherwise. The clear majority, if not all of Camp America participants, do not fall under a tax treaty. However, it should be noted that a J-1 visa holder’s wages will not be subject to FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare taxes). To learn more about these changes affecting camps, please view the ACA website.

 

In general, employers should withhold income tax from their employees’ (both U.S. income tax residents and J-1 visa holders) wages at graduated withholding rates. For this purpose, employees must submit IRS Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) to their employers. As such, all J-1 participants should submit Form W-4 to their camp’s HR manager so that the proper amount of taxes will be withheld from their wages.

 

Camp America does not render tax advice and each J-1 participant remains personally responsible to properly fulfill their tax obligations under all Federal, State and Local rules

Social Security Number – Application Process

  1. Confirm your international staff’s arrival in Camp America Online or by calling Camp America at 1-800-727-8233.
  2. At least 2 business days after confirming your staff’s arrival, take them to the closest Social Security Office. (Each social security office may have their own timeline)
  3. At least 48 hours after confirming your staff’s arrival, take them to the closest Social Security Office.
  4. Make sure they bring the following documents with them:
    • Application For A Social Security Card Form SS-5 – available at the Social Security Office or downloadable here to save time
    • Most recent I-94 print out
    • Passport
    • Original DS-2019 form
 

Additional Information:

  • In rare instances, some Social Security branches require a sponsor letter that Camp America can provide upon request.
  • Social Security Administration toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213.
  • Returning international participants do not need to apply for a new Social Security Number. If needed, they can visit their local Social Security Office to request a replacement card.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Have you validated your staff’s arrival in Camp America Online? It usually takes at least 48 hours after we process their validation for their arrival information to be transmitted to the Social Security offices. Each social security office is different and may ask that you wait additional days after an applicant has arrived and been validated. Some offices are willing to hold on to the application and process it once the applicant’s information appears in the system.
It normally takes about two weeks to process an application and up to a month for the card to arrive. There have been cases where participants have returned to Social Security to follow up on their application, only to discover that there is no application on record. In this case, the only recourse is to submit another application.
The first and middle name fields were merged in the SEVIS system in 2016, causing issues with the social security system having a 20-character limit for any name field. If a participant’s name is too long for the SAVE verification system that the Social Security Administration uses, the Social Security officer will have to fill out a USCIS form (G-845) and manually submit it to the Department of Homeland Security for verification. The process may take a couples of weeks and in the meantime participants will be given an acknowledgment letter that contains a case reference number that can be used to follow up.

Yes, you can enter a “dummy number” until they receive their card from Social Security.

 

Paper Filers: If the worker applied for a card but didn't receive the number in time for filing, enter "Applied For" in Box a.

Electronic Filers: If the worker applied for a card but didn't receive the number in time for filing, enter all zeros in the field for the Social Security number.

 

If a staff member received their Social Security number after you filed your wage report, you can file Form W-2c (Corrected Wage and Tax Statement).

Visit the Social Security Administration website for more information on this.

Form W-4

J-1 participants are considered Nonresident Alien Employees for tax purposes. For help filling out W-4 forms for your participants, please refer to the IRS’ Special Instructions for Form W-4.

See what camp directors say about us

When Camp Matoaka needed a specialized person in a serious time crunch, Camp America had someone on a plane, halfway across the world, in 24 hours. Not only was she here a day later, she was enthusiastic, eager, qualified and beyond excited.

—Wendy Berliner, Camp Matoaka

I have been working with Camp America for many years and will continue because of their qualified staff. Camp America also keeps me up to date on the newest Federal Regulations. It is important to me to have an organization that is behind the staff they provide and Camp America does just that.

—Heather Boylston, Green Chimneys Camps

Partnering with Camp America just makes staff recruitment that much easier. Having a wonderful account representative who understands your camp takes out a lot of the legwork when searching for the ideal candidate. Camp America does a great job ensuring the each participant is taken care of and manages everything so that our staff members arrive at camp feeling ready and prepared for a fantastic summer.

— David Walsh, Camp Kenwood-Evergreen

We have absolutely loved working with Camp America. The CA staff have gone above and beyond to support us throughout the hiring process, taking the time to understand our unique camp culture and making it easier to find the right counselors for our camp family.We have consistently had high quality applicants, and enjoy going to the UK to meet our counselors before hiring them. Our counselors have been the perfect fit for our camp, seamlessly joining in our camp traditions and fun. Our campers love getting to connect with people from other countries and our counselors now have best friends all over the world!

— Leah Mesches,Girls Camp Director Camp Champions

Over my nine years working with Camp America, I have had nothing but exemplary service from all their staff and especially our Account Representative. Day or night they go the extra mile to help us with all aspects of the program. They make sure that applicants have the right skills, are informed and ready to be placed making working with Camp America a breeze.

— Hylton Wener, NJY Camps

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1 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905

Phone: 203-399-5414

Phone: (800) 727-8233

Fax: (203) 399-5595

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