Submitting tax forms to Udemy
Udemy is based in the United States, which means Udemy instructors have certain tax obligations to the U.S. government. We know it can be confusing to know what tax forms you need to submit as a Udemy instructor, so we’ve partnered with Comply Exchange to make it easier for you to complete the required forms via a secure platform (taxforms.udemy.com).
Currently, we’re starting with published instructors who use English as their Udemy language setting, but we will soon be localizing the process for all the languages that the Udemy site supports.
Note: Udemy is not able to provide tax help or give any advice about what to include in your tax form submission. This guide is intended to help answer common questions that Udemy instructors might have about their obligation to submit tax documentation.
What do I need to do?
Udemy has begun to proactively email published instructors to submit their tax forms via our secure form submission site (taxforms.udemy.com). If you haven’t yet received the link to submit your tax forms, you can expect this in the coming weeks. We’re starting the process with instructors who use English as their Udemy language setting, but we will soon be localizing the process for all the languages that the Udemy site supports.
If you’re a new instructor who hasn’t yet published a course, no action is currently required, but you may be contacted to submit your tax documentation in the coming weeks.
Is the process safe?
The tax information that you provide remains in protected storage designed specifically for financial information, and is only processed as needed to ensure compliance with applicable laws. All processing and storage is done in accordance with the terms of our Privacy Policy and the provisions of any applicable privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
How do I know which form I need to submit?
Udemy has provided a platform to simplify the process of selecting and completing the right form. However, we are unable to provide tax advice. If you’re not sure how to answer a question about your tax status, we recommend that you consult with a tax advisor to ensure you’re using the right form and entering information correctly.
What happens if I don’t submit a form?
Udemy will soon begin withholding the appropriate amount from each student transaction/course sale for tax reporting purposes. If we don’t have your tax form on file, we will be required to apply the maximum withholding rate. For more info on withholding click here.
Should I expect a 1099 in return for the form I submit?
As Udemy implements withholding, we’ll ensure that you receive a year-end summary of any amounts we’ve withheld from your total payouts. Once we’ve fully implemented our new withholding tax system, we’ll issue you a Form 1099 (for US instructors) or Form 1042-S (for non-US instructors) for each tax year after that.
I previously submitted my tax forms to Udemy. Do I need to complete this new process?
There are some requirements concerning the recency of the tax information you provide. We may be asking you to provide your information again to be absolutely sure we have your most up-to-date tax status.
Can I just fax/email/mail you a copy of my tax form rather than go through this site?
With tens of thousands of instructors teaching on Udemy today, we need to make sure we’ve got everyone’s tax information stored securely, in one place, in the same format. This means that we’ll be requiring all tax information be submitted through the Comply Exchange platform (taxforms.udemy.com) moving forward.
Where can I find more information on tax forms?
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides instructions in English for the various tax forms that our tax form tool supports:
Since Udemy is unable to provide tax advice, we recommend that you consult with a tax advisor to ensure you’re using the right form and entering information correctly.
I’m not a US citizen. Why do I need to pay taxes to the US government?
Udemy is based in the United States. All companies based in the US have to comply with IRS (Internal Revenue Service) regulations, which includes collecting information about your tax status as an instructor. Furthermore, no matter where you’re located, you may have enrolled students from the United States, and those transactions may be subject to US tax.