Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Postdoctoral Associates may enroll in benefits once the Postdoc’s job is in the myUFL system. Enrollment must be completed within 60 days of the employee’s date of hire. Postdoctoral Associate Benefit Options.
Important reminders:
Postdoc associates must have at least a .75 FTE to be eligible for state benefits and .50 FTE to be eligible for GatorCare options.
Postdoc leave cannot be cashed out when your postdoc appointment ends.
Information on eligible dependants.
Important reminder: Unlike spouse or other qualified dependent coverage, the federal government requires that employer-paid premiums for domestic partner coverage are included in your W2 as taxable income. Employer-paid spousal premiums are not considered as federally taxable income, but they are for domestic partners.
Post-doc fellows are eligible to participate in the UnitedHealthcare Student Health Insurance Plan for visiting scholars and postdoc fellows. Newly appointed postdoctoral fellows terminating other UF employment should contact the UFHR Benefits Office for COBRA information by emailing benefits@ufl.edu or calling 352-392-2477. If you have been awarded a fellowship and are transferring from a postdoctoral associate to a postdoctoral fellow appointment, please contact benefits@ufl.edu to discuss changes to your benefit options.
Important Reminder: UF Benefits Counselors are available to help you understand your benefits options. Reach out anytime, the earlier the better, or join a postdoc orientation session to learn more about your benefits options.
Postdoc minimum pay is $58,656 for 1.0 FTE (effective January 1, 2025).
Postdocs are classified as exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and are therefore not subject to minimum wage and overtime provisions. Salary may be prorated from the minimum 1.0 FTE salary of $58,656 until it reaches the minimum of $43,888.
Entering postdoc leave taken on your timesheet: Follow the directions on Entering & Adjusting Time and Leave: Salaried TEAMS & Faculty (Exempt). In most cases the code for postdoc leave is "PDL" and the code for time worked is "PDA". If you are unsure which codes to use, call University Payroll and Tax Services at 352.392.1231.
Postdoc Associates – taxes are withheld from paychecks – your w2 can be downloaded in MyUFL.edu
Postdoc Fellows – Taxes are NOT withheld from stipend - IRS Form 1098-T can be found by logging in to ONE.UF.EDU. For the 1099-MISC, contact the UF Disbursements Office at (352) 392 - 1241.
Fellows can use the IRS Withholding Calculator to determine how much you need to save for taxes.
International Postdocs - All Foreign Nationals living, visiting, working, or studying in the U.S. are responsible for compliance with United States laws and regulations. See the IRS Taxation of Nonresident Aliens policy.
UFIC provides international students and scholars with a free international federal/8843 tax return preparation program known as Sprintax.
You are not eligible to file as a resident unless you have been in the US at least 5 years.
An email is sent each spring from the UF International Center to the exchange visitor community about gaining access to the software.
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is the free income tax assistance for those making $52,000 or less in 2013. Go to the IRS site (http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax-Return-Preparation-for-You-by-Volunteers) search Gainesville to find a VITA site near you.
U.S. Tax Information for Nonresident Aliens:
http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/ISS/Taxes.html
For postdocs who were students in 2012: Tuition and Fees Deduction Information
http://www.fa.ufl.edu/bursar/current-students/tax-information/
Tax Information for Domestic Residents:
http://solutionsforyourlife.com/hot_topics/families_and_consumers/taxes.html
IRS Free File
The Internal Revenue Service and its private-sector partners are again making Free File available to anyone with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $58,000 or less in 2013. Many taxpayers can have free use of helpful tax preparation software and free electronic filing of their federal tax returns. Please visit the Free File website at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free.
Personal Finance for Phds : This site has lots of great advice and resources to support early career scientists with financial planning and taxes.