All international students and scholars are required to report to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year — even if they did not work during the prior year. You will not necessarily need to pay taxes, but reporting to US tax authorities is a legal requirement. Although the Office of Global Services does not advise on tax issues, its website includes basic tax information at the link below as a helpful starting point. http://www.nyu.edu/global/visa-and-immigration/students-and-alumni/current-students/employment-and-tax/tax.html
Preparing tax returns can be quite time consuming, so we recommend that you review tax information now to prepare to file the necessary forms.