I'm a newcomer here but this discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I was about to make the same white-out mistake on my 1040 form when I stumbled across this thread. After reading everyone's experiences and professional advice, I'm completely convinced that e-filing is the way to go. What really struck me was learning about the OCR scanning technology and how white-out can completely derail the automated processing. I had no idea that's how the IRS handles paper returns - it makes perfect sense why corrections would cause such major delays. I'm planning to switch to e-filing this weekend based on all the recommendations here. The idea that the software might catch additional deductions I missed on my paper forms is really appealing too. It sounds like even though it feels like "starting over," I might actually end up with a better, more accurate return than what I had prepared manually. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - you've saved me from what sounds like it could have been months of frustrating delays with the IRS!

I'm glad I found this thread! I was literally holding white-out over my 1040 form when I decided to search online first. After reading all these experiences and professional insights, I'm absolutely convinced that e-filing is the smarter choice. What really got my attention was learning about the OCR scanning technology that the IRS uses. I had no idea that white-out could completely mess up their automated processing systems. The stories about 2-3 month delays (or even longer) are definitely scary enough to make me want to avoid that risk entirely. I'm particularly interested in what several people mentioned about the tax software potentially finding additional deductions or credits that I might have missed on my paper forms. As someone who's been struggling through the manual calculations, the idea of having software double-check everything and possibly increase my refund sounds like a huge win. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - you've saved me from what could have been a very costly mistake! I'll be switching to e-filing this week instead of trying to correct my paper forms.

One more thing nobody mentioned - make sure both W-2s have the correct "retirement plan" box checked if you contribute to a 401k or similar. I had a mid-year payroll switch and one W-2 had it checked but the other didn't, which messed up my IRA contribution deduction eligibility.

This is a really important point that often gets overlooked! I went through a similar mid-year payroll switch situation and learned the hard way that you need to verify ALL the boxes and year-to-date totals, not just the basic wage information. In addition to the retirement plan box and Social Security wages that others mentioned, also double-check: - State disability insurance (SDI) withholding limits if you're in CA, NY, or other states that have them - Any HSA contributions - make sure the annual limits aren't exceeded across both W-2s - Dependent care assistance program (DCAP) benefits if your company offers them The payroll providers often don't communicate these year-to-date limits to each other, so you could end up with over-withholding or under-withholding that creates tax complications later. I had to file amended returns because my HSA contributions were incorrectly reported as exceeding the annual limit when they were actually fine - it was just split across two W-2s.

Just want to add that since you're in Florida, you have one major advantage - no state income tax! This means you only need to worry about federal taxes on your Meta Bonus income. However, don't forget that you'll still need to pay self-employment tax (15.3%) on top of regular income tax. One thing I wish someone had told me when I started earning from social media: open a separate savings account and immediately transfer 25-30% of any bonus payments you receive. This way you won't be scrambling to find tax money when filing season comes around. The quarterly estimated tax payments that others mentioned become really important once you start earning more consistently from Meta's programs. Also, keep screenshots of your Meta Creator Bonus dashboard and any payment notifications - these help document your income sources if the IRS ever has questions about your 1099-MISC.

Maya, I completely understand the confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I started earning from Instagram's Creator Fund. Even though it feels weird to call yourself a "business" when you're just posting content you enjoy, the IRS treats any income from these creator programs as self-employment income. Here's what I learned: when TurboTax asks for business info, keep it simple. Use your own name as the business name, select "Sole Proprietorship," and for the business activity code, use 519130 (Internet Publishing and Broadcasting). Don't overthink it - you're not incorporating or anything complex. The good news about being in Florida is no state income tax! But you will need to pay self-employment tax on that $4000, which is about 15.3%. Start setting aside money now for next year's earnings - I learned this the hard way. Also, make sure you're tracking any expenses related to your meme page. Things like your phone bill (business portion), any apps you pay for, internet costs, etc. can all be deducted and will reduce your tax burden. Good luck!

A lot of people miss that line 4 exemption codes are PER PAYMENT TYPE. Your partnership might have to withhold for some types of payments but not others! For example, interest payments might be exempt while service payments aren't. Most partners think its a simple yes/no for the whole business but its more complicated.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year. I'm an accountant and I still had to double-check the W-9 instructions for my own LLC partnership! The key thing to remember is that Line 4 exemptions are really only for specific entity types like corporations, tax-exempt organizations, and certain government entities. As a domestic LLC partnership providing consulting services, you definitely should leave Line 4 blank. One tip that might help: when you submit the W-9 to your client, consider including a brief note that you've left Line 4 blank because your partnership doesn't qualify for any exemptions. This can prevent follow-up questions from their accounting department about whether you "forgot" to fill it out. Also, make sure you're using your EIN (not SSN) in the TIN field since you're operating as a partnership. And double-check that you selected "Partnership" in the tax classification section - I've seen people accidentally check "LLC" thinking that's more specific, but the IRS wants to know how you're taxed, not just your legal structure. The good news is once you get this first W-9 right, you can use it as a template for other clients who request the same form!

I'm in a very similar boat - exercised NSOs from my former employer about 2 weeks ago and have been watching that withholding money just sit there untouched. This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what's actually happening behind the scenes. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like the 2-3 week delay is pretty standard for former employees, especially with private companies that might need updated 409A valuations. I'm using E*TRADE and plan to give them a call this week to understand their specific process. One thing that's been bothering me is the lack of transparency from these platforms about what's actually happening during the delay. It would be so much less stressful if they just sent a quick email saying "we're processing your withholding, expect 2-3 weeks" rather than leaving us guessing. I'm definitely taking the advice about setting a hard deadline - I'll give it until the end of next week, and if nothing happens, I'll make the estimated tax payment myself. The June 15th quarterly deadline is coming up fast and I'd rather be safe than sorry. The underpayment penalty risk just isn't worth the uncertainty. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's reassuring to know this confusion is normal and that there are clear steps to take if the platform doesn't handle the withholding!

I'm actually going through this exact same situation right now! Exercised my NSOs about 10 days ago and have been stressing about the withholding money just sitting there unused. This entire thread has been a lifesaver - so reassuring to know that the 2-3 week delay is totally normal for former employees. What really stands out to me is how much the process varies by platform. Some handle it automatically (just slowly), others need manual approval from the former employer's payroll team, and some don't do it at all. It's honestly pretty frustrating that there's no standard approach across the industry. I'm using Carta and plan to call them tomorrow to get clarity on their specific process. Based on what everyone's shared, I think I'll give them until the end of next week (which would be about 2.5 weeks total) and then make the estimated tax payment myself if nothing happens. The quarterly deadline pressure is real - I exercised in early April so June 15th is coming up fast. Definitely not worth risking underpayment penalties just to avoid potentially paying twice. Better safe than sorry! One question for the group: for those who ended up making estimated payments yourselves, did you find the IRS online payment system pretty straightforward to use? I've never had to make estimated payments before so want to be prepared if I need to go that route.