Omg this literally just happened to me!! I got a $13k refund from my loans and freaked out thinking I'd owe a bunch of taxes. My tax guy explained that loan money isn't income bc you have to pay it back. But here's something nobody mentioned yet - keep track of that refund money separately if possible. When I graduated last year and started repaying my loans, I got confused about how much I actually borrowed vs how much went to tuition. Makes it harder to budget for repayment when you don't remember where all the money went! Also pro tip: if you don't need all that refund money, you can actually send some back to your loan servicer and reduce your overall loan balance before interest starts accumulating. Wish someone had told me that sooner lol

Great question Chris! I went through this exact same situation two years ago and was equally confused. The consensus here is correct - your $16k student loan refund is NOT taxable income since it's borrowed money you'll eventually repay. However, I'd recommend double-checking one thing: make sure that entire $16k actually came from loans and not a mix of loans plus grants/scholarships. Sometimes schools bundle different types of aid together, and any portion from grants or scholarships could be taxable if used for non-qualified expenses. Looking at your 1098-T, the $7.1k in box 2 represents scholarships/grants you received. If any of your $16k refund came from those sources rather than pure loan money, that portion might need different treatment. But if you're certain the entire refund was from student loans (check your loan documents to confirm), then you're all set - no reporting required and no taxes owed on that money. Just keep good records in case you ever need to prove the source of those funds later!

This is such a valuable thread! I'm in a very similar situation - co-signed on my daughter's student loans with Nelnet about 3 years ago and have been making all the payments since she's been struggling to find stable employment. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning that I don't need the actual 1098-E form to claim the deduction. I've been hesitant to claim it because Nelnet never sent me the form directly, but I do have access to their online account where I can see the annual interest summary. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone dealt with forbearance or deferment periods while being a co-signer? My daughter had her loans in forbearance for about 6 months last year, but interest was still accruing and I made a few payments during that time to keep the balance from growing too much. I'm wondering if payments made during forbearance periods still qualify for the interest deduction, or if there are any special rules around that. Also, thank you to everyone who mentioned keeping detailed payment records - I'm definitely going to start taking screenshots of my online payment confirmations going forward. This community has been so helpful in clarifying something I've been confused about for years!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I co-signed my nephew's student loans through Discover about 2 years ago. He's been in and out of work, so I've been covering most of the payments to keep his credit (and mine) in good shape. What I'm finding confusing is that Discover sent the 1098-E directly to my nephew, but when I called them, they said they could send me a duplicate copy since I'm the co-signer making the payments. Has anyone else had to request duplicate tax forms from their servicer? I want to make sure I have the official documentation rather than just relying on my online account statements. Also, I've been paying through automatic withdrawal from my checking account - does anyone know if that affects how I should document the payments for tax purposes? I have the bank statements showing the withdrawals, but I'm wondering if there's anything special I need to do since it's not manual payments. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it's made me realize I've probably been missing out on this deduction for the past couple of years!

This situation is incredibly frustrating, but you definitely have strong legal protections here. Your employer is legally required to provide W-2s by January 31st, so they're already in violation of federal law. Here's my recommended action plan: **Immediate steps:** 1. **File Form 4852 now** - Don't wait any longer. If you have your final December 2024 paystub with year-to-date totals, you have everything needed to file accurately. The IRS prefers timely filing with reasonable estimates over missed deadlines due to employer negligence. 2. **Report to the IRS** - Call 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2. This triggers enforcement action against your employer - they can face penalties starting at $50 per missing W-2, escalating significantly for willful violations. 3. **Document everything** - Keep records of all your contact attempts (calls, visits, dates, who you spoke with). The manager's unprofessional behavior when you visited shows this may be intentional. **Why act now:** Given their history of tax document errors (wrong SSN!) and delays, this appears to be a pattern rather than an oversight. Their current behavior suggests they're being deliberately uncooperative. You shouldn't have to beg for legally required documents or have your refund held hostage by their incompetence. The IRS takes these violations seriously and will back you up. File your taxes and get your refund process started - you can always file an amended return later if needed, but don't let them delay you further.

I completely understand your frustration - this is an all-too-common situation that many workers face, unfortunately. The good news is that you have several strong options available. Your employer is legally required to provide your W-2 by January 31st, so they're already in violation of federal law. Given their history of tax document issues (like the wrong SSN incident), this seems to be a pattern of poor record-keeping rather than a simple oversight. Here's what I recommend: **Take immediate action:** - File Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) using your final paystub from December 2024. If it has year-to-date totals, you'll have everything you need for accurate estimates. - Contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2. They'll contact your employer directly, and the threat of penalties (starting at $50 per missing W-2) often gets quick results. - Send a certified letter to your employer requesting the W-2, which creates an official paper trail of your efforts. **Don't wait any longer** - you've already been more than patient. The IRS would rather you file on time with reasonable estimates than miss deadlines due to employer negligence. If you eventually receive the actual W-2 and there are discrepancies, you can always file an amended return. The manager's behavior when you visited in person is completely unprofessional and suggests they may be deliberately avoiding their legal obligations. Document all your contact attempts - this information will be helpful when reporting to the IRS. You shouldn't have to beg for legally required documents or let their incompetence delay your refund. Take action now and get your tax filing process started!

One thing nobody's mentioned - if this is your first year doing Uber, make sure you're setting aside money for quarterly estimated taxes going forward. Got hit with a nasty penalty my first year because I didn't know this was a thing! Since Uber doesn't withhold taxes, you're supposed to pay as you go through the year.

As someone who's been through this exact confusion, I want to emphasize how important it is to keep detailed records beyond just the 1099 forms. Uber's driver dashboard has a "Tax Information" section that breaks down your earnings month by month, which is super helpful for reconciling those confusing totals. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking my weekly deposits vs what the forms showed. The 1099-K includes tips that passengers paid through the app, while the 1099-NEC covers things like quest bonuses and surge pricing incentives - that's why the numbers don't match your bank deposits exactly. Also, don't forget you can deduct more than just Uber's fees! Phone bills (portion used for work), car washes, parking fees when waiting for rides, and even snacks/water you provide to passengers can be business expenses. Keep receipts for everything. The key is being able to show these expenses were necessary for your rideshare business. The quarterly tax payments mentioned above are crucial - I learned this the hard way with a $800 penalty my first year. Good luck with your filing!

What box on the 1099-MISC is the referral income reported in? That makes a huge difference. If it's in Box 3 (Other Income), then it's NOT self-employment income and TurboTax is categorizing it wrong. You'd need to override their default handling.

This is exactly why I always double-check the box numbers on my 1099-MISC forms before letting tax software auto-categorize everything. Box 3 income should definitely not flow to Schedule C in most cases. One thing to keep in mind is that even if you override TurboTax to report this as "Other Income" on Schedule 1, you should still keep good documentation of your reasoning. Print out or save screenshots showing that the income was reported in Box 3, and maybe even save this thread discussion as backup documentation. The IRS guidance on referral bonuses isn't crystal clear, but when the payer specifically uses Box 3 instead of putting it on a 1099-NEC, that's a strong indicator they don't view it as compensation for services. For occasional referrals to friends without any systematic business activity, Schedule 1 treatment makes the most sense and avoids unnecessary SE tax on what was essentially just a small bonus.