I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with DraftKings - they issued me a W2G showing $15,000 in winnings that I definitely didn't receive. It's incredibly frustrating because I have all my account statements proving the error, but their customer service keeps telling me they can't help with "tax matters." Reading through all these responses has been really helpful. I think I'm going to try the approach of contacting their Tax Compliance Department directly via certified mail like Sofia and Chris suggested. The insider perspective about avoiding general customer service and going straight to the compliance officers makes a lot of sense. I'm also planning to file Form 8275 with my return to disclose the discrepancy, even if I don't get a corrected W2G in time. Better to be transparent with the IRS from the start than deal with penalties later. Has anyone had experience with DraftKings specifically on W2G corrections? I'm wondering if they're more or less responsive than other platforms when it comes to fixing these errors.

I went through almost the exact same situation with BetMGM last year - they had me listed for $12k in winnings that belonged to someone else. After weeks of getting nowhere with their regular support, I finally got results by doing three things simultaneously: 1. Sent a certified letter to their corporate office in New Jersey (not their customer service address) marked "ATTENTION: Tax Compliance Officer" with all my documentation 2. Filed a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement explaining the incorrect tax reporting 3. Contacted the IRS directly using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get an official case number The gaming commission complaint was the game-changer. BetMGM called me within 48 hours of the state filing the complaint, and I had a corrected W2G in hand within a week. Apparently casinos take gaming commission inquiries very seriously because incorrect tax reporting can affect their licensing. Even if you're running out of time before tax day, definitely pursue the correction AND file Form 8275 with your return to disclose the discrepancy. The corrected W2G can always be used for an amended return later if needed. Don't let them stick you with taxes on money you never won!

Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! I'm the original poster and this has been super educational. I had no idea about the different thresholds for documentation requirements. One follow-up question - when you're estimating fair market values, do you base it on what similar items sell for at thrift stores like Goodwill, or what they'd sell for in other secondhand markets like Facebook Marketplace or consignment shops? I'm trying to be accurate but not sure which pricing to use as my benchmark. Also, @Camila Castillo - that's a little scary about your friend getting audited! Do you know if there was something specific that triggered the extra scrutiny, or was it just random? $3,000 doesn't seem like an unusually large amount for donations.

Great thread everyone! As someone who works in tax preparation, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help: 1. **Timing matters** - Don't wait until tax season to organize your donation records. Set up a simple system now: take photos as you bag items, keep all receipts in one folder, and update your donation log regularly. 2. **Condition is key** - Be honest about item condition. The IRS expects "good used condition" for most donations. If something has stains, tears, or significant wear, either don't donate it for tax purposes or value it much lower. 3. **Bundle strategically** - You don't need to list every sock individually, but don't be too vague either. "10 pieces of children's clothing, good condition" is better than just "bag of clothes." 4. **Keep it proportional** - A general rule of thumb I tell clients: if your total charitable deductions seem unusually high compared to your income (over 20-25%), make sure your documentation is bulletproof. The key is finding the balance between being thorough and being reasonable. The IRS isn't trying to catch you doing something wrong - they just want to see that you're being honest and following the rules!

This is actually really common during tax season, especially with FAFSA applications! The timing makes perfect sense - you mentioned applying for financial aid recently, and schools typically request these verification letters from the IRS to confirm students haven't filed yet (which affects aid eligibility). The letter being dated February 16th and coming from Memphis is totally normal - that's one of their main processing centers. The "no record of processed return" just means as of that specific date, they hadn't finished processing your return yet, which can take weeks even after you file. Don't stress about identity theft - if someone was trying to mess with your taxes, they'd be filing fraudulent returns, not requesting verification that you DIDN't file. This is definitely just standard FAFSA paperwork. You can always call that 800 number if you want peace of mind, but sounds like everything's working as it should!

Just to add some reassurance - I work in financial aid and see these letters ALL the time during FAFSA season. Schools automatically request verification of non-filing for students who haven't submitted tax info yet, and the IRS sends these letters as standard procedure. The Memphis processing center handles tons of these requests daily. The fact that you got this letter actually means the system is working correctly - your school requested verification, the IRS checked their records as of Feb 16th, didn't see a processed return yet (totally normal timing), and sent you this notification. It's basically just paperwork trail documentation. If you already filed your 2024 return, just submit that to your financial aid office instead. If you haven't filed yet, you might be able to use this letter for your FAFSA depending on your school's requirements. Either way, you're all good!

Has anyone else heard about the tax credit for clean vehicles? If you're buying a new car anyway and considering electric or hybrid, there's up to $7,500 tax credit available. Might be worth looking into since you're making a purchase decision already.

One thing I don't see mentioned here is the actual vehicle purchase method - you said you're buying it in your personal name. For maximum tax benefits with high business use, you might want to consider having your business entity purchase the vehicle instead. If your business owns the car, you can deduct 100% of the business portion without worrying about the "listed property" rules that apply to personally-owned vehicles used for business. This also simplifies record-keeping since all vehicle expenses (insurance, maintenance, fuel) become business deductions rather than having to calculate personal vs business portions. However, this only works if you have a legitimate business entity (LLC, S-Corp, etc.). If you're a sole proprietor, the tax treatment is essentially the same either way. Just something to consider before finalizing the purchase structure!

I feel your pain - this exact thing happened to me two years ago! Got a modest raise in June and ended up owing $4,200 when I usually get a small refund. The problem was that my employer's payroll system was still withholding based on my old salary rate for most of the year, so when my income jumped up, there wasn't enough withheld to cover the higher tax bracket portions. Here's what I learned: even a "small" raise can push you into situations where more of your income gets taxed at higher rates, and if your withholding doesn't adjust proportionally, you get hit with a big bill. It's not that the tax laws changed - it's that your withholding didn't keep pace with your actual tax liability. The frustrating part is that yes, it IS your responsibility to monitor this, even though it seems like something payroll should handle automatically. They're just following whatever W-4 you have on file. I'd definitely recommend getting your hands on all your pay stubs from this year and comparing the withholding amounts to last year - that should show you exactly where the gap occurred. For next year, consider updating your W-4 to have additional tax withheld, especially if you expect any salary increases. It's better to get a refund than another surprise bill!

I went through something similar last year and it's absolutely maddening when you think you're doing everything right! One thing that really helped me was requesting copies of ALL my pay stubs for both years and creating a simple spreadsheet comparing month-by-month withholdings. What I discovered was that my "small" 4% raise actually pushed me just high enough that a bigger chunk of my income was being taxed at the next bracket rate, but my withholding percentage stayed exactly the same. So even though I was making slightly more money, I was actually taking home less after taxes than I should have been to cover my true tax liability. The other thing to check - and this caught me off guard - is whether any pre-tax deductions changed. Did your health insurance premiums, 401k contribution amounts, or any other pre-tax deductions stay the same? Sometimes when people get raises, they don't increase their 401k contributions proportionally, which means more of their income becomes taxable. Definitely look into setting up a payment plan with the IRS if you can't pay it all at once. They're actually pretty reasonable about it, and it beats trying to scramble for thousands of dollars immediately. This whole situation sucks, but you're definitely not alone in dealing with it!