Random question but does anyone know if there's a time limit for employers to submit a corrected W2C? My situation is similar but from 2022 and I'm worried it might be too late to get them to fix it.

This is such a frustrating situation, but you're definitely on the right track! I went through something very similar when my company merged with another one mid-year and both entities ended up filing W2s for the same period. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed timeline document that showed: - Exact dates of employment at the company - When the payroll system switch happened - Pay periods covered by each W2 - Bank deposit dates and amounts for each pay period This made it crystal clear to both my employer and the IRS exactly where the overlap occurred. I also kept screenshots of my online pay stubs from both systems showing the duplicate reporting. The key is having ironclad documentation. Since you have that email from HR telling everyone to only use the new W2, that's golden evidence. Make sure to include that with everything else when you respond to the CP2000. Don't let your employer's confusion derail you - sometimes it's easier to just go directly to the IRS with your evidence rather than trying to get a company to admit they made an error. The IRS deals with payroll system transition issues all the time and they'll know what to look for in your documentation.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation, especially with the family complications involved. Based on what you've described, it sounds like you shouldn't need to file Form 8615 at all. You mentioned you're 20, worked full-time, and provided more than half of your own support. This is key - the "kiddie tax" that Form 8615 addresses doesn't apply to students who are financially independent. The fact that you paid your own rent, groceries, and utilities while working full-time clearly demonstrates you're supporting yourself. Additionally, since your $3,000 scholarship went entirely toward your $8,500 tuition (qualified education expenses), none of that scholarship money counts as taxable unearned income. The software is likely flagging this incorrectly. For your tax software issue, try these steps: 1. Double-check that you marked "Yes" when asked if you provided more than half of your own support 2. In the scholarship/education section, make sure you indicated the full $3,000 was used for qualified education expenses 3. Look for an override option - many tax programs have a way to skip forms that don't apply If the software still won't cooperate, you might need to contact their support or consider switching to a different tax program. You definitely shouldn't need your mother's SSN for this situation, and I'm sorry you're having to navigate tax issues while dealing with family estrangement.

I went through almost the exact same situation two years ago - 21, financially independent, had scholarship money, and my tax software kept insisting I needed Form 8615. The problem was definitely how I had entered the scholarship information initially. Here's what worked for me: I had to completely delete the scholarship entry and re-enter it from scratch. When the software asked about the scholarship, I made sure to specify that 100% of it went to qualified education expenses (tuition). The key question is usually something like "How much of this scholarship was used for qualified education expenses?" - you want to enter the full scholarship amount there. Also, make sure when you answer questions about dependency and support that you're being consistent. The software looks for things like: Did you provide more than half your own support? Are you claimed as a dependent on someone else's return? Can you be claimed as a dependent? Since you're working full-time and paying your own bills, the answers should reflect your independence. If you're still stuck after trying this, don't hesitate to start over with a different section of the software or even try a completely different tax program. Sometimes these programs have bugs or weird logic that gets triggered by certain combinations of answers. The important thing is that based on your situation, you definitely shouldn't need Form 8615 or your mother's information.

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation - my employer suddenly closed in December and I'm scrambling to figure out the W-2 situation. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me a clear action plan. Here's what I'm taking away from all the great advice shared here: 1. First, I'll try to find the bankruptcy trustee through PACER (thanks @Fatima Al-Farsi for that tip!) 2. Check if we used a third-party payroll company like ADP or Paychex 3. Contact my state's Department of Labor for quarterly wage reports 4. Gather all my bank statements and any old pay stubs I can find 5. If all else fails, use Form 4852 with careful documentation The taxr.ai recommendation from multiple people sounds promising too - having a confidence score and detailed methodology for the estimates would definitely help with my anxiety about getting the numbers wrong. I'm also going to try that Claimyr service if I need to speak with the IRS directly. After seeing even the skeptical poster come back and confirm it worked, it seems worth trying rather than spending days on hold. One question for the group: has anyone dealt with a company that used direct deposit but also provided paper checks occasionally? I'm trying to figure out if I should include both in my calculations or if there might be duplicates in my bank records. Thanks again everyone - this community is amazing for supporting each other through these stressful tax situations!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! My company closed abruptly in late December and I've been stressed about tax season. One additional resource I discovered that might help others: if your former employer had any kind of workers' compensation insurance, try contacting that insurance provider. They often maintain detailed payroll records for premium calculation purposes and may be able to provide wage information even after the company shuts down. Also, for anyone considering the Form 4852 route, I found it helpful to create a simple spreadsheet tracking all my income sources and estimates with notes about how I calculated each number. This kind of documentation trail seems like it would be exactly what the IRS would want to see if they follow up later. The bankruptcy trustee approach mentioned by several people here seems like the most reliable path if your company actually filed for bankruptcy. I'm going to start there and work through the other options as backups. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences - it makes this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

Has anyone used TurboTax to amend a return with a 1099-R code 8/J? I'm in a very similar situation and wondering if it handles these special codes correctly or if I need to go to a tax professional.

One thing I'd add about your situation - since you're planning to make that additional $1,800 contribution before the April deadline, make sure you have accurate documentation of your final 2024 income. The Roth IRA contribution limits are based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), and if your income was indeed lower than expected, you want to be certain you're not accidentally creating another excess contribution situation. The phase-out ranges for 2024 are $138,000-$153,000 for single filers and $218,000-$228,000 for married filing jointly. If you're close to these thresholds, double-check your final AGI calculation before making that contribution. Also, when you file Form 1040-X for the amendment, you'll want to include a brief explanation in Part III about why you're amending - something like "Adding 1099-R for return of excess Roth IRA contribution" keeps it simple and clear for the IRS processor.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar boat - working full-time and considering gig work to boost my savings. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from a CPA friend: keep receipts for EVERYTHING related to your gig work, even small stuff like hand sanitizer, phone chargers, or car air fresheners. My friend said a lot of people miss these "incidental" business expenses, but they're totally legitimate deductions if you're using them for work. She recommended keeping a small envelope in your car specifically for business receipts so you don't lose them. Also, regarding the separate bank account advice - some banks offer free business checking accounts for sole proprietors, which might give you better record-keeping tools than a regular personal account. Worth looking into since good records make tax time so much easier. Has anyone here ever been audited for their gig work? I'm curious what that process looks like and how detailed your record-keeping needs to be to survive scrutiny.

Thanks everyone for such detailed responses! This thread has been incredibly helpful - way more than I expected when I posted my question. I'm feeling much more confident about starting with Doordash now that I understand the tax implications better. Based on all your advice, here's my plan: 1. Open a separate checking account for Doordash earnings and immediately transfer 30% to savings for taxes 2. Start tracking mileage from day one using both an app and a paper logbook as backup 3. Keep all receipts in a dedicated envelope in my car 4. Limit myself to 10-15 hours per week to start so I don't burn out from my main job 5. Make my first quarterly payment by September 15th since I'm planning to start in June One follow-up question - for those using apps to track mileage, do you have any specific recommendations? There seem to be a lot of options and I want to pick one that's reliable and will generate good reports for tax time. Also, I'm definitely going to look into adjusting my W-4 at my regular job to have extra withheld. That seems simpler than trying to calculate quarterly payments when I'm just starting out and don't know how much I'll actually earn. You've all saved me from making some expensive mistakes! Really appreciate this community.