Has anyone used the IRS Free File program for back tax returns? My husband is in a similar situation (hasn't filed for 3 years) but we're really tight on money right now.

For your mom's situation with multiple unfiled years, I'd strongly recommend starting with the most recent year (2024) and working backward. The IRS has a general policy of getting taxpayers current first before addressing prior years. Given her income sources - Social Security, pension, and investment income - she likely had filing requirements for most of those years. The threshold for filing when you have Social Security income is much lower than the standard deduction amount. One important thing to consider: if she was due refunds for any of those years, she can still claim them for 2021-2023, but refunds for 2020 are past the 3-year statute of limitations. This could actually work in her favor financially. I'd suggest gathering all her tax documents first (SSA-1099, 1099-R for pension, 1099-DIV/INT for investments) for each year. The IRS can provide wage and income transcripts if she's missing any documents. For someone her age with these income types, working with a tax professional who specializes in unfiled returns would be worth the investment. They can help navigate penalty abatement options and ensure everything is filed correctly the first time.

You're absolutely not going crazy! This is one of the most common questions new tax filers have, and I went through the exact same confusion my first year. Box 11 is only used for "nonqualified deferred compensation plans" - basically specialized executive retirement arrangements that 99% of regular employees never have. Most employers just omit Box 11 entirely when it doesn't apply rather than printing an empty box, which actually makes the form cleaner and less confusing. Your W-2 is completely normal! What you want to check instead is Box 12, where your regular retirement contributions (like 401k) should appear with letter codes like "D". As long as your wages, withholdings, and any retirement contributions in Box 12 match your final December paystub, you're all set to file normally. No need to contact HR - this is standard formatting for most W-2s!

You're definitely not crazy! This is such a common source of confusion for new tax filers. Box 11 only appears on W-2s when there's nonqualified deferred compensation to report, which is a specialized type of retirement benefit that's typically only available to executives or highly compensated employees at large corporations. Since most regular employees don't have these types of plans, employers usually just omit Box 11 entirely rather than printing an empty box. It's actually cleaner and less confusing this way! Your W-2 is completely normal and correct. What you should focus on is Box 12, where your standard retirement contributions (like 401k) will appear with letter codes. It sounds like you've already found your retirement info there with the "D" code, which is exactly where it should be for most employees. As long as your wages, withholdings, and retirement contributions match your final December paystub, you're all set to file your taxes normally. No need to contact HR - this is standard W-2 formatting when Box 11 doesn't apply to your situation!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to follow! As someone who's dealt with similar tax documentation issues, I wanted to add one more potential avenue that hasn't been mentioned yet. Check with your state's Secretary of State business search database - most states maintain online searchable databases of all registered businesses, including LLCs. Even if Coastal Flavors LLC has been dissolved, their original registration records should still be accessible and would include the registered agent information and potentially the EIN. You can usually search by exact business name, and the records often show the business address, registered agent, and sometimes tax ID information. Even if the EIN isn't directly listed, you might find the registered agent's contact information (often a lawyer or accountant) who would definitely have access to the business's tax records. Also, since you mentioned they closed about 6 months ago, check if they filed any dissolution paperwork with the state. Formal business dissolution documents typically require the EIN to be included, and these would be public records you could access. The combination of all the suggestions in this thread should definitely help you track down that EIN. It's amazing how many paper trails a business leaves behind, even when the owners disappear! Good luck with your tax filing - you've got so many solid leads to follow up on now.

I've been following this thread and it's incredibly comprehensive! One resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is checking with your state's sales tax department or revenue agency. Since restaurants must collect and remit sales tax, they're required to register with the state tax authority using their EIN. Most states have online business tax account lookup systems where you can search by business name. Even though Coastal Flavors closed, their sales tax registration should still be in the system with the EIN attached. You can usually call the business tax division directly and explain you're a former employee needing the EIN for tax purposes - they're often more helpful than you'd expect since this is a legitimate tax compliance issue. Also, if you remember the restaurant ever hosting private events, catering services, or having any special licenses (like liquor license), those permits would require the EIN and are usually maintained by different city/county departments. Wedding venues and catering businesses especially have to provide detailed business information for permits. The fact that there are so many government touchpoints for restaurants means there should definitely be multiple paper trails to follow. Between all these suggestions in this thread, you should be able to track down that EIN!

Has anyone else noticed that payroll systems are TERRIBLE at calculating withholding when you have multiple jobs or income sources? This is like the 3rd post I've seen about this same issue. The whole system seems designed to make people mess up and owe money.

This is such a common issue that catches people off guard! The key thing to understand is that withholding calculations are based on annualizing each individual paycheck, not your total income across all jobs. So if you make $1,000 per paycheck, the system calculates withholding as if you'll make $26,000 for the year (assuming bi-weekly pay), even if you have other income. What I'd recommend for next year: Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (it's free on their website) to calculate exactly how much extra you should have withheld. You can then update your W-4 to have additional withholding taken out. I usually err on the side of slightly over-withholding since I'd rather get a small refund than owe money. Also, keep track of your year-to-date withholding throughout the year by checking your paystubs. If you notice you're falling behind where you should be, you can always adjust your W-4 mid-year to catch up.

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point! I went through SBTPG for the first time this year and was pleasantly surprised. Filed on a Monday, got IRS approval Wednesday, and SBTPG had processed and sent my refund by Friday morning - so about 48 hours from when they received it. The key thing I learned is that SBTPG actually has a pretty good tracking system on their website where you can see the status in real-time. You just need your SSN and the refund amount to log in. One tip: if you're banking with a smaller credit union like I am, it might take an extra day for the deposit to fully clear compared to the big banks. Also, make sure your tax preparer gave you the right timeline expectations - mine told me 3-5 days but it was much faster. For planning your business expenses, I'd still budget for the conservative 3-4 day window others mentioned, but there's a good chance you'll have access to your funds sooner!

I've been through SBTPG twice now and here's what I've learned - they're actually pretty reliable once you understand the process. The first time I panicked because I didn't realize there would be this extra step, but now I know what to expect. In my experience, SBTPG typically takes 1-2 business days to process and send your refund once they receive it from the IRS. The key is to track it through multiple sources: check the SBTPG website with your SSN and refund amount, sign up for their text notifications, and monitor your bank's pending transactions (not just posted ones). For your business expenses, I'd recommend planning as if the money won't be available for at least 3 business days from when the IRS sends it to SBTPG - that way you're covered even if there are any delays with your specific bank's processing times. Most people get their money faster than that, but it's better to be pleasantly surprised than caught short when you need those funds!