Trust your instincts - this is definitely not standard practice and you're right to be concerned. I've been preparing taxes for over 15 years and have never required clients to provide physical copies of their Social Security cards. The SSN itself is all that's needed for tax preparation and filing. Your accountant's explanation about "security purposes" is actually backwards - keeping copies of SS cards creates MORE security risk, not less. If their office is breached or files are stolen, your most sensitive identity documents could be compromised. I'd recommend having a direct conversation with your accountant about this. Ask specifically why they need copies rather than just the numbers, and what their document security protocols are. A legitimate professional should be able to explain their reasoning and should be willing to work with you on alternatives, like verifying the cards in person without keeping copies. If they're unwilling to budge on this unusual request without a valid explanation, that might be a red flag about their practices in general.

I'm glad you're questioning this because your instincts are absolutely correct. As someone who works in financial services, I can tell you that requesting physical copies of Social Security cards is a major red flag. Legitimate tax preparers need your SSN for filing purposes, but they should never need to keep copies of the actual cards. Think about it this way - even banks and mortgage companies typically just need the numbers, not copies of the cards themselves. The IRS certainly doesn't require tax preparers to collect and store copies of SS cards. Your accountant's reasoning about "security purposes" is concerning because it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of data security. Those copies would be stored somewhere (digitally or physically) and could be accessed by office staff, potentially stolen in a break-in, or compromised in a data breach. You're actually LESS secure by providing copies. I'd suggest asking your accountant to cite the specific regulation or professional standard that requires her to collect these copies. If she can't provide that (and she won't be able to because it doesn't exist), then you know this is either poor practice or potentially something more concerning. Trust your gut on this one - find a different tax preparer if she won't work with you on just providing the numbers.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - you definitely need Copy B, not Copy C. The labeling on the W-2 itself is your best guide: Copy B clearly states "To be filed with employee's federal tax return" while Copy C says "For employee's records." I'd recommend sending the whole printed sheet rather than trying to cut it perfectly. When I paper filed two years ago, I sent the entire page and had zero issues. The IRS processors are used to seeing W-2s in all different formats from various payroll systems. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're really unsure about which copy your tax software was referring to, you might want to double-check the software's help documentation or contact their support. Sometimes there can be display errors or the software might be using outdated terminology. But based on official IRS guidance, Copy B is definitely what you need for your federal return. Also, don't forget to sign and date your return before mailing - that's an easy mistake that can delay processing!

I'm a tax preparer and just wanted to jump in to confirm what everyone has been saying - you absolutely need Copy B for your federal return, not Copy C. I see this confusion all the time, especially with clients who are used to e-filing and suddenly have to paper file. One additional tip that might help: when you're organizing your documents for mailing, put them in this order from top to bottom: signed Form 1040, then your W-2 (Copy B or the whole sheet), then any other supporting schedules or forms. This is the order the IRS prefers for processing. Also, if you're worried about your tax software giving you incorrect information about Copy C, you might want to update the software or contact their support team. Most reputable tax software should correctly indicate Copy B for federal filing. The confusion might have come from a display error or if you accidentally selected state filing requirements instead of federal. Good luck with your paper filing! It's definitely more nerve-wracking than e-filing, but you've got all the right information now.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've had just the single 810 code on my transcript for about 3 weeks now, and like everyone else, I was expecting to see other codes appear based on previous years' experiences. I tried the online verification at idverify.irs.gov twice but kept getting error messages saying they couldn't verify my information. I'm planning to call the 800-830-5084 number tomorrow morning. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully completed phone verification, did you need to have your actual tax return documents in front of you during the call, or was having last year's AGI and basic info sufficient? Also, I noticed some people mentioned that transcripts update on Fridays - is that a reliable pattern for seeing changes after verification is complete? I'm trying to figure out the best days to check for updates so I don't drive myself crazy refreshing daily! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here. It's such a relief to know this is normal for 2024 and not some unique problem with my return.

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! I've had only the 810 code on my transcript for about 5 weeks now, and I was starting to panic thinking something was seriously wrong with my return. Reading everyone's experiences here has helped me understand that this is actually the new normal for identity verification in 2024. I successfully completed phone verification about 10 days ago after calling 800-830-5084. The agent was helpful and confirmed that the isolated 810 code meant my return never entered normal processing - it was flagged for identity verification right from the start. She told me to expect 6-9 weeks for processing to resume after verification, which aligns with what others have shared here. One thing I learned during my call that might help others: they asked me not just for my prior year AGI, but also for specific line items from my current return (like total wages and withholdings). Having my actual tax documents in front of me definitely made the process smoother. The verification itself only took about 15 minutes once I got through to an agent. Now I'm in the waiting phase like many of you. My transcript still shows just the 810 code, but I'm checking every Friday morning for updates based on the advice here. It's frustrating not knowing exactly when things will move, but at least I understand the process now thanks to this community!

I've been following this discussion and wanted to add my perspective as someone who dealt with a very similar joint account situation with my elderly parents about 18 months ago. The consensus here is absolutely correct - since you're already a joint owner on the account, transferring money to your personal account isn't considered a gift for tax purposes. You're essentially moving funds you already have legal ownership of, even if the practical understanding is that it's your parents' money. What I found most helpful was creating what I called a "family financial summary" before doing any transfers. I documented: - All expenses I had paid for my parents (with dates, amounts, and categories) - The source of funds for each expense (my personal accounts, credit cards, etc.) - A running total of what I was "owed" - A simple statement signed by my parents acknowledging the debt When I finally did the transfer (about $95K in my case), I had this summary ready along with a one-page reimbursement agreement. My accountant was impressed with the organization and said it would easily satisfy any IRS questions if they ever came up. One practical tip - I did the transfer in two parts about a month apart, not because of any tax requirement, but because it felt less overwhelming to handle the bank's questions in smaller chunks. Both transfers went smoothly once I explained they were family reimbursements. The peace of mind from having everything properly documented was completely worth the effort. You're being smart to think through the tax implications beforehand!

I've been reading through all these responses and they're really helpful! I'm actually in an almost identical situation - my parents added me to their account for convenience, I've been covering their medical and living expenses, and now they want to reimburse me. One thing I want to emphasize that several people touched on but is worth repeating: the timing of your documentation matters. Create that written agreement BEFORE you do the transfer, not after. I made the mistake of doing my transfer first and then scrambling to create documentation afterward when my tax preparer asked about it. Also, regarding the bank flagging large transfers - in my experience with a $78K transfer last year, having a simple one-page explanation ready made all the difference. I literally wrote "Transfer represents reimbursement for medical and care expenses paid by [my name] on behalf of parents [their names] during 2022-2023. See attached expense summary." The bank representative appreciated the clarity and processed everything smoothly. The consensus here is solid - since you're already a joint account holder, this isn't a gift tax situation. But documentation is your friend. Keep those receipts, get that signed agreement, and you'll sleep much better knowing everything is properly recorded. Good luck with your situation! It sounds like you've been an amazing support for your parents.

One thing that helped me when I was confused about this - make sure you're looking at your Uber driver dashboard for the year-end tax summary. It breaks down exactly what you earned vs. what passengers paid (which is what shows on the 1099-K). The difference is huge - my 1099-K showed like $12,000 but I actually only earned about $8,500 after Uber's fees. You'll want to report the full 1099-K amount as income in the Self-Employment section, then deduct all of Uber's commissions and fees as business expenses. Also don't forget about tolls if you paid any - those are deductible too. FreeTaxUSA makes it pretty easy once you know to look under Self-Employment Income instead of trying to find a specific 1099-K form entry.

For anyone still struggling with this, I just went through the exact same thing with my Lyft 1099-K last week. What finally worked for me was going to the "Income" tab in FreeTaxUSA, then selecting "Business Income" (not "Other Income" like I initially tried). When it asks what type of business, select "Transportation" or "Other Services" - both work fine for rideshare driving. Then you'll get to a page where you can enter your total income from the 1099-K. The key thing everyone's mentioning about expenses is crucial - I almost forgot to deduct the platform fees until I saw these comments! Make sure you download your annual earnings summary from Uber's driver portal. It'll show you exactly how much they took in commissions, which you can deduct under "Other Business Expenses" in the expenses section. Also keep in mind that if you drove for multiple platforms (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, etc.), you can combine all the income and expenses on one Schedule C rather than filing separate ones for each platform.