One thing nobody's mentioned - if you're getting married, having kids, buying a house, or making other major life changes this year, don't adjust your W4 based solely on last year's refund! Your tax situation will change dramatically.

Great question! I was in a similar boat a few years ago. The key thing to understand is that a large refund means you're essentially giving the government an interest-free loan all year long. Here's what worked for me: I used the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (it's free on their website) and compared my results with my most recent tax return. The tool walks you through each section of the new W4 form step by step. For your situation with $13,500 refunds, you'll likely want to use Step 4(b) to reduce your withholding by roughly $1,000-1,100 per month. But I'd strongly recommend running the numbers through the estimator first rather than guessing - it takes into account your specific filing status, deductions, and income level. One tip: start conservatively. Maybe reduce by $800/month the first time, see how that works out, then adjust again if needed. Better to get a small refund than to owe a big chunk at tax time. You can always update your W4 multiple times throughout the year as your situation becomes clearer.

Any reason you can't just write the correct SSN on the form when you file? I've made corrections to W2s before when my employer made a typo in my address.

This is such a frustrating situation, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by not filing with the incorrect SSN! I work in payroll and can tell you that employers have a legal obligation to provide accurate W2s - their excuse about needing a CPA is ridiculous. Since you're in Alabama, you might also want to file a complaint with the Alabama Department of Labor if the IRS route doesn't work. They can put pressure on employers who aren't complying with tax document requirements. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - when you do contact the IRS, make sure to have your final paystub from that employer handy. They'll likely ask for your total wages and withholdings to verify the information on Form 4852. Also, if your husband received any other tax documents from this employer (like a 1099 if he did any contract work), make sure those have the correct SSN too. Keep fighting this - you're protecting yourself from much bigger problems down the road!

I work in HR (not saying this is right), but we almost never actually verify tax returns with the IRS even when we request them. We mostly just check that they look legitimate on the surface and the numbers align with what the candidate claimed during interviews. The verification process usually focuses more on employment history and education. That said, if someone later discovered the discrepancy, especially if it was substantial, it would probably lead to termination and possibly being blacklisted. Companies typically don't want the hassle of reporting to the IRS unless it's somehow tied to company liability.

Just to add one thing nobody's mentioned - what you did could potentially violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act if you altered digital copies of your returns, especially if you used any kind of software to make the changes. I learned this the hard way after helping a friend "adjust" some documents. It wasn't tax related, but the principle is similar.

Has anyone used the free fillable Form 8606 on the IRS website to create a corrected version? I'm thinking of preparing my own amended return but I'm not sure if I can just do the 8606 myself or if I need to redo everything.

I went through this exact same nightmare with my 2021 taxes! My accountant also left lines 7-12 blank on Form 8606 and tried to take a deduction for what should have been a non-deductible backdoor Roth contribution. What really helped me understand the issue was realizing that Form 8606 serves two purposes for backdoor Roths: Part I tracks your non-deductible contribution basis, and Part II (lines 7-12) reports the actual conversion from traditional to Roth IRA. Both sections are mandatory - you can't just reference a worksheet. I ended up filing Form 1040-X with a corrected Form 8606. The key things I had to fix were: (1) properly completing lines 7-12 to show the conversion amount, (2) removing the incorrect deduction from Schedule 1 Line 20, and (3) including a clear explanation of the backdoor Roth transaction. Don't wait on this - the IRS matching systems will eventually flag the discrepancy between your 1099-R (showing the conversion) and your incomplete Form 8606. Filing the amendment proactively shows good faith and helps avoid potential penalties down the road.

I started a similar channel last year and my accountant told me that since I'm making money from the videos, my materials are "cost of goods sold" basically. But she also said I should keep a log showing how each project was used in videos with links to the actual content. Makes audit protection stronger.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who's been doing content creation for a few years, I want to add that depreciation is another important consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet. For expensive equipment like cameras, editing computers, or major tools, you might need to depreciate them over several years rather than deduct the full cost upfront. Also, don't forget about the home office deduction if you have a dedicated space for editing or storing equipment. Even if it's just a corner of a room used exclusively for your content work, you can deduct a portion of your rent/mortgage and utilities. One more tip - if you're driving to filming locations or picking up materials, track those miles! Business mileage is deductible and it adds up faster than you'd think. I use a simple app to log every trip and it's saved me hundreds on my taxes.