Quick question - does anyone know if there are penalties for the employer for not checking Box 13 correctly? My husband's W2 has the same issue and his company is being difficult about issuing a correction. I'm wondering if mentioning potential penalties might get them to take action.

I work in tax compliance and want to emphasize something important that hasn't been fully addressed here. While everyone's right that the IRS cares about actual participation over checkboxes, having mismatched documentation can absolutely trigger audit flags. If your W-2 shows Box 14 retirement contributions but Box 13 isn't checked, and then you report on your tax return that your wife IS covered by a retirement plan (which you should, since it's factually correct), that inconsistency could flag your return for review. The IRS systems do cross-reference these things. Beyond the IRA deduction implications, this could also affect other tax benefits like the Retirement Savings Credit if your income qualifies. Getting the W-2C isn't just about being technically correct - it's about having clean documentation that matches your tax filing. I'd strongly recommend being persistent with HR. Frame it as a compliance issue rather than a personal inconvenience. Most payroll departments understand compliance language better than tax impact language.

I got hit with Code 810 about 6 weeks ago and was losing sleep over it! Turns out it was just because I had multiple W-2s and they needed to verify my income matched what I reported. The not knowing was driving me crazy until I found out about taxr.ai through this community - seriously a game changer! It analyzed my transcript and told me exactly what was being reviewed and gave me a realistic timeline. Cost me $5 but saved me weeks of anxiety and countless hours on hold with the IRS. My freeze actually cleared last week, so there's definitely hope! Hang in there Mei, these 810 codes are super common this year especially with EIC claims. 💪

I've been dealing with Code 810 for about 5 weeks now and it's been such a rollercoaster! Initially I was panicking thinking I did something wrong on my return, but after reading through all these responses I feel so much better knowing it's just routine verification. I filed with EIC and child tax credit so that definitely explains it. The hardest part is just not knowing what's happening or how long it'll take. Seeing everyone mention taxr.ai has me curious - might be worth the $5 just for peace of mind since I've probably lost that much in productivity from constantly worrying about this lol. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences, it really helps to know we're not alone in this! The IRS needs to do better with communication but at least we have this community to support each other through the waiting game 🤝

psst... call your local tax advocate. they can tell you exactly wuts happening

Been dealing with this exact same issue! My transcript shows 846 code but WMR is still stuck on "processing" - it's so frustrating when you need that money ASAP. From what I've learned lurking here, if your transcript doesn't show "DPC" next to the 846 code, you're probably getting a paper check. Also check if there's any freeze codes (like 971 or 570) that might indicate why they switched from DD to check. The IRS systems are definitely not synced up properly between transcript and WMR updates 🙄

I went through this exact situation two years ago and it was definitely frustrating! Just to add some practical advice to what others have shared: When calculating your W-4 adjustment, don't forget to account for the timing. If you're late in the year when you start the new job, you might be overwithholding SS tax for only a few months, so the adjustment per paycheck will be larger than if you had the whole year. Also, keep detailed records of all your paystubs from both employers. When you file your taxes, you'll need to show the total SS tax withheld across all employers on Schedule 3. The IRS computer systems will automatically calculate the overpayment, but having good records makes the process smoother. One thing I learned: if you're getting a large refund due to SS overwithholding, consider adjusting your withholding for the following year too. The IRS withholding calculator can help you optimize this so you're not giving the government an interest-free loan. The Medicare tax situation is separate - each employer will withhold the additional 0.9% Medicare tax once YOUR wages with THAT employer exceed $200K, regardless of your other job. So if you have two jobs paying $150K each, neither employer will withhold the additional Medicare tax even though your combined income exceeds the threshold. You'll owe this when you file your return.

This is a really comprehensive thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and wanted to add one more perspective. I hit the SS limit at my previous job in October and started a new position in November. What I found helpful was creating a simple spreadsheet to track exactly how much SS tax was being overwitheld each pay period at the new job. This made it much easier to calculate the precise W-4 adjustment needed. For anyone in this situation, here's what I learned: You can use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator) which has a specific section for situations like this. It asks about job changes during the year and can calculate the optimal withholding settings to account for SS overwithholding. The estimator recommended I claim additional dependents on my W-4 to reduce income tax withholding rather than trying to manipulate line 4(c). This approach felt more "by the book" and my payroll department was completely comfortable with it. One heads up though - if you're getting a significant refund due to SS overwithholding, you might want to make estimated tax payments for the following year if you expect to owe taxes. The IRS can assess penalties if you don't pay enough during the year, even if it's because you're used to getting large refunds from SS overwithholding.

Just throwing this out there - I made the mistake of NOT including Form 5329 with my tax return in a similar situation (had already mailed it separately). Ended up getting a confusing notice from the IRS 6 months later suggesting I hadn't requested the waiver at all! Had to call and explain everything all over again. Better to include all relevant forms with your tax return, even if redundant. Makes your return complete and consistent. TurboTax is actually doing you a favor by generating it correctly!

Based on all the discussion here, I'm convinced that including the Form 5329 with your tax return is the right move, even though you already submitted one separately. The consistency between both forms (showing the missed RMD amount and requesting the penalty waiver) actually strengthens your case. What really helped me understand this was seeing how other people handled similar situations. The key seems to be that the IRS systems are designed to handle these types of duplicate submissions, and having the form included with your complete tax return creates a more comprehensive record. Since TurboTax is generating the form correctly with the proper notation (missed RMD amount to the side of line 54 and "0" on line 54), I'd go ahead and include it. The worst case scenario is redundancy, which is much better than having an incomplete return that might trigger confusing notices later. Your situation with the December payment not clearing until January is a classic example of reasonable cause, so documenting it consistently across both submissions should work in your favor for the penalty waiver.