I'm so sorry for your loss, Emily. I went through this exact situation when my father passed away earlier this year, and I completely understand the frustration with the SSA's systems. One thing that worked for me was calling the SSA at exactly 8:00 AM when their phone lines open. The wait time was much shorter (about 20 minutes instead of hours), and I was able to speak with a representative who specialized in deceased beneficiary cases. When you call, make sure you have these documents ready: your father's Social Security number, his date of death, your identification showing you're the executor, and the death certificate number (you don't need to mail it, just have the information available). The representative was able to verify everything over the phone and expedite the 1099-SSA to my address. Also, don't forget that if your father received Social Security benefits and had federal taxes withheld, you might also need Form 1042-S if he was receiving benefits while living abroad previously, or if there were any special withholding situations. The whole process took about 7 business days once I got through to the right person. Hang in there - I know it's overwhelming to deal with government agencies while grieving, but you'll get through this.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Emily. I just went through this same situation with my mother's estate a few months ago, and I know how frustrating and overwhelming it can be. One approach that worked well for me was calling the SSA's main number (1-800-772-1213) first thing in the morning around 8:05 AM and asking to speak with someone in "deceased beneficiary services." The wait time was significantly shorter than calling later in the day - about 25 minutes instead of the 2+ hours I experienced when calling in the afternoon. When you do get through, have everything organized: your father's full SSN, his exact date of death, your identification as executor, and the death certificate details. The specialist I spoke with was able to process my request over the phone and mail the 1099-SSA within about 10 business days. Also, if you're worried about missing tax deadlines while sorting this out, remember you can file Form 4868 for an automatic 6-month extension on his final return. This takes a lot of pressure off and gives you time to get all the documents properly. One last tip - if the SSA rep mentions anything about benefit overpayments or discrepancies, ask them to flag it in your case file. Sometimes there are complications that don't show up until you're actually filing the return, and having it noted ahead of time can save you calls later. Hang in there - this process is exhausting but you will get through it. The hardest part is just getting connected to someone who understands these estate situations.

your friend is buggin if he thinks this will work lmaoo. my cousin tried sum similar claiming his gf brother who was locked up. he got the money initially but then boom 6 months later irs sent a letter saying he was getting audited. had to pay everything back plus like $1500 in penalties. tell your boy not to mess with the irs man they don't play around!!

Your coworker is absolutely setting himself up for disaster. I've seen this exact scenario play out multiple times, and it never ends well. The IRS has sophisticated cross-referencing systems that will catch this - they receive data from correctional facilities and will flag returns claiming incarcerated individuals as dependents. Even if the refund gets processed initially (which sometimes happens), the IRS will eventually audit and demand repayment with penalties and interest. The "support test" is crystal clear - when someone is incarcerated, the government (not your friend) is providing their housing, food, medical care, and other basic needs. There's no way your coworker can legitimately claim he's providing more than half of this person's support. The fact that H&R Block's software shows a refund means nothing - tax software only processes the information entered, it can't verify if that information is truthful. Your friend is essentially committing tax fraud, and the IRS takes this very seriously. The $4,000 refund isn't worth the audit, penalties, potential criminal charges, and years of dealing with the IRS. Show him these responses and maybe he'll reconsider before he ruins his financial future over what amounts to theft from the government.

Has anyone used the actual Publication 15-T to verify this? I downloaded it and tried to follow along but the tables are confusing af. There's like 10 different methods depending on if your W-4 is old or new and what payroll system your employer uses.

I had the exact same issue with my semi-monthly paycheck calculations! What finally helped me was realizing that the IRS withholding system uses different formulas than just applying tax brackets directly to your income. The key thing you're missing is that withholding tables already account for the standard deduction and use annualized calculations that are then divided by your pay frequency. Your employer isn't just taking your pay period income and applying tax brackets - they're estimating what your annual tax liability will be and spreading it across all pay periods. Also, since you mentioned having an old W-4 with allowances, your employer is using a conversion method that doesn't work the way you calculated. Each allowance doesn't simply reduce your taxable income by a fixed dollar amount per pay period like it used to. I'd recommend either using the IRS Withholding Estimator online or filling out a new W-4 form. The new system is actually much more straightforward and gives you better control over your withholding amounts. You can even specify exact additional dollar amounts to be withheld if you want to fine-tune it.

Klaus, based on your numbers ($145k expected vs $118k actual Box 1), that $27k difference is likely almost entirely from pre-tax deductions. Here's what probably happened: If you're maxing out your 401(k) at $23,000 for 2024, that alone accounts for most of the difference. Add in health insurance premiums (could easily be $3,000-6,000 annually), HSA contributions if you have one (up to $4,300 for individual coverage), and any other pre-tax benefits, and you'll hit that $27k gap pretty quickly. Your calculation method is correct - Year 2 W-2 should show Year 2 base salary plus Year 1 bonus paid in Year 2. The "missing" money isn't actually missing - it's just that your W-2 Box 1 shows what's federally taxable after all pre-tax deductions, not your gross earnings. Check your final December paystub for Year 2. It should show year-to-date totals for all your pre-tax deductions. Add those up and subtract from your gross pay ($145k) - that should match your Box 1 exactly. This will give you the peace of mind that everything is correct for your financial planning.

Great question Klaus! This is actually a really common source of confusion. Your W-2 Box 1 shows your taxable wages after pre-tax deductions, not your gross income. The most likely culprits for that $27,000 difference are: - 401(k) contributions (2024 limit is $23,000 or $30,500 if 50+) - Health insurance premiums - HSA contributions (up to $4,300 individual/$8,550 family for 2024) - Dental/vision insurance premiums - Flexible spending account contributions To verify everything is correct, grab your last paystub from December 2024 - it should show year-to-date totals for all deductions. Add up all your pre-tax deductions and subtract that from your gross pay ($145,000). That number should match your W-2 Box 1 exactly. This is actually good news for your financial planning - those pre-tax deductions are saving you money on taxes! Just make sure to use the Box 1 amount ($118,000) rather than gross income when calculating your tax liability for planning purposes.

Dylan, you're absolutely right that you should qualify! Since you were never enrolled full-time by your school's definition (12+ credits), the IRS won't consider you a full-time student either. The key is that "full-time" status is determined by your educational institution's standards, not a universal number. Just a heads up though - double-check that you weren't claimed as a dependent on anyone else's tax return (like your parents'), as that would disqualify you regardless of your student status. Also make sure your $3,800 contribution was made by the tax filing deadline to count for that tax year. With your $32k AGI, you'll get a 10% credit rate, so you could be looking at up to $200 back (10% of $2,000 max eligible contribution). Don't forget Form 8880 like Paolo mentioned!

Great question Dylan! I went through this exact same situation last year. The IRS uses your school's definition of full-time enrollment, and since your community college considers 12+ credits full-time, your 9 and 6 credit semesters would classify you as part-time for tax purposes. However, there's one more thing to verify - make sure you weren't enrolled as a full-time student for any part of 5 calendar months during the tax year. It sounds like you were consistently part-time, so you should be good there. With your $32K AGI and single filing status, you'd qualify for the 10% credit rate. On your $3,800 Roth IRA contribution, the maximum eligible amount is $2,000, so you could get up to a $200 credit (10% of $2,000). Just make sure you weren't claimed as a dependent by your parents and that your contributions were made by the tax deadline for that year. The Saver's Credit is definitely worth claiming - it's a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax liability, which is better than a deduction!