Similar thing happened to me - found out the small business I worked for had closed down, which is why I never got a W-2. I used the address from my paystub and sent a letter requesting my W-2 that got returned as undeliverable. Called the IRS, and they suggested filing Form 4852 (substitute W-2) based on my last paystub. I was missing some info though, like the employer's EIN, so I had to estimate some parts. Even with the estimates, my return was processed without issues and I got my refund about 3 weeks later. Just make sure to check "yes" to the question about having all your tax forms before filing if you're using tax software. You can explain the missing W-2 situation and use the substitute form.

Hey Sean! I actually had a very similar situation with a short-term job where the employer never sent my W-2. Here's what I learned from the experience: First, definitely try contacting the coffee shop one more time - sometimes small businesses are just disorganized rather than deliberately ignoring you. If that doesn't work, you have a few good options: 1. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 (as Zara mentioned) - they can contact the employer and help you get Form 4852 2. File Form 4852 yourself using your last paystub - this is totally legitimate and the IRS accepts it as a W-2 substitute Since you mentioned you're expecting a refund from other jobs, you'll definitely want to include this income to avoid any issues later. Even though the amount is small, the IRS systems do flag missing W-2s when they have records from employers. The key is having your last paystub - it shows your total earnings and any withholdings, which is exactly what would be on your W-2. Don't stress too much about it, this happens more often than you'd think and there are established processes to handle it!

As someone who's been through the independent contractor learning curve, I want to emphasize something that might ease your stress a bit: you're not alone in this confusion, and the fact that you're asking these questions now puts you way ahead of where most people are when they start! One thing that helped me tremendously was treating my first year as a learning experience. Even if you don't get everything perfect with your quarterly payments, the IRS understands that estimates are just that - estimates. As long as you're making good faith efforts to pay what you owe, you won't face major penalties. For the W-9 itself, it's honestly the easiest part of this whole process. The museum just needs your basic info so they can send you a 1099 at year-end. The real work is in the financial planning and record-keeping that others have mentioned. Consider setting up a simple system from day one: separate bank account for business income, spreadsheet or app for tracking expenses, and automatic transfers to your "tax savings" account with each payment. Future you will thank present you for being organized! You've got this - and this community is here to help when you have questions along the way.

Welcome to the independent contractor world, Amina! I made this same transition a few years ago and remember feeling completely overwhelmed by all the tax responsibilities. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about the W-9 form (which really is just basic info) and setting aside 25-30% for taxes. One thing I'd add that saved me a lot of stress: consider making your first quarterly payment a bit higher than calculated, just to be safe. When I started, I was so worried about underpaying that I rounded up my first few quarterly payments by $100-200. Any overpayment just becomes a refund or credit toward the next quarter. Also, don't be afraid to call the IRS Taxpayer Assistance line if you have specific questions about your situation. Yes, the wait times can be brutal (which is why some folks here mentioned Claimyr), but the agents are actually quite helpful for basic contractor tax questions. Since you're doing research work, you'll probably have more legitimate business deductions than you realize - conference fees, professional journals, software subscriptions, even the portion of your internet bill used for work. Start tracking everything now, even small expenses. They add up! The learning curve feels steep at first, but once you get your system down, it becomes second nature. You're being proactive by asking these questions upfront, which means you're already on the right track!

Did you check the specific date you selected for the withdrawal when filing? TurboTax lets you choose a withdrawal date up to the filing deadline. If you didn't specifically change it, it probably defaulted to withdrawing right away, but you might have accidentally set a future date.

Just wanted to follow up with my experience for anyone else in a similar situation. I ended up checking my TurboTax account more carefully like Chloe suggested, and sure enough, I had accidentally selected a withdrawal date about 10 days after filing instead of immediate withdrawal. Once I realized that, I was able to relax and stop obsessively checking my bank account every day! The money was withdrawn exactly on the date I had originally selected. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one - definitely worth double-checking your selected payment date before panicking about processing times. Thanks everyone for all the helpful suggestions and resources. This community is great for getting real-world experiences with tax issues!

Sharing a tip that worked for me: If you keep getting a busy signal when faxing the Cincinnati office, try the Ogden, UT fax number instead (855-641-6935). I know technically you're supposed to use the office assigned to your region, but in a pinch, any processing center can handle your SS4. Got my EIN within 10 business days even though I'm in the Cincinnati jurisdiction. The IRS just wants the form - they don't actually care which fax machine receives it.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for my new consulting business! After reading through all these suggestions, I ended up trying the early morning fax approach that Kaiya mentioned. Set my alarm for 5 AM Eastern and tried faxing at 5:15 AM - it went through on the first try! For anyone still struggling, here's what I learned: The Cincinnati fax lines are absolutely swamped between 8 AM and 5 PM, but there's a sweet spot between 5-7 AM Eastern when most people aren't trying yet. Also, make sure you're using the current fax number (855-641-6935 for Cincinnati) - apparently some of the numbers floating around online are outdated. One more tip: if your fax keeps timing out, try reducing the transmission speed on your fax machine. Some of the older IRS fax equipment can't handle high-speed transmissions during peak times. Saved me a lot of frustration once I figured that out!

Word of warning - I special depreciated a new water heater on my rental in 2021 and my tax software let me do it correctly, but then in 2022 when I had to replace a stove, the software got confused about my "method" and flagged it as an inconsistency. Fixed it eventually but it was a headache. Make sure you keep REALLY good records of what assets you applied bonus depreciation to vs regular depreciation. Your future self will thank you! I now keep a spreadsheet with all assets, purchase dates, costs, and which depreciation method I used.

Great question about bonus depreciation! Just to add another perspective - I went through this exact decision last year with a $15k roof replacement. I ended up taking the bonus depreciation because my income was unusually high that year due to a consulting contract. One thing that helped me decide was running the numbers both ways. I calculated the present value of the tax savings from taking the full deduction now vs spreading it over 27.5 years. With my tax rate and the time value of money, taking it all upfront saved me about $800 in real terms. Also worth noting - if you're doing any other major improvements this year (windows, flooring, etc.), you might want to coordinate the timing. Sometimes it makes sense to bunch deductions in high-income years and spread them out in lower-income years for optimal tax planning. Your accountant will definitely want to review this when they get back, but the software isn't wrong - you do have the option!