This happened to me just last month! I was pulling my hair out for about 10 days with that same "info doesn't match" error. Filed through H&R Block and kept triple-checking everything - SSN, filing status, refund amount - but nothing worked. Finally broke down and accessed my tax transcript through the IRS website (had to do the whole identity verification thing with the questions about your credit history and past addresses). Took about 15 minutes but SO worth it! Turns out the IRS had made a tiny adjustment to my refund - reduced it by $8 because they recalculated one of my deductions slightly differently. Once I used the adjusted refund amount from my transcript in the WMR tool, it worked immediately and showed my refund had already been approved for direct deposit. Got my money 3 days later! The transcript really is the way to go if you want to see what's actually happening behind the scenes. Way more detailed than WMR and updates more frequently. Don't panic - this is super common during tax season and usually just means there's a small processing adjustment happening that WMR can't communicate properly.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! Filed through FreeTaxUSA on March 2nd and have been getting that frustrating "info doesn't match" error for the past week. Like everyone else here, I've quadruple-checked my SSN, filing status, and refund amount - everything matches my return perfectly. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I had no idea that small IRS adjustments could cause this error. It makes total sense though - if they recalculate even a tiny deduction or credit, WMR would throw this error because the amounts don't match anymore. I'm planning to go through the transcript verification process this weekend based on all the positive experiences shared here. It sounds like that's really the only reliable way to see what's actually happening behind the scenes. The fact that so many people found small adjustments (like $8, $13, $27) that explained their WMR errors gives me hope that it's nothing serious. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is a common system limitation rather than a sign of identity theft or major filing errors. I'll definitely update if the transcript reveals anything interesting!

I've been following this discussion closely and want to share some additional insights from my experience with a similar multiple W-2 situation. While everyone is absolutely correct that you cannot opt out of FICA taxes as a W-2 employee, I discovered one strategy that hasn't been mentioned yet: if your employer offers flexible spending accounts (FSAs) beyond just healthcare, you might be able to increase those contributions to free up cash flow for your 401k. For example, if your company offers a Limited Purpose FSA (for dental/vision expenses) or a Dependent Care FSA (up to $5,000 annually), maxing these out can reduce your taxable income and create more room in your smaller paycheck for 401k contributions. These are often overlooked but can make a meaningful difference when you're trying to squeeze out those final dollars. Also, I want to emphasize something that several people touched on but bears repeating: if you're working with multiple W-2s from the same employer, absolutely verify whether they're using the same EIN. If they are, your employer should be coordinating Social Security withholding across both paychecks. If they're not doing this correctly, you could be significantly overpaying throughout the year rather than getting that relief when you hit the wage base limit. The tracking spreadsheet approach everyone's recommending is spot-on. I'd add that you should also track any bonuses or overtime that might accelerate your timeline for hitting the Social Security wage base - this can really throw off your projections if you're not accounting for it.

This entire thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm in a very similar situation - same employer, multiple W-2s, trying to maximize my 401k contributions - and I was also initially hoping there might be some way to temporarily reduce FICA withholdings. Clearly that's not possible, but the alternative strategies everyone has shared are actually much more practical. I'm particularly drawn to the combination approach that several people have successfully implemented: moving pre-tax deductions between W-2s, creating a detailed tracking spreadsheet for Social Security wage base timing, and strategically adjusting contribution percentages throughout the year rather than trying to maintain a constant rate. The insight about FSAs beyond just healthcare is something I completely overlooked - if I can max out a Dependent Care FSA at $5,000 annually, that's over $400 per month in additional pre-tax savings that could free up room for 401k contributions. Combined with moving my health insurance premiums to the higher-income W-2, this might solve my cash flow issue entirely. One thing I'm curious about: for those who successfully implemented the "back-loading" strategy with dramatically higher contributions in the final months, how did you handle the lifestyle adjustment of suddenly having much less take-home pay? Even with the Social Security wage base relief providing extra breathing room, going from 5% to 25% 401k contributions seems like it would require some serious budgeting discipline in those final months. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences. This thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with complex payroll structures!

My accountant told me that with the per diem LTC policies, you should look at IRS Form 8853 instructions first. There's also a calculation worksheet in there that helps figure out the taxable amount. Don't forget that the per diem limit is adjusted each year for inflation! The 2023 limit was $370, 2024 is $390, and 2025 will be different again. Make sure you're using the correct year's limit when you do your math.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation for my dad's LTC benefits and had no idea about all the additional qualified expenses that could be included. One thing I wanted to add - make sure you also check if your mom had any premium payments for the long-term care insurance policy itself during the year. Depending on her age, a portion of those premiums might be deductible as medical expenses, which could further reduce the taxable portion of the benefits. Also, if she received care from family members who aren't licensed care providers, those payments generally don't count as qualified LTC expenses, so don't include informal care payments in your calculations. The Form 8853 instructions are definitely your best friend here - they walk through the calculation step by step. Good luck with getting this sorted out!

Has anyone actually gotten FreeTaxUSA to correctly calculate the tax credit for income tax withheld on 1042-S? I tried reporting it as suggested here but my refund calculation seems off.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! As a tax resident filing jointly, FreeTaxUSA definitely works for 1042-S reporting, but you need to be careful about a few things that haven't been mentioned yet. First, double-check that your 1042-S shows the correct tax treaty benefits applied (if any). Sometimes universities mess this up even for tax residents. If you see treaty benefits applied when you shouldn't have them as a resident, you'll need to contact your university's payroll office to get a corrected 1042-S. Second, when entering the fellowship income as "Other Income" on Schedule 1 Line 8z as Chloe mentioned, make sure to also check if any of it qualifies for the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit. Fellowship money used for qualified education expenses can sometimes still allow you to claim these credits for other educational expenses you paid out of pocket. Also, since you mentioned HSA contributions - fellowship income actually counts as earned income for HSA contribution purposes, which is great news if you're trying to maximize your HSA contributions for the year. The combination of FreeTaxUSA plus getting official IRS guidance through something like Claimyr (as Sophie mentioned) is honestly your best bet for peace of mind on a complex situation like this.

Great question! I went through this exact situation two years ago when I moved back to Germany but kept my US savings account open. A few additional tips that helped me: 1. Make sure you have Form 1042-S from your bank showing the interest paid - this will help you complete Schedule NEC accurately. 2. Since you're Canadian, definitely claim the treaty benefit on Schedule NEC. The US-Canada treaty typically eliminates tax on bank interest for Canadian residents, so you'll likely owe zero US tax. 3. Keep good records of when you left the US permanently in 2024 - you'll need this date for Schedule OI and it affects your filing requirements. 4. Don't forget that even if you owe no tax due to the treaty, you still need to file the 1040-NR to claim that benefit properly. The process is much simpler than it looks when you only have bank interest. Focus on the personal info, Schedule NEC for the interest income and treaty claim, Schedule OI for the residency info, and you should be good to go!

One thing to be careful about is the timing of when you report the interest income. Since you moved back to Canada in 2024, you'll need to determine if any of the interest was earned while you were still a US resident versus after you became a nonresident. If you were in the US for part of 2024, you might need to file both a resident return (Form 1040) for the period you were in the US and a nonresident return (1040-NR) for the period after you left. This is called a "dual status" year and requires careful attention to the dates. However, if you left early in 2024 and all your bank interest was earned after establishing Canadian residency, then you'd file only the 1040-NR as others have mentioned. The key is documenting exactly when you established Canadian tax residency and ceased being a US tax resident. Also worth noting - even though the Canada-US treaty likely eliminates your US tax liability on the bank interest, you'll still need to report this income on your Canadian tax return since Canada taxes its residents on worldwide income.