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Dealt with this exact situation when I worked for a company based in New York but I worked remotely from Florida. My W-2 had the NY address but I never set foot in NY for work. The important thing is where you physically worked, not the address on the W-2. If your paystubs show state withholding for MD and VA, then those are the states you file in. Ignore the DE address completely. When you input your W-2 in TurboTax, there should be an option somewhere to indicate that you worked in a different state than what's listed on your W-2.
As someone who works in payroll administration, I can confirm what others have said - this is unfortunately very common. Many companies use their headquarters address on all W-2s regardless of where employees actually work, which creates confusion. The key thing to remember is that state tax obligations follow the "source rule" - you owe taxes where you earned the income, not where your employer is located. Since you physically worked in VA for part of the year and MD for part of the year, those are your filing states. A few practical tips for your situation: - When TurboTax asks about your work location, override what it assumes from the W-2 address - Make sure your state withholding amounts (Box 17) match what was actually taken from your paychecks - Keep copies of your paystubs as backup documentation in case either state questions your filing You're absolutely right to be careful about this - getting it wrong can result in penalties or having to file amendments later. But don't stress too much - the states deal with these employer address mismatches all the time and your situation is straightforward once you know the rules.
This is super helpful, thank you! I'm new to dealing with multi-state taxes and this whole situation has been really stressful. Just to make sure I understand correctly - even though both my W-2s show Delaware in Box 15, I should file a Virginia nonresident return for my January-May income and a Maryland resident return for all my income with a credit for Virginia taxes paid? And I don't need to do anything with Delaware at all? Also, when you mention keeping paystubs as backup documentation - should I be worried that the states might audit me or ask questions because of the address mismatch on my W-2s? I've never had to deal with anything like this before and want to make sure I'm covering all my bases.
Has anyone tried going to a tax professional instead of using TurboTax for this duplicate SSN problem? I'm wondering if they have better ways of resolving it or if they just tell you to paper file too.
I'm an enrolled agent (tax pro), and unfortunately, we face the same e-filing blocks that TurboTax does. The IRS system automatically rejects any e-filed return with an SSN that's already been used. However, a good tax pro might be able to help determine WHY it's happening and give better guidance on resolving it compared to TurboTax's generic advice.
Thanks for the insider perspective! I was hoping there might be some special tax pro workaround, but it sounds like the IRS system is the bottleneck regardless of how you file. I guess I'll try some of the other suggestions here first before paying for professional help that might end with the same paper filing recommendation.
I went through this exact nightmare last year! Here's what finally worked for me after weeks of frustration: First, call the Social Security Administration (not the IRS) at 1-800-772-1213 to verify your nephew's SSN is correct and there are no issues with his Social Security record. Sometimes there are name/SSN mismatches in their system that cause the duplicate error. Second, if that checks out clean, you'll likely need to file Form 8948 (Preparer Explanation for Not Filing Electronically) along with your paper return. This form specifically addresses situations where e-filing is rejected due to duplicate SSN issues. The frustrating truth is that when someone else has already filed using that SSN (whether legitimately or fraudulently), the IRS computer system has no way to determine which filer is correct - it just blocks all subsequent attempts. Paper filing forces a manual review where they can sort it out. One silver lining: if it turns out to be fraud, you might qualify for expedited processing of your paper return. Make sure to include a cover letter explaining the situation and any documentation you have proving your right to claim your nephew (custody papers, school records, etc.). Good luck - I know how maddening this process is!
This is incredibly helpful advice! I had no idea about calling Social Security Administration first - that's such a smart step that nobody else mentioned. The Form 8948 suggestion is also really valuable. Quick question - when you filed with Form 8948, did you have to wait the full processing time or did they actually expedite it? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth gathering all that custody documentation or if it won't actually speed things up. Also, did you ever find out what caused the duplicate SSN issue in your case? Thanks for sharing such detailed steps - this gives me hope that there's actually a systematic way to handle this mess!
If you filed with a major tax service like TurboTax, H&R Block, or TaxAct, you might also be able to log into your account on their websites and access your filing history. I discovered I could download my last 7 years of returns from TurboTax even though I thought those records were gone!
That's actually super helpful! I think I used TurboTax for at least some of those years. I'm going to try logging in with my old email addresses and see what I can find. Maybe I won't need to go through the IRS after all if I can piece enough together from the tax prep sites. Thanks for the suggestion!
One more tip that saved me a ton of time - if you're still missing some years after checking the tax prep sites, consider reaching out to former employers from those years. HR departments often keep records of W-2s they issued, and some will provide copies if you explain it's for a mortgage application. I was able to get W-2s from 2017-2018 this way when I couldn't find my copies anywhere. Even if you can't get the actual tax returns, having the W-2s can help you reconstruct your income history and verify what you should be seeing on the IRS transcripts.
That's a brilliant suggestion about contacting former employers! I never would have thought of that. Quick question though - do you know if there's typically a fee when requesting old W-2 copies from HR departments? Also, how far back do most companies usually keep those records? I'm wondering if this approach would work for my 2017-2018 records or if that might be too old for some employers to still have on file.
Don't overthink this! Just split the difference by claiming "single, 0 dependents" on both jobs and adding extra withholding on the higher paying job. I did this for years and it worked fine. The tax brackets jump pretty significantly around 100k so having both jobs pushes you into higher rates that neither job accounts for alone.
I went through this exact same situation last year with two jobs totaling around $140k, and I can definitely relate to the stress! Here's what worked for me: The key thing to understand is that each employer calculates withholding as if their job is your only income. So with $73k + $64k, you're actually in a much higher tax bracket than either employer realizes. I ended up using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (it's free on irs.gov) and it was actually pretty accurate despite seeming complicated at first. For your income level, you'll likely need to have additional withholding from one job - probably around $400-500 per month based on my experience. In ADP and Workday, look for these sections: - Step 2(c): Check the "Multiple Jobs" box on BOTH forms - Step 4(c): Add the extra withholding amount on your HIGHER paying job only Don't add extra withholding to both jobs or you'll way overwithhold. I made that mistake initially and got a huge refund, which isn't ideal either. If the online tools are still confusing, honestly your HR departments should be able to help you navigate their specific systems. Most have dealt with this before since multiple jobs are pretty common now. You've got this! Better to figure it out now than get surprised at tax time.
This is super helpful, thank you! I'm in almost the exact same boat with similar income levels. Quick question - when you say add $400-500 per month in extra withholding, is that on top of what they're already withholding normally? Also, did you notice any issues with timing since I'm starting this mid-year rather than at the beginning of the year?
Anastasia Kuznetsov
Anyone know if the IRS actually cross-references the 1095-C info with your tax return? Like if the 1095-C says I had coverage but I accidentally clicked "no coverage" on my tax form, will that trigger something?
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Sean Fitzgerald
ā¢They potentially could since employers submit this info to the IRS, but currently the IRS isn't enforcing the individual mandate penalties at the federal level. Some states still have their own penalties though (CA, MA, NJ, RI, and DC I think?). If you're in one of those states, you might want to correct that.
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Makayla Shoemaker
Just want to echo what everyone else is saying to put your mind at ease - you're totally fine! I had the exact same panic last year when I found my 1095-C after filing. Called my tax preparer in a frenzy and she laughed and said "that's just a receipt, honey." The 1095-C is basically proof that you had employer health insurance coverage, but your employer already reported that info to the IRS separately. Think of it like keeping a receipt for a purchase - it's good to have for your records, but you don't send the receipt back to the store. Since your return was already accepted, that's actually a good sign that everything matched up correctly on the IRS end. If there had been a discrepancy, you likely would have heard about it during processing. Keep that 1095-C with your tax documents for this year, but no need to do anything else. Your refund should come through just fine!
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Freya Pedersen
ā¢Thank you so much for this reassurance! The "receipt" analogy really helps me understand it better. I was spiraling thinking I'd messed up my first year filing with employer insurance, but hearing from someone who went through the exact same thing makes me feel so much better. I'll definitely keep the 1095-C with my other tax docs for this year. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this - this community is awesome for newcomers like me who are still learning the ropes!
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