Has anyone successfully e-filed in this situation? I'm wondering if reporting partial 1099 income that belongs to someone else's SSN might cause the e-file to be rejected, or if I need to file by mail with attachments explaining the situation.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now with my Herbalife business during my divorce proceedings. What really helped me was creating a detailed spreadsheet showing exactly how we split the work and expenses throughout the year - things like who attended training events, who maintained customer relationships, who paid for inventory, etc. This documentation became crucial when determining our income split percentage. We ended up with a 65/35 split rather than 50/50 because I handled most of the customer service and product orders. My tax preparer said having this level of detail would be invaluable if the IRS ever questioned our separate filings. One thing I'd add - make sure you coordinate with your spouse about who's claiming which business expenses. We almost double-claimed some training costs because we weren't communicating well during the separation. Document everything and keep copies of all receipts with notes about who actually paid for what.

Have you considered what happens if you can't get this resolved before the filing deadline? Like trying to navigate a ship through foggy waters without proper navigation equipment, you might need to file for an extension using Form 4868. This buys you until October 15th, though it's worth noting that any taxes owed are still due by the original deadline - the extension is just for paperwork, not payment. Has your employer given any indication of why they're delaying sending your W-2?

I went through this exact situation two years ago when my former employer merged with another company and their HR department was completely overwhelmed. Here's what worked for me: 1. **Document everything** - Keep records of every email, call, and attempt to contact your employer. The IRS representative will ask for this timeline. 2. **Try the employer one more time** - Send a certified letter requesting your W-2, mentioning the legal requirement (employers must provide by January 31st). Sometimes the formal approach gets results. 3. **Call early and be persistent** - I had success calling the main IRS line at exactly 7:00 AM on a Tuesday. Took about 45 minutes on hold, but I got through. 4. **Have your information ready** - When you do reach someone, have your SSN, employer's EIN (if you know it), last known address of employer, and your final paystub handy. The IRS can initiate contact with your employer, but as others mentioned, you'll likely need Form 4852 to actually file your taxes. Don't wait too long - if you're getting close to the deadline, file the extension and keep working on getting the W-2. The stress isn't worth trying to rush everything at the last minute.

Let me clear something up about these codes - they're not as scary as they seem! The 570 is just a temporary hold while they review something, and the 971 is just them telling you about it. I had this last year and was panicking like I was being audited by the FBI or something 😂 Turned out they just fixed a math error I made. The letter took about 3 weeks to arrive, and my refund was actually MORE than I expected. Just keep checking your transcript - look for a 571 code (that means the 570 hold was released) and an 846 code (that's your refund date).

I totally feel your stress! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago with my first time filing with dependents too. The waiting is honestly the worst part, especially when you're counting on that money for important things like your kids' activities. From my experience, the 570/971 combo usually resolves faster than the 60 days they quote you. Mine took about 25 days total - got the letter around day 18, and then the refund hit my account 7 days later. The letter explained they had corrected a small error with my Child Tax Credit calculation and actually INCREASED my refund by $340! A few tips that helped me stay sane during the wait: 1) Check your transcript on Fridays - that's when they typically update, 2) Don't call again unless it's been over 30 days (saves you the headache of long hold times), and 3) Keep an eye out for codes 571 (hold released) and 846 (refund date) on your transcript. Hang in there - you're still well within the normal timeframe, and chances are good this will work out in your favor! 🤞🏾

Has anyone figured out if there's a better way to handle client reimbursements that DOESN'T result in them showing up on your 1099? I'm in the same boat and it creates so much extra work at tax time.

Another approach that's worked well for me is setting up an "accountable plan" arrangement with clients. This requires the client to agree in writing that you'll only be reimbursed for actual business expenses with proper receipts, and you have to return any excess advances. Under an accountable plan, reimbursements aren't considered income to you and shouldn't appear on your 1099-NEC at all. The key requirements are: (1) expenses must have a business connection, (2) you must substantiate expenses with receipts within 60 days, and (3) you must return any excess reimbursement within 120 days. This eliminates the whole "report as income then deduct" dance entirely. I've found most professional clients are willing to set this up once you explain it reduces paperwork for both parties. Just make sure to document the arrangement properly - a simple email agreement outlining the accountable plan rules is usually sufficient. For existing clients where this isn't feasible, the advice others have given about meticulous record-keeping is spot on. But for new client relationships, definitely consider proposing an accountable plan structure from the start.

I was in the exact same situation last month. WMR showed February 12th as my date, and the check arrived in my mailbox on February 18th. I'm also military (Fort Liberty). What worked for me was setting up USPS Informed Delivery - it showed me a scan of the envelope the day before it arrived. The IRS uses a very distinctive envelope that's easy to spot. If your WMR says March 15th, I'd expect it between March 20-22nd depending on your location.

Just wanted to add another data point - I'm also military (stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord) and got my paper check last year. WMR showed March 8th, and it arrived March 14th - exactly 6 days later. One thing I learned is that if you're in temporary lodging on base, make sure the front desk knows you're expecting an important piece of mail. They sometimes hold government checks separately from regular mail for security reasons. Also, if you haven't already, definitely sign up for USPS Informed Delivery like others mentioned - it saved me from worrying every day about whether it was coming!