Just wanted to add something that might help ease your worries - I work for a tax prep company and we mail hundreds of returns to these IRS processing center addresses every year. That Kansas City address you found is 100% legitimate and complete. The IRS processing centers are massive facilities that are specifically set up to handle millions of tax returns. They don't need traditional street addresses because they essentially function as their own postal destinations. Think of it like how major universities or large corporations sometimes just use their name and zip code. One thing I'd recommend beyond what others have mentioned - if you're really anxious about it getting there safely, you can use USPS Informed Delivery (it's free) to track when your envelope gets delivered. Combined with certified mail, you'll have complete peace of mind that your return arrived at the right place. Also, since you mentioned this is for a previous year, make sure you're checking the penalty and interest calculations. Sometimes people get surprised by how much those can add up, especially if it's been a while since the original due date.

That address format definitely looks weird at first glance, but it's completely legitimate! I had the exact same concern when I first had to mail a return. The IRS processing centers are essentially their own postal facilities, so they don't need traditional street addresses. Just a heads up though - since you mentioned this is for a previous year, make sure you're prepared for potential penalties and interest that may have accumulated. The IRS charges both failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties, plus daily compounding interest. For older returns, these can really add up. I'd also suggest calling the IRS at some point after you mail it to confirm they received it and get a status update. I know their phone lines are notoriously difficult to get through, but it's worth the effort for peace of mind, especially with an older return. You can also check if there are any issues that need to be resolved before your return gets fully processed. Good luck with getting it sorted out!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My employer had my SSN wrong for 5 months before I caught it on my pay stub. I got the same type of IRS compliance letter about a week ago and was honestly panicking. After reading through all these responses, I feel so much better knowing this is fixable and that I'm not alone in dealing with this. The advice about getting everything in writing from HR is spot on - I just sent an email to my payroll department asking for a written timeline of when they'll submit the 941X and W-2c corrections. One thing I wanted to add based on my research - if you have direct deposit, make sure your employer also verifies that your banking information is correct in their system. In my case, when they were entering my SSN wrong, they also had an old bank account number from my initial paperwork. It's worth double-checking all your personal information while they're making corrections. The stress is real when you first get that letter, but seeing how many people have successfully resolved this gives me hope that everything will work out. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what to expect and how to stay on top of the process!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! My employer had two digits swapped in my SSN for nearly a year before I noticed it on a pay stub. I also got one of those IRS compliance letters and was completely freaked out at first. Here's what worked for me: I immediately printed out the IRS letter and brought it directly to my HR manager along with a copy of my Social Security card. I explained that this wasn't just a "fix it going forward" situation - they needed to correct all the previous quarterly filings too. My HR initially seemed casual about it too, but once I mentioned the specific forms (941X for quarterly corrections and W-2c for the annual correction), they realized this was more involved than just updating their payroll system. I think having the exact form names made them take it more seriously. The whole process took about 6-8 weeks to fully resolve, but I didn't have any issues with my tax return the following year. Everything matched up perfectly once the corrections were processed. One thing I'd add - keep detailed records of every conversation you have with HR about this, including dates and what they promised to do. It really helped me stay organized and follow up appropriately when things seemed to be moving slowly. You're going to be fine! This is definitely stressful when it happens, but it's more common than you think and completely fixable with the right steps.

Ok maybe a slightly dumb question but what happens if the grandmother DOES claim these gifts as tax deductions on her return? Will the IRS automatically catch this or would it potentially go unnoticed until an audit?

This is a really common misconception that trips up a lot of people! You're absolutely correct - personal gifts to family members are not tax deductible, even though there's no gift tax owed on amounts under the annual exclusion ($17,000 for 2024). The confusion often comes from mixing up three separate concepts: 1) the annual gift tax exclusion (how much you can give without paying gift tax), 2) income tax deductions (which personal gifts don't qualify for), and 3) charitable deductions (which only apply to qualified organizations, not individuals). Since you mentioned she's planning her taxes around these expected deductions, this could definitely cause problems when she files. She might end up owing more tax than anticipated if she's counting on deductions that don't exist. It's a delicate situation, but maybe you or your partner could gently suggest she double-check with a tax professional before filing, just to be safe?

I went through the exact same thing about 8 months ago with a 12c letter - the anxiety is totally understandable! Here's what worked for me: The 6-8 week timeline is actually pretty realistic if you respond promptly and completely. Mine took exactly 7 weeks from the day I mailed my response to getting the refund deposited. A few tips that saved me stress: 1. Use certified mail with return receipt - you'll get proof of delivery and can track it online 2. Make copies of EVERYTHING before you send it (learned this from horror stories of people having to start over) 3. Write your SSN and the letter reference number on every page you're sending 4. Include a brief cover letter listing everything you're enclosing The "Where's My Refund" tool won't update immediately after they receive your docs, but once it does change status, you're golden. Mine showed "still processing" for weeks, then suddenly updated with my refund date. One thing that really helped my peace of mind was calling the IRS about 4-5 weeks after sending my response. Yes, it's a pain to get through, but the agent confirmed they had received everything and it was being processed. Sometimes you just need that human confirmation! Your $3,800 refund is definitely worth the temporary stress. Hang in there!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Just got my 12c letter yesterday asking for my W2 and I'm honestly pretty nervous about the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really helpful though. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed - should I include a copy of the actual 12c letter they sent me when I mail back my response? The letter itself doesn't specifically say to include it, but I'm wondering if it helps their processing to have the original request attached to my response packet. Also, for those who used certified mail, did you send it to the address printed on the 12c letter or is there a different address for certified mail responses? I want to make sure I'm sending it to the right place since this is my first time dealing with any kind of IRS correspondence. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips - it's really reassuring to know that most people did get their refunds within the 6-8 week window they mentioned!

For anyone still struggling with this, I recorded a quick walkthrough of how to enter stock transactions in FreeTaxUSA: 1. Go to the Federal section 2. Click on Income 3. Scroll down to "Investments" 4. Select "Stocks, Bonds, etc. (Schedule D and Form 8949)" 5. Choose the correct Form 8949 type (usually Box A or B for most brokerage accounts) 6. Enter each transaction individually For meme stock losses specifically, make sure you're tracking your basis correctly. If you bought in multiple batches at different prices, each purchase needs to be tracked separately. Good luck to everyone dealing with their losing meme stocks! At least the tax deduction takes some of the sting out...

Great thread everyone! As someone who also got caught up in the meme stock craze, I can relate to the confusion about reporting these losses. One thing I'd add is to double-check that you're not accidentally mixing up short-term and long-term capital losses in FreeTaxUSA. Most meme stock trades were probably held for less than a year (short-term), so they should go in the short-term section of Schedule D. Short-term losses first offset short-term gains, then long-term gains, and finally up to $3,000 can be deducted against ordinary income. Also, keep good records of everything you enter - screenshot your completed forms before submitting. If you get audited later (unlikely but possible), you'll want to be able to show exactly how you calculated everything. The IRS loves documentation!