Can't you just file Form 8082 "Notice of Inconsistent Treatment" with your tax return? That way you can still file using the W-2 they gave you, but notify the IRS that you believe your status should actually be partner not employee. I did this when my S-corp gave me a 1099 when they should have given me a W-2. It flags to the IRS that you're aware of the issue and aren't trying to hide anything.

I've been through a similar situation with profit interests at my LLC employer. Here's what I learned after working through it with a tax professional: First, you're absolutely right that profit interest holders are typically treated as partners for tax purposes, which means you should receive a K-1 instead of a W-2. The fact that you filed an 83(b) election actually reinforces this - that election is specifically for equity compensation that creates partnership status. For your immediate steps: 1. Don't file with just the W-2. You need to work with your employer to get this corrected first. 2. Approach your employer with documentation about profit interest tax treatment. Many small LLCs genuinely don't understand this requirement. 3. Request that they issue you a corrected K-1 for the period after you received the profit interests. 4. You'll likely need to file an amended payroll return with them to correct the withholding vs. self-employment tax issue. Regarding your 401k contributions - this is a red flag. Partners typically can't participate in employee benefit plans. Those contributions may need to be reversed and moved to a partner-appropriate retirement account. Your instinct about giving up the profit interests might be smart if they're minimal. Partnership taxation is complex, and international moves make it exponentially worse. The administrative burden often outweighs small equity stakes. One alternative to explore: ask if your company would consider restructuring using a management company approach, where you remain a W-2 employee of a management entity but hold equity in the underlying LLC. This preserves employee benefits while giving you upside. Bottom line: get professional help now before filing. This isn't something to DIY.

Has anyone successfully used the Chase offer for TurboTax this year? I'm seeing conflicting information. Some people say it's only for the online version, while others claim they got it to work for the download.

I had the same confusion last year with a similar bank promotion. From my experience, these partnership offers (Chase, Bank of America, etc.) are almost always structured for the online version only because of how the tracking and discount application works through their portals. The reason is that when you click through from Chase's website, it creates a session that TurboTax Online can recognize and apply the discount to automatically. The desktop software purchases go through a completely different system that doesn't have this integration. If you really want the desktop version, I'd recommend checking if Chase has any general "shop through our portal" cashback offers that might apply to software purchases, or look for the desktop version discounts directly from retailers like Costco or Amazon as others mentioned. Sometimes the retail discounts on desktop versions end up being comparable to or better than the online promotional offers anyway.

I went through this exact same nightmare two years ago as a single mom with three kids. The W-4 transition has been absolutely brutal for single parents because most employers are still using outdated systems or forms while applying the new withholding calculations. What saved me was being really aggressive about getting the correct form from HR and making sure they understood I needed the current W-4, not the old one with allowances. I had to escalate to the payroll manager because the first HR person kept giving me the old form and insisting "it's the same thing." Some practical tips that helped me: - Print out the current W-4 from the IRS website and bring it to HR if they don't have it - Emphasize that you're Head of Household, not Single - this is huge for withholding calculations - Don't be afraid to add extra withholding in Step 4(c). I add $125 per paycheck and it's been perfect - Keep your pay stubs and check that the withholding actually changes after you submit the new form For your current $1,300 debt, the IRS installment agreement is definitely the way to go if you can't pay it all at once. I set up a 6-month payment plan and it was really manageable. The frustrating part is that with four kids and $87k income, you should absolutely be getting a substantial refund. Once you get this sorted out properly, next year should be completely different. Hang in there - this transition has been terrible but it's fixable!

I'm a tax preparer and I see this exact situation constantly - you're absolutely not alone in this mess! The W-4 overhaul in 2020 created a perfect storm for single parents because the old "claim zero" strategy completely backfired under the new system. Here's what's happening: When you claimed "0 allowances" on the old form, you were actually telling the system to withhold taxes as if you're single with NO dependents, which is the highest withholding rate. But with four kids, you should qualify for significant tax credits that drastically reduce your actual tax liability. The withholding system just isn't accounting for those credits properly. Your actual tax situation is probably fine - it's purely a withholding calculation problem. With four dependents and $87k income, you should indeed be getting money back, not owing $1,300. Immediate action items: 1. Get the current W-4 form (2020 or later) - no "allowances" section at all 2. File as Head of Household (not Single) - this alone will help significantly 3. Complete Step 3 for all four dependents - this is crucial for proper withholding 4. Add extra withholding in Step 4(c) - I'd suggest $150-200 per paycheck as a buffer The silver lining is that once you fix this, next year should be completely different. With four qualifying children, you're looking at substantial Child Tax Credits that should result in a nice refund instead of owing money. This transition period has been brutal, but it's absolutely fixable!

Has anyone successfully submitted alternative documentation instead of the 1095-B to the IRS? I'm in a similar situation but worried they'll reject anything that's not the official form.

I went through this exact same situation last year with a different insurance company that discontinued their short-term plans. Here's what ultimately worked for me: 1. Request a "Certificate of Creditable Coverage" instead of asking for a 1095-B. This is a different type of document that insurance companies are required to provide when you lose coverage, and it serves as proof of insurance for tax purposes. 2. If BCBS still refuses, ask them to escalate to their compliance department. Short-term plans may not issue 1095-B forms, but they're still required to provide proof of coverage documentation upon request. 3. Document everything - keep records of your calls, reference numbers, and the names of representatives who told you they can't provide documentation. This creates a paper trail showing you made good faith efforts. 4. When you submit to the IRS, include a cover letter explaining that you maintained continuous coverage but the insurance company cannot provide the standard form due to the plan type being discontinued. Attach your payment records, policy documents, and any correspondence from BCBS. The IRS is generally reasonable when you can demonstrate continuous coverage and show you've made legitimate attempts to get the proper documentation. They're more concerned with whether you had qualifying coverage than the specific form number.

ALSO make sure to check if the fake return reported any gig work (like Uber, DoorDash, etc). My niece had someone file a return showing small amounts of gig income using her SSN. Later we found out someone had created accounts with multiple gig services using her identity! We only discovered it because she tried to actually sign up for DoorDash herself and was told she already had an account. The scammer was running deliveries under her name and SSN, which generated the 1099 forms that showed up on the tax return.

This is absolutely frustrating and I feel for your situation. One angle that hasn't been mentioned yet is that the scammer might be using your daughter's SSN to establish a "clean" tax history before attempting larger fraud schemes. By filing a legitimate-looking return with minimal income, they create a paper trail that makes future fraudulent filings seem more credible to automated IRS systems. Another possibility is that this is connected to synthetic identity fraud - they might be combining your daughter's real SSN with fake personal information to create entirely new identities for credit applications or other financial fraud. The tax return helps validate the SSN as "active" in government systems. I'd strongly recommend requesting a Social Security earnings statement for your daughter online at ssa.gov to see if any employers have reported wages under her SSN that you don't recognize. This could reveal if someone is working under her identity beyond just the tax filing. Also, since they used your actual address, consider that someone with access to your mail or neighborhood might be involved. It's worth checking if any tax documents were mailed to your address that you didn't expect - sometimes scammers file returns hoping to intercept refund checks or IRS correspondence. The IP PIN that others mentioned is crucial - get that set up immediately for next year's filing season.