I can definitely help clear this up! VIS and DEN in Box 14 are standard employer codes for vision and dental insurance premiums. Since these were likely deducted from your paychecks on a pre-tax basis (which is typical for employer-sponsored vision and dental plans), you should select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both codes in TurboTax. The good news is that this categorization won't affect your refund amount since the tax savings already happened when your employer calculated your taxable wages throughout the year. TurboTax just needs to know what these codes represent for proper documentation and to ensure everything matches up with IRS records. Don't stress about this being the last step - you're making the right choice by taking the time to categorize them correctly rather than picking something random. Select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both VIS and DEN, and you'll be all set to submit your return!

I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago! Those VIS and DEN codes in Box 14 had me completely stumped too. After doing some research and talking to my HR department, I can confirm what others have said - these are just standard codes for vision and dental insurance premiums that were deducted from your pay. You should definitely select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both VIS and DEN in TurboTax. Since these were almost certainly pre-tax deductions (which is how most employer vision and dental plans work), they've already reduced your taxable income shown in Box 1 of your W-2. The categorization is mainly for record-keeping purposes and won't change your refund amount. I know it feels like a big decision when you're staring at all those dropdown options, but this is actually pretty routine stuff that millions of people deal with every tax season. Don't give in to the temptation to pick something random - you're so close to finishing! Take the extra 30 seconds to select "Health Insurance Premiums" for both codes and you'll be all set. You've got this!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just wanted to add that you can also check if your local library has free tax help services - some of the volunteer tax preparers there have experience with NY state verification letters and might be able to give you guidance while you wait. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you have access to your prior year tax return (especially the AGI amount) since that seems to be one of the most commonly requested pieces of info for identity verification. I learned this the hard way when I couldn't find my 2022 return and had to request a transcript from the IRS first. One last thing - don't panic if the letter takes the full 2 weeks to arrive. The postal service has been slower lately, and NY tax department customer service told me they send these letters via regular mail, not priority. I've been checking my informed delivery every morning to see if it's coming that day. The anticipation is brutal but at least we're all in this together! 😅

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me! The waiting period is definitely nerve-wracking, but in my case it turned out to be much more straightforward than I anticipated. When I got my letter, they were requesting: - Copy of my W-2 (even though I e-filed) - Form DTF-172 for identity verification - A copy of my driver's license - My prior year AGI from my 2022 return The whole process took about 3 weeks from when I submitted everything online to getting my refund deposited. What really helped was having all my documents ready before the letter even arrived - I had everything scanned and ready to upload the same day I got the letter. One thing I wish someone had told me: when you do get the letter, there's a specific deadline mentioned (usually 30 days from the letter date). Don't stress about meeting it exactly, but try to respond within a week or two if possible. The online portal they mention is actually pretty user-friendly and you can track your submission status. Also, definitely sign up for those email alerts - I got notified the moment my refund was approved and it was such a relief! The uncertainty is the worst part, but statistically these verification requests resolve without any major issues. You're probably just caught up in their routine fraud prevention measures. Hang in there!

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This is super helpful. I'm feeling much more confident about handling this now. One quick follow-up question - since I only started with Amazon Vine in September last year, would it make sense to start making quarterly estimated payments now for this year's taxes, or should I wait until I have a better sense of how much I'll receive in products this year? Also, for those who mentioned deducting business expenses - I assume I need to keep receipts for everything, right? Like if I buy a new camera specifically for taking better product photos for my reviews, that would be deductible?

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I've been dealing with Amazon Vine taxes for three years now and one thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything throughout the year. I log each product I receive with its fair market value (from the email Amazon sends), the date received, and what category it falls into. This makes tax time SO much easier because you're not scrambling to figure out what that $3,200 on your 1099-NEC actually represents. Plus, it helps you estimate your quarterly payments more accurately as the year goes on. One tip that saved me money: if you return any Vine products to Amazon (which you're allowed to do), make sure to track those too. The returned items shouldn't be included in your taxable income, but Amazon sometimes includes them in your 1099-NEC anyway. Having documentation of returns can help you adjust your reported income correctly. Also, don't forget that if you donate any Vine products to charity, you can potentially deduct their fair market value as a charitable contribution (separate from your business deductions). Just make sure to get proper documentation from the charity!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My 2023 W2 is also missing the AA code for my Roth 401k contributions, and I've been going back and forth on whether it's worth pursuing. After reading through all these responses, I think I'm going to take the approach of letting the past W2s slide but definitely getting this fixed for 2024 and beyond. The point about future rollovers and job changes really resonates with me - I'd rather have clean documentation when the time comes than scramble to prove contribution types later. One thing I'm wondering about though - has anyone here actually experienced issues during a rollover or job change because of missing AA codes? I'm trying to gauge how much of a real-world problem this creates versus just being a "nice to have" for record-keeping purposes. Also, for those who successfully got their employers to fix this going forward, did you notice any other retirement-related coding issues on your W2s once they started paying closer attention to Box 12? I'm curious if this is often part of a broader pattern of payroll oversights.

I'm actually going through this exact same issue right now with my 2023 W2! My employer also missed the AA code for my Roth 401k contributions, and I've been debating whether to pursue it. After reading all these responses, I think the consensus makes a lot of sense - while it's technically an error that should be corrected, for past years where you've already filed and received your refund, it's probably not worth the administrative hassle since it doesn't change your tax liability. However, I'm definitely going to reach out to my HR department about getting this fixed for 2024 and beyond. The experiences shared here about rollover complications really drive home why having accurate records matters for the long term, even if it doesn't affect current taxes. One question for those who have successfully gotten their employers to correct this - did you find that addressing it early in the year (like now) made the process smoother, or does timing not really matter? I'm wondering if it's better to bring this up now while 2024 payroll procedures are still being finalized, or if payroll departments are equally responsive throughout the year. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding both the technical aspects and the practical implications!

I went through this exact situation two years ago when our rental property's kitchen was damaged by a burst pipe. The confusion is totally understandable because it involves multiple tax concepts that don't always work intuitively together. Your option 3 is definitely the correct approach - don't report the insurance payout as income, and only deduct repair expenses that exceeded what insurance covered. This is the standard treatment for casualty losses on rental properties. Here's what I learned the hard way: keep meticulous records separating what insurance classified as "repairs" versus what you might have upgraded during the process. Insurance companies sometimes pay for "like-kind replacement" but if you chose to upgrade fixtures or materials, those improvement costs need different tax treatment. Also, be careful about depreciation recapture if any of the damaged items were previously depreciated (like appliances or flooring). When insurance reimburses you for depreciated items, there can be tax implications. One thing that saved me a lot of headache was creating a spreadsheet tracking: 1) Insurance payout amount, 2) Actual repair costs, 3) Any improvement costs, 4) Out-of-pocket expenses. This made it crystal clear what I could deduct in the current year versus what needed to be capitalized. The peace of mind of handling it correctly is worth the extra documentation effort!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now after storm damage to my rental property's roof and interior. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the clarification that insurance payouts for property damage aren't taxable income. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else going through this: make sure to get a detailed breakdown from your insurance company showing exactly what they're covering. My adjuster initially lumped everything together as "water damage repair," but when I asked for itemization, it turned out they were covering some items at replacement cost and others at actual cash value (which factors in depreciation). This distinction matters for tax purposes because if insurance pays you actual cash value for a previously depreciated item (like flooring or fixtures), you might need to account for depreciation recapture on the difference between what you originally paid and what insurance reimbursed. Also, don't forget to factor in any insurance deductible you paid - that's typically deductible as a repair expense since it's your out-of-pocket cost for restoring the property. The key takeaway I'm getting from everyone's advice is: document everything, separate repairs from improvements, and only deduct what you actually paid beyond insurance coverage. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so valuable for navigating these complex situations!