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Just a heads up - don't forget that even though your fiancee might not owe federal income tax because the prize value is below the standard deduction, she could still be on the hook for self-employment tax if this is considered self-employment income (like if she's a Mary Kay consultant herself). Self-employment tax kicks in once you make $400 or more in self-employment income, which is way lower than the standard deduction threshold. That includes the 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare that normally gets withheld from a W-2 job's paycheck.
Does winning a trip as a customer count as self-employment though? I thought self-employment was only if you're actually selling stuff or providing services. The post says she won it through her consultant, which makes it sound like she's just a customer who entered some kind of contest?
You're right about the distinction. If she's just a customer who won a prize, then it would be reported as "Other Income" on Schedule 1, not subject to self-employment tax. The key is how the 1099-MISC is filled out - Box 3 is for "Other Income" like prizes and awards, while Box 1 would be for self-employment income. The OP should check which box on the 1099-MISC has the amount listed. If it's in Box 3, then it's just regular income (not subject to self-employment tax). If it's in Box 1, then Mary Kay might be incorrectly classifying it as self-employment income.
Did you guys enter this trip as a prize when filing, or as a gift? Because I think gifts aren't taxable to the recipient (the giver pays any gift tax). Maybe there's a way to argue this was a gift from the Mary Kay consultant rather than a prize?
That's unfortunately not going to work. The IRS has very clear rules distinguishing gifts from prizes. A gift must be given out of "detached and disinterested generosity" with no expectation of benefit to the giver. When a company like Mary Kay gives a trip through a promotion or contest, it's clearly for business purposes (advertising, client retention, etc.), so it's a prize, not a gift. The 1099-MISC confirms this classification. Trying to reclassify it as a gift would likely raise red flags with the IRS.
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Just to add some clarity on the 1042-S issue specifically - I'm a university administrative assistant who deals with these for international students all the time. When a 1042-S is reissued, the issuer (usually the university or employer) is required to: 1. Check the "corrected" box at the top of the 1042-S 2. Submit the corrected form electronically to the IRS 3. Provide you with a paper copy marked "corrected" The most common problem I see is that sometimes the issuer provides the corrected copy to the recipient but forgets to submit the electronic correction to the IRS. Or they submit it late, after the IRS has already started their matching program. Ask your issuer to confirm they submitted the electronic correction AND the date they submitted it. If they submitted it after you filed your tax return, that's likely the source of the problem.
Thank you so much for this specific information! I just checked my 1042-S again and it DOES have the "corrected" box checked at the top. I hadn't even noticed that before. So I'm guessing you're right that the timing between their correction and my filing might be the issue. I'll contact the issuer tomorrow and specifically ask about when they submitted the electronic correction to the IRS. That seems like the most likely explanation for why the IRS thinks there's a mismatch when my numbers actually match what's on my form.
Glad I could help! That "corrected" box is definitely your smoking gun. Based on what you've said, I'm almost certain the timing is the issue. When you contact the issuer, ask them to provide you with documentation showing both the original and corrected submission dates. Having this documentation will make resolving the issue with the IRS much easier. You can include it with your response to show exactly what happened and why there appears to be a mismatch in their system.
Has anyone actually resolved a 1042-S issue through the IRS website or is calling really the only way? I'm having a similar issue but really don't want to spend hours on the phone if I can avoid it.
In my experience, these specific matching issues almost always require a phone call or a written response. The online account tools don't have functionality to resolve document matching problems. Your best option is probably to prepare a written response with copies of your documents and mail it to the address on your notice.
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I've been self-employed for about 7 years now and have tried most of the major tax software. For 1099 income with retirement accounts, I've found TaxSlayer to be surprisingly good, especially for the price point. It handles self-employed 401k contributions correctly, separating employee and employer portions without the glitches you mentioned. The business mileage tracking is straightforward, and it lets you import from mileage tracker apps if you use those. Their support is also more knowledgeable about self-employment issues than H&R Block's in my experience.
Thanks for the TaxSlayer recommendation! How does it compare to FreeTaxUSA price-wise? And does it handle state filing too, or is that an extra charge?
TaxSlayer is slightly more expensive than FreeTaxUSA for the self-employed version, but still much cheaper than TurboTax or H&R Block. Last time I used it, the federal filing with self-employment was around $55, and state filing was an additional $35 per state. State filing is indeed an extra charge with TaxSlayer, similar to most tax software except for the truly free options that have significant limitations for self-employed people. The state module is comprehensive though and handles all the specific state deductions and credits relevant to self-employment income.
I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA last year for my 1099 work and solo 401k, and I'm never going back! The solo 401k was handled perfectly with clear sections for both employee and employer contributions. One thing nobody's mentioned yet that I found super helpful was the comprehensive audit assistance. Since 1099 workers get audited more frequently, I liked having that extra protection. And the customer service was shockingly responsive when I had questions - got answers within hours instead of days.
Did you find FreeTaxUSA easy to navigate for business expenses? I do photography as a side hustle and have a ton of different expense categories. TurboTax makes it so complicated I'm afraid I'm missing deductions.
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Have you considered that your employer might be right? Sometimes when companies switch payroll systems, the new system doesn't accurately import YTD earnings from the first system. That could explain why they're insisting both W2s are correct. You should double check if the first W2 covers January-April and the second covers May-December with different totals, or if they're both showing the full year amounts. If the latter, then yes, it's definitely double reporting.
I definitely considered that possibility! But I've gone through all my bank statements and added up every single deposit from that employer. The total matches exactly what was on the single W2 I filed with my taxes (the one from the new system). If I add both W2s together like they're claiming is correct, it's almost $32,000 more than I actually received from them. I also still have the email from HR telling everyone to only use the W2 from the new system because it included all earnings for the year. So I'm 100% certain this is a case of double reporting for those months that were in both systems.
That's definitely conclusive then. With your bank statements and that email from HR, you have solid proof. Make sure to include copies of both with your CP2000 response. One more suggestion - try to get in touch with someone higher up in the payroll department, like a manager or director. Sometimes the front-line staff just don't have the authority or knowledge to handle unusual situations like this, but their managers might be able to push through a proper correction.
Random question but does anyone know if there's a time limit for employers to submit a corrected W2C? My situation is similar but from 2022 and I'm worried it might be too late to get them to fix it.
There's no specific time limit for W2C forms - employers can (and should) correct errors whenever they're discovered, even years later. The main deadline that matters is for YOU to respond to the CP2000 notice within the timeframe they give you (usually 30 days). If your employer is refusing to provide a corrected W2C, don't wait for them. Go ahead and respond to the CP2000 with Form 4852 and all your supporting documentation showing your actual income. The IRS will review your evidence and make a determination based on what you provide.
Omar Hassan
As someone who prepares taxes professionally, I can tell you that what your family member did isn't technically correct, but it's also not unusual. Many preparers will summarize Form 8949 transactions, especially when there are dozens or hundreds of trades. However, there are right and wrong ways to do this. The right way: 1. Separate short-term and long-term transactions 2. Use the proper checkboxes (A, B, C for short-term; D, E, F for long-term) 3. Use proper adjustment codes if needed The fact that long-term transactions were included in the short-term section is definitely an error that should be corrected.
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Chloe Robinson
•What about the reporting to the IRS? If the transactions are summarized, does the IRS get the detailed listing some other way? I always thought they match each individual transaction?
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Omar Hassan
•The IRS generally only receives what's actually reported on your tax return. If the transactions are summarized, they don't automatically get a detailed breakdown elsewhere. However, brokerages do report the detailed transactions to the IRS on Form 1099-B. The IRS's matching program typically works at a summary level first - they compare the total proceeds reported by your brokerages against what's on your return. If there are significant discrepancies, that might trigger further review where they would request the detailed information. That's why it's essential to at least have the summary amounts match what the brokerages reported, even if you're summarizing.
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Diego Chavez
Has anyone used the option to attach a statement instead of filling out all the 8949 lines? My tax software mentioned I could do this but wasn't sure if it would cause issues.
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NeonNebula
•I did that one year when I had over 500 transactions. You can attach a separate statement that has all the required 8949 information in a similar format. The key is making sure that the statement has all the same column headers and information that would be on the actual form. Then on the 8949 itself, you enter "See attached statement" with the totals on a single line.
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