This is a really common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing last year. What helped me understand it was thinking about capital gains as "invisible income" - they don't get taxed directly at your income level, but they still count toward your total AGI for determining eligibility for credits and deductions. In your case with $12,500 regular income + $8,300 capital gains = $20,800 total AGI, the capital gains themselves should indeed be taxed at 0%. But that $20,800 AGI is what the IRS uses to calculate things like the Earned Income Credit, education credits, retirement savings credits, etc. A lot of these credits start phasing out at surprisingly low income levels. For example, the Earned Income Credit for someone with no qualifying children maxes out around $7,000-8,000 in income and phases out completely by about $17,000. So your capital gains could be pushing you out of EIC territory entirely, which would explain why your tax bill went up even though the gains aren't directly taxed. The key insight is that "0% capital gains tax" doesn't mean "capital gains don't affect your taxes at all" - they still count as income for almost every other calculation on your return!

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm a tax preparer and see this confusion with clients constantly. One additional point that might help - when you're looking at your tax software and see your "taxes owed" increase after entering capital gains, try looking at the detailed tax calculation breakdown if your software provides one. What you'll often see is that your federal income tax on your regular wages stays the same, your capital gains tax shows as $0 (confirming the 0% rate), but then you'll see reductions in refundable credits like EITC or increases in things like the Net Investment Income Tax if your income crosses certain thresholds. The most common culprits I see are: 1) Loss of Earned Income Credit, 2) Reduced education credits (AOTC/Lifetime Learning), 3) Reduced Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, and 4) Changes in the taxability of Social Security benefits if you're receiving any. For future years, if you're planning to realize capital gains, try to do it strategically. You might consider realizing losses to offset gains, or timing the sales across tax years to stay under the credit phase-out thresholds. The key is understanding that even "tax-free" income still affects your overall tax picture!

USPS mail forwarding should handle your W2 just fine - they forward First-Class Mail for 12 months, which includes tax documents. However, I'd definitely recommend being proactive and contacting your former employer's HR or payroll department directly to update your address in their system. Even with forwarding, there's always a chance something could get delayed or lost in transit. Most employers are required to have W2s postmarked by January 31st, so if you don't see yours by mid-February (accounting for forwarding delays), that's when you'll want to start making calls. You can also check if your old company has an employee portal where you might be able to access your W2 electronically - many companies keep those accessible for former employees specifically for tax season. As a backup plan, remember that you can get a wage and income transcript from the IRS website (irs.gov) that shows the same info as your W2, though it takes until late February/early March to be available. It's not as convenient as having the actual form, but it'll let you file your taxes if needed.

One additional thing to consider - if you've already set up mail forwarding, you can also submit a "Change of Address" form (Form 8822) directly to the IRS. This ensures they have your current address on file, which can be helpful if there are any issues with your tax return processing or if you're due a refund. You can download it from irs.gov or mail in a handwritten note with your old address, new address, and SSN. This is separate from updating your address with your employer, but it's good to have both bases covered. The IRS form is particularly useful if you end up needing to contact them about missing tax documents later - they'll already have your current address in their system. Also, don't forget to update your address with your state tax agency if you moved to a different state. They often have separate requirements and deadlines for tax document delivery.

Has anyone tried just showing up in person to get their W-2? I'm tempted to just walk into my old job and ask for it directly since they're ignoring my emails.

Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who dealt with this exact situation last year. I had 4 different employers in 2024 and left two of them on terrible terms (one was a toxic startup, the other had a manager who was stealing tips). Here's what worked for me: First, I gathered all my final pay stubs since they contain most of the info you need. Then I created a simple spreadsheet tracking each employer - company name, dates worked, HR contact info, payroll company if known, and whether I received the W-2 or not. For the jobs I left on good terms, I proactively emailed their HR departments in early January with my new address. For the toxic ones, I waited until after January 31st and then used the IRS complaint process when they didn't send my forms. One thing that really helped was checking if any of my former employers used third-party payroll companies like ADP or Paychex. Even after you're terminated, you can sometimes still access your W-2s through their employee portals using your old login credentials. Worth trying before dealing with your actual former employers! The key is being proactive and having multiple backup plans. Don't wait until the last minute to start chasing down these forms.

One thing nobody has mentioned is the software! H&R Block's professional software is way more intuitive than Liberty's in my opinion. I worked at Liberty first and constantly felt frustrated by their system. Switched to Block and the software made much more sense. Might seem minor but when you're doing returns all day, good software makes a huge difference!

I'm currently going through a similar decision process! I started at Liberty Tax about 6 weeks ago and honestly, I'm having some of the same concerns you mentioned about the teaching style. The manual calculations are definitely helping me understand the fundamentals better, but I feel like I'm not getting enough practice with actual tax software that I'd be using with real clients. One thing I've noticed is that Liberty's franchise model means the experience can vary dramatically between locations. My friend went through their program at a different location and had a much better instructor who was more organized and used a mix of manual and digital training. From what I've researched about H&R Block, their training program seems more standardized and comprehensive. They also offer more specialization courses if you want to focus on areas like small business taxes or complex returns, which could be valuable for long-term career growth. I'm leaning toward finishing my Liberty course since I'm already halfway through, but I'm seriously considering applying to H&R Block for next season to compare the experience. The pay difference you mentioned ($13.75 vs $11.50) is definitely something to consider too, especially if you're planning to do this long-term. Have you had a chance to visit the H&R Block location in your town to get a feel for their work environment?

I'm a software engineer with RSUs too and I found an easy workaround in TurboTax. After you import the 1099-B from Etrade, go to each transaction and check the box that says "This sale includes shares acquired through an employee stock purchase plan or incentive stock option." Then when prompted, select "Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)" and enter the Fair Market Value on vesting date as your cost basis. This forces TurboTax to recognize that these shares were already taxed as income and prevents the double taxation issue.

Just want to share my experience dealing with this issue: E*Trade's supplemental tax info actually does contain the information needed, but it's not formatted in an obvious way. If you look at the "Other Adjustments" column on the supplemental statement, the amounts there are typically your original RSU value at vesting. For sell-to-cover transactions, you can usually identify them because they happen on the exact same day as vesting. Compare the transaction dates on your 1099-B with your vesting schedule from your employer's equity portal.