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Just to add something that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're still having trouble after trying all these suggestions, contact your sister's state Department of Labor. Many states have laws requiring employers to provide final wage statements and other employment documents to authorized representatives. Sometimes a letter from a state agency carries more weight than one from a family member.
Would this work even if it's been several months since the person passed away? My grandfather died last summer and we're still trying to get his final documents from his employer.
Yes, it would still work even after several months. Most state labor departments will handle wage complaints going back at least a year, sometimes longer. The statute of limitations for wage-related claims is typically 2-3 years depending on the state. Just make sure you have the documentation showing you're authorized to act on behalf of the estate. Also bring copies of any communication you've had with the employer showing you've made reasonable attempts to get the documents.
Has anyone dealt with this situation for someone who worked in multiple states during their final year? My husband passed away in March and had jobs in both Texas and Oklahoma last year. Getting his W-2 from the Oklahoma employer has been impossible so far.
I helped settle my cousin's estate last year who worked in both New York and New Jersey. For the employer that wouldn't provide the W-2, we ended up having to file separate state returns and use Form 4852 as others have mentioned. The most important thing was having his last pay stubs from each state to verify the state withholding amounts.
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One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if your girlfriend claims Head of Household with your child as her qualifying person, she'll get a significantly better tax bracket than filing as Single. In 2025, HOH filing status has wider tax brackets and a higher standard deduction ($20,800 vs $14,600 for Single filers). Also worth noting that if she qualifies for Earned Income Credit with a qualifying child, that could be worth up to $3,995 depending on her exact income. This is ON TOP OF the Child Tax Credit everyone's been mentioning. All these credits and deductions could potentially mean several thousand dollars more in her refund!
How does someone prove they're eligible for Head of Household status if they're audited? My tax guy always warns me about claiming this when I'm not 100% sure.
To prove Head of Household eligibility during an audit, you'd need documentation showing: 1) You paid more than half the costs of keeping up the home (rent/mortgage receipts, utility bills, grocery receipts, etc.), 2) You have a qualifying person who lived with you for more than half the year (school records, medical records, birth certificate for a child), and 3) You're unmarried or considered unmarried for tax purposes. It's definitely worth claiming if you qualify, as the tax benefits are substantial. The IRS mainly wants to see that you're financially responsible for the household and have a qualifying dependent. Keep good records of your expenses if you're concerned about potential audit risk.
Just a warning - if your girlfriend hasn't filed in "a few years" she needs to get caught up before claiming these credits. The IRS is cracking down HARD on unfiled returns, especially when people suddenly file claiming refundable credits like the Child Tax Credit. Has she been getting notices from the IRS about unfiled returns? If she was working W2 jobs, even small ones, the IRS knows about that income. If they're already processed substitute returns for her, it can complicate things. The IRS can hold your current refund until all prior required returns are filed. Don't let that catch you by surprise when you're counting on that money for a house!
Do they really check past filings before issuing refunds? I thought they just processed what you submitted for the current year.
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Just wanted to add my two cents as someone who's been filing Schedule C for years - yes, you can group similar expenses, but make sure you keep extremely detailed records behind the scenes! I group all my software subscriptions ($1200+/year across multiple services) as a single line item, but I have a spreadsheet that breaks down each individual subscription with dates, amounts, and business use percentage. Same for office supplies, advertising, etc. If you ever get audited, you'll need to provide that detailed breakdown, even though your Schedule C just shows the category totals. I learned this the hard way a few years back!
What kind of detailed records do you recommend keeping? Is a credit card statement enough or do I need actual receipts for everything? I'm terrible at keeping track of paper receipts.
Credit card statements are a good start, but they're not enough on their own. The IRS wants to see the business purpose of each expense, which doesn't show up on credit card statements. I use a combination of methods - I take photos of paper receipts using an app that stores them digitally, save PDF receipts from online purchases, and maintain a spreadsheet where I note the business purpose of each purchase. For software subscriptions, I note what each one is used for in my business. The key information you need for each expense is: date, vendor, amount, what was purchased, and specific business purpose. Digital records are perfectly fine - you don't need to keep paper copies as long as your digital records show all this information.
Don't overthink this! I've been filing Schedule C for my photography business for 5 years and have always grouped similar expenses together. My accountant actually recommends not having too many separate line items. For example, I group all my photo editing subscriptions (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.) under "Software" in the Other Expenses section. I group all my online advertising under "Advertising." As long as you're putting expenses in the correct general category, grouping similar items is not only allowed but preferred. The only exception is for big purchases over the current $2,500 de minimis safe harbor threshold - those need to be handled separately through depreciation in most cases.
What's this $2,500 threshold you mentioned? Does that mean I can deduct equipment purchases up to $2,500 immediately without depreciating them? That would be super helpful to know!
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I just want to clear up a common misunderstanding. The Social Security Administration and IRS are separate agencies but they do share information. Here's what happens with name changes: 1) You apply to SSA for name change 2) SSA processes your application 3) SSA issues new card 4) SSA updates their database 5) The IRS periodically receives updates from SSA Until all those steps are complete, the IRS will reject tax returns with your new name. Most important thing is to be consistent - use the name that matches your current Social Security card when filing taxes.
So how long does it typically take for the IRS to get the updated info from SSA after you get your new card? Is it immediate or is there like a delay of weeks/months?
It's usually not immediate. The SSA and IRS data synchronization typically happens within 2 weeks after your new card is issued, but in some cases it can take up to a month. However, you don't need to worry about the exact timing. Once you receive your new Social Security card with your updated name, that's your confirmation that the change is official with the SSA. For any tax filings after that point, you should use your new name as it appears on your card.
I work at H&R Block and see this all the time. File with whatever name is on your Social Security card RIGHT NOW. If your card still has your maiden name, use that even if you've already applied for a change. The IRS compares the name/SSN combo against the Social Security database during e-filing, and if they don't match exactly, your return gets rejected.
Is there any way around this? Like can she file a paper return with her married name instead of electronic filing? My sister had a similar issue.
PixelPioneer
To answer your original question - yes, people would definitely pay for this service, but the pricing model would need to be reasonable. I think most people would be open to a "finder's fee" model where you pay a percentage of whatever's recovered. The industry standard seems to be around 10-15% of recovered funds. Anything higher feels excessive since the money already belongs to the person. Some states actually cap how much these services can charge - I believe California limits it to 10%.
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Keisha Williams
•Isn't there something kind of predatory about charging people to get access to their own money though? Especially when the information is technically available for free?
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PixelPioneer
•It's definitely a fine line. The information is free, but the convenience, time savings, and expertise in navigating the claims process is what people are paying for. I don't think it's predatory if: 1) The fee is reasonable, 2) There's transparency about the fact that people could do this themselves, and 3) The service adds genuine value beyond what someone could easily do on their own. Many people genuinely don't have the time or knowledge to track down funds across multiple states and properly file claims, so they're willing to pay for that assistance.
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Paolo Rizzo
What most people don't realize is that unclaimed funds go way beyond forgotten bank accounts. I used to work for my state's treasury department, and we'd see unclaimed property from: - Insurance policy payouts - Utility deposits - Uncashed paychecks - Stock dividends - Tax refunds - Security deposits - Contents of safe deposit boxes A notification service would be valuable if it could actually identify ALL types of unclaimed assets. The biggest challenge is accurately matching people to their funds since the state databases often have limited identifying information.
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Amina Sy
•That's a great point! Do these notification services actually check for all those different types of unclaimed assets? Or do they just focus on the easy stuff like bank accounts?
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