That makes a lot of sense actually! The platform does take a percentage of earnings, so maybe the digital version showed net income while the paper shows gross? That would explain the difference. Should I still amend my return even if that's the case?

Yes, that's likely what happened. Regardless of the reason for the discrepancy, you should technically report what's on the official paper 1099 since that's what the IRS receives. Even if the digital showed post-fee income, the IRS expects you to report the gross amount and then deduct eligible fees as business expenses on your Schedule C. An amendment would be the proper course of action, though as others mentioned, the tax difference will be minimal. Just make sure if you're deducting business expenses that you include those platform fees as part of your deductions.

I wouldn't recommend ignoring it. Friend of mine ignored a $150 discrepancy and got a CP2000 notice about 18 months later. Ended up paying the extra tax plus interest. Not a huge deal but definitely more annoying than just fixing it upfront.

Thank you so much for sharing this! That's really reassuring to hear that it didn't affect your green card application. Did you use a tax professional to help with the amended return? I'm worried about making another mistake if I try to fix it myself.

I actually used my university's international student office resources to help with the amended return. Most schools have free tax assistance specifically for international students dealing with exactly these issues. They helped me complete the 1040-X and 1040-NR forms correctly. If your school doesn't offer this service, consider asking an advisor who specializes in international student taxes. The key is making sure you're filing as a nonresident alien if you've been here less than 5 years and are on a student visa, since different rules and possibly beneficial tax treaties apply to your situation.

None of the mainstream tax software (TurboTax, TaxSlayer, H&R Block) properly handles nonresident alien tax situations. I learned this the hard way. They're designed for US citizens and residents. As an international student, you need something that specifically handles Form 1040-NR and tax treaties, like Sprintax or GlacierTax.

Would this still work if it's been like over a year since I worked there? I have a similar issue but from a job I had in 2023 and I just realized I never received one of my W-2s when organizing for this year's taxes.

Yes, it should still work! Most payroll systems keep your documents available for several years. I was able to log into my ADP account almost 2 years after leaving a job and still access all my tax documents. If you can't remember which payroll system they used, try contacting any former coworkers who might know. Even if you don't have login credentials anymore, these services usually have account recovery options using your SSN and personal info to verify your identity.

How much was the penalty when you got caught? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the hassle of tracking down a W-2 from a job where I only made like $1200 total.

Thanks for mentioning documentation! I think I have all my 1098-Ts from school but not sure about textbook receipts from 3 years ago. Will the IRS reject my amendment if I'm missing some of the receipts?

The IRS won't automatically reject your amendment if you're missing some receipts, but you should be prepared to substantiate your claims if they ask questions. For textbooks, if you don't have the original receipts, look for credit card statements, bank statements, or emails confirming your purchases. For education credits, the 1098-T is the most important document, as it shows your enrollment and amounts paid to the institution. The IRS is more likely to focus on verifying that information rather than every individual book purchase. Do your best to create a reasonable estimate of your textbook costs if you can't find all receipts, and keep notes on how you calculated those amounts.

Does the IRS automatically add the interest or do you have to request it specifically? And do you know what the current interest rate is?

That's a really good point! I just checked and she didn't receive a 1099-NEC, just this weird mostly-empty MISC form. I wonder if they did start filling out the wrong form. This makes me even more convinced I need to contact the employer to figure out what's going on.

Definitely contact them then. It's also possible they reported her regular W-2 wages correctly but had some small miscellaneous payment they needed to report separately. Either way, the employer needs to clarify what that payment was for since it affects how you'll report it on your return. Better to get this sorted out now than have issues later if the IRS computers match up the reported income differently than what you filed on your return. Those automated mismatch notices can be a real headache to resolve after the fact.

This happened to me too! And the worst part was that the company that issued it had gone out of business by the time I discovered the error, so I had nobody to contact for a corrected form. Nightmare.