The real question is how would the IRS even know about your under the table work? Unless someone reports you or you're depositing large cash amounts regularly, they have no way to track cash transactions. Not saying you shouldn't report it, just saying realistically the chances of getting caught are pretty low for small amounts.

I was in a really similar situation a few years ago with about $9K in unreported cash income from freelance graphic design work. I kept putting off dealing with it because I was scared, but honestly the process of coming clean was way less painful than the constant anxiety of wondering if I'd get caught. I ended up filing an amended return for the year I missed and had to pay some back taxes plus interest, but no penalties since I voluntarily disclosed it. The IRS actually has programs specifically for people who want to come forward voluntarily - they're much more lenient than if they catch you first. One thing I learned is that even without perfect documentation, you can reconstruct your income using things like text messages with clients, bank statements showing cash deposits, or even just your best honest recollection of jobs and amounts. The key is being able to show you made a good faith effort to be accurate. My advice would be to bite the bullet and report everything. The peace of mind is worth way more than whatever extra tax you'll owe, and you'll sleep better knowing you're not looking over your shoulder anymore.

Does anyone know if this credit phases out completely at certain income levels? My wife and I both contribute to Roth IRAs but our combined income is around $70k.

Just want to add that you should also make sure you have your Form 5498 from Vanguard when you file. This form shows your IRA contributions for the year and the IRS uses it to verify your eligibility for the Saver's Credit. Vanguard usually mails these out by May 31st for the previous tax year, but you don't need to wait for it to file your return since you know how much you contributed. Also, keep in mind that only the contributions you made during the 2024 tax year count toward the 2024 credit. So if you contributed $5,700 in 2024, that's what you'd use for Form 8880. The $3,100 you contributed back in 2022 would have been eligible for the 2022 credit if your income qualified that year. It's really great that FreeTaxUSA caught this for you - a lot of people miss out on this credit simply because they don't know it exists!

For anyone still struggling with this, here's a systematic approach that's helped me: First, try to decode the abbreviation yourself - most are pretty logical once you think about them (SUI = State Unemployment Insurance, GTLI = Group Term Life Insurance, etc.). Second, check if your employer has a benefits portal or employee handbook that explains these codes - mine had a whole section I never knew existed! Third, look at your final paystub from December which often has more detailed descriptions. If all else fails, don't stress too much about picking the perfect category - TurboTax is pretty forgiving, and you can always amend your return later if you discover you made an error. The key is just making sure you don't ignore box 14 entirely, since some of these items (like taxable moving expenses or excess life insurance) actually do affect your tax liability.

Great thread everyone! I had a similar issue with my W-2 showing "PARK" in box 14 with $480. Turns out it was for employer-provided parking benefits. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, employer-paid parking over $280/month is now taxable income that needs to be reported. One thing I learned from my tax preparer is that if you're really unsure about a box 14 item, it's often safer to select "Other" and add a description rather than guessing at a specific category. TurboTax will still process it correctly, and you avoid the risk of miscategorizing something that could affect your tax liability. The IRS cares more about you reporting the income accurately than having it in the exact right bucket. Also, for future reference, keep your final paystub from December - it usually has way more detail about these deductions than the W-2 itself!

Has anyone had issues with property taxes being reported incorrectly on these 1098 forms after a loan transfer? My new servicer didn't report any of the property taxes paid through escrow, but the old one did. Trying to figure out if I need to get a corrected form.

This is exactly the situation I found myself in last year! The stress of trying to figure out which numbers to use was keeping me up at night. What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet where I listed every mortgage payment I made throughout the year with the dates and amounts, then compared that to what each 1098 form was reporting. I discovered that my original lender was including some fees in their interest calculation that weren't actually deductible interest, while my new servicer had the cleaner numbers. The key is to focus on what you actually paid in mortgage interest, not necessarily what the forms say if there are discrepancies. Also, don't stress too much about triggering an audit - mortgage interest reporting issues are super common and the IRS sees this all the time. As long as you're being honest about what you actually paid and can document it, you'll be fine. Keep copies of all your payment records and mortgage statements just in case you need them later!

I'd recommend filing a report with your state's Department of Labor too. If they're reporting wages they didn't pay you, that's a serious issue. The DOL might light a fire under the company to fix this faster than you can on your own.

This is definitely a frustrating situation, but you have several good options to resolve it. Based on what you've described, it sounds like a clear payroll error since you have documentation that you stopped working in November. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. **Document everything** - Keep all your communication attempts with the company, your final paystub from November, and any employment termination paperwork you have. 2. **Don't wait indefinitely** - You can file your taxes on time using Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) if the company won't respond. Since you know you didn't work during that period, you can accurately report zero income for those dates. 3. **Try the certified letter approach** mentioned earlier, but also consider escalating to their corporate office if it's a larger company. 4. **Contact the IRS directly** - Call their business and specialty tax line at 800-829-4933 to report the incorrect W-2. They can guide you through the process and may contact the employer on your behalf. The key thing is not to let this delay your tax filing. You have legitimate recourse options, and the IRS deals with these situations regularly. If you end up needing to file an amended return later, that's totally manageable - it's better than missing the deadline while waiting for an unresponsive employer.