Quick question - does anyone know if the address is different if you're filing 843 for something OTHER than Social Security overpayment? I need to submit one for a penalty abatement request.

I went through this exact same situation last year with overpaid Social Security taxes from two jobs. The Kansas City address that Muhammad mentioned is correct for New Jersey. One thing I wish someone had told me - make sure to calculate your overpayment carefully before submitting. The Social Security wage base for 2024 was $160,200, so if your combined wages from both employers exceeded that amount, you likely overpaid. The excess Social Security tax rate is 6.2%, so multiply the amount over the wage base by 0.062 to get your refund amount. Also, don't forget to attach a statement explaining why you believe you overpaid - the IRS processes these much faster when they have a clear explanation. I got my refund in about 10 weeks, which was faster than I expected. Good luck!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - PhD student who made excess Roth IRA contributions because I didn't realize my research fellowship didn't count as earned income. What really helped me was getting organized with all my tax documents first. Make sure your roommate gathers her 1098-T from the university, any 1099-MISC forms for the stipend, and her W-2 from the TA position that was mentioned. Having all these documents in one place makes it much easier to calculate exactly how much she can legitimately contribute based on her actual earned income. I'd also suggest she call her IRA provider (Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) directly to ask about their process for "return of excess contributions." Each company has slightly different procedures and timelines, so getting the specifics from them upfront can save a lot of back-and-forth later. Most of them are pretty used to handling this situation with grad students!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can confirm that your roommate's stress is totally understandable but she's definitely not stuck! The key thing is acting quickly since she's still well within the deadline to fix this without penalties. I'd recommend she start by calling her IRA provider first thing tomorrow - they deal with this situation constantly with grad students and have streamlined processes. When I called Vanguard about my excess contribution, they walked me through everything and even calculated the earnings portion for me. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of the phone call - I wrote down the representative's name, reference number, and exactly what they told me to do. This saved me from having to re-explain my situation when I called back with follow-up questions. Also, don't let her beat herself up about this mistake. The distinction between stipend income and earned income for IRA purposes isn't intuitive at all, and even tax professionals sometimes get confused about it. The important thing is she caught it in time to fix it properly!

I was in the exact same boat last year with my weekend retail job! The Multiple Jobs Worksheet had me withholding like $80 per paycheck from a job that only paid $150. It was ridiculous. Here's what actually worked for me: I ignored the worksheet completely and used a much simpler approach. For my main job, I filled out the W4 normally with all my standard deductions and credits. For the part-time job, I just put "Single" as filing status and left everything else blank - no extra withholding calculations. At the end of the year, I ended up owing about $200 in taxes, which was totally manageable compared to having hundreds of dollars over-withheld throughout the year. The key is that your combined withholding from both jobs just needs to cover your total tax liability - it doesn't have to be perfectly calculated from each individual paycheck. If you're worried about owing too much, you could always add like $20-30 per paycheck to your main job's W4 in Step 4(c) instead of letting the part-time job take half your pay. Way more reasonable and you still get to actually benefit from the extra work you're putting in!

I've been dealing with this exact same frustration! The W4 Multiple Jobs Worksheet is honestly terrible for part-time second jobs. I ended up finding a much simpler solution that's worked really well for me. Here's what I do: On my main full-time job's W4, I fill everything out completely - filing status, dependents, deductions, the works. This W4 does the "heavy lifting" for my tax situation. For my part-time job, I just use the basic settings - correct filing status and check the box in Step 2(c) for "Multiple Jobs" but I don't do any of the crazy worksheet calculations. This typically withholds a bit more than standard rates but nowhere near the excessive amounts the worksheet suggests. If you want to be extra cautious, you could add maybe $15-25 per paycheck in Step 4(c) of your MAIN job's W4 instead of letting your part-time job massacre your paycheck. This way you're still covered tax-wise but you actually get to keep most of your part-time earnings. I've been doing this approach for two years now and have never owed more than a few hundred at tax time, which is way better than having thousands over-withheld throughout the year. The whole point of a second job is extra money - don't let the W4 worksheet defeat that purpose!

Just wanted to add something that might help others - when you're dealing with excess FICA from multiple employers under the same parent company, make sure to check if any of the companies issued corrected W-2s after year-end. I had a similar situation where one of the three entities my spouse worked for automatically issued a W-2c (corrected W-2) in March that reduced the Social Security wages to account for the excess. This actually reduced our excess FICA amount by about $800, so we had to recalculate our Form 843 before submitting. Also, if you're using tax software like FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, etc., most of them will automatically calculate excess FICA and include it as a credit on your regular tax return if the software detects it. But this only works if you had two employers max - if you had three or more employers like in your case, you'll likely need to file the separate Form 843. The IRS processing center addresses are definitely state-specific, so don't just use a generic IRS address. For most states, you'll be mailing to either Ogden, UT; Kansas City, MO; or Austin, TX depending on your location.

I had to deal with this exact situation last year when my company restructured and split payroll between different subsidiaries mid-year. The excess FICA refund process through Form 843 was actually pretty straightforward once I figured out the correct procedures. A few important points that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. **Timing matters** - You generally have 3 years from the date you filed your original return (or 2 years from when you paid the tax, whichever is later) to claim a refund for excess FICA. Don't wait too long! 2. **Interest on refunds** - The IRS actually pays interest on Form 843 refunds if they take longer than 45 days to process. It's not much, but it's something. 3. **Amended returns vs Form 843** - Some tax professionals will tell you to file an amended return (Form 1040X) instead of Form 843 for excess FICA, but Form 843 is specifically designed for this situation and tends to process faster. 4. **Record keeping** - Keep detailed records of when you mailed Form 843, including copies of everything. If there are any issues or delays, having this documentation will be crucial when you need to follow up. The processing time really varies - I've seen people get refunds in 6 weeks and others wait 4+ months. The key is making sure your form is filled out completely and accurately the first time to avoid any back-and-forth with the IRS.

Jessica, I can completely understand your panic about this situation! As someone who's dealt with employment classification issues before, I want to echo what everyone else has said - you really shouldn't be the one making this determination. Your employer is legally required to classify you based on your specific job duties, salary, and other Department of Labor criteria under the FLSA. Since you're facing that tomorrow deadline, here's what I'd suggest: First, quickly review any documents from your hiring process - your offer letter, job description, or employment agreement might already indicate whether you're hourly or salaried, or even specify your classification directly. Second, send an email tonight to your supervisor and HR (if you have one) saying: "I'm completing my payroll setup and want to ensure I select the correct exempt/non-exempt classification. Could you please confirm which classification applies to my role as [job title] to ensure we're in compliance with FLSA requirements?" If you absolutely cannot get guidance before your deadline, I'd recommend selecting "non-exempt" as the safer default choice. The vast majority of employees are non-exempt, and it's much better to potentially receive overtime pay you weren't supposed to get (which can be easily corrected) than to miss out on overtime pay you're legally entitled to. Please don't feel awkward about asking this question - it actually shows you're being responsible about compliance issues, which any reasonable employer will appreciate. Employment classification is genuinely complex, and you're doing the right thing by seeking clarification rather than just guessing. This can absolutely be corrected later if needed, so try not to stress too much about it. Focus on doing great work in your new role - that's what really matters! Congratulations on the new job!

Jessica, I can absolutely feel your stress about this deadline! As someone who recently navigated a similar situation, I want to add my voice to everyone saying this really shouldn't be your choice to make - your employer should be determining your classification based on legal requirements. Since you're under such time pressure, here's what I'd do: Send that email tonight asking for clarification (the templates others provided are perfect), but also take 5 minutes to look at your offer letter or job description. Sometimes they'll say things like "exempt position" or "overtime eligible" which gives you the answer right there. If you absolutely must choose by tomorrow morning, definitely go with non-exempt as your default. Here's why: if you're incorrectly classified as non-exempt, the worst that happens is you get overtime pay you weren't supposed to receive, which is easily fixed. But if you incorrectly choose exempt when you should be non-exempt, you could miss out on overtime wages you're legally entitled to, which is a much bigger problem to resolve later. The fact that you're asking these questions shows you're being thoughtful about compliance, which is exactly what a good employer wants to see from a new hire. Don't let this administrative hiccup overshadow what should be an exciting new chapter in your career! This will get sorted out, and you're going to do amazing at your new job. Good luck!