Definitely send it certified mail with return receipt requested! I learned this the hard way when dealing with the IRS - regular mail can get lost in their massive processing centers, and then you have no proof you sent anything. Certified mail gives you tracking and confirmation of delivery, which is crucial if you need to prove you responded within the required timeframe. The 30-45 day timeframe is pretty accurate in my experience, though it can sometimes take longer during busy seasons (like right after tax season). The key is that certified mail creates a paper trail showing you responded promptly to the notice. Make sure to keep copies of everything you send - the cover letter, all documentation, the certified mail receipt, and the return receipt when it comes back. If you end up needing to call later, having all these details will help the IRS agent locate your correspondence in their system much faster. One tip: write your SSN and the notice number from your CP14 clearly on the cover letter and reference them in the first paragraph. This helps ensure your response gets matched to the correct account and notice.

I went through something very similar last year and it turned out to be a timing issue between when I paid and when their system generated the CP14 notice. The fact that your IRS online account shows $0 is actually the best indicator that your payment was received and processed correctly. The discrepancy in amounts ($894 vs $1375) could be due to penalties or interest that weren't included in your H&R Block calculation, especially if there were any underpayment issues during the tax year. However, since your online account shows $0, it suggests these were either waived or your payment covered everything. I'd strongly recommend taking screenshots of your online account showing the $0 balance - do this regularly as documentation. Also gather all your payment confirmations from when you paid on July 3rd. If you paid electronically, your bank can provide detailed records showing when it cleared. Since the phone lines are impossible, I'd suggest responding to the CP14 in writing with copies of your payment proof. Send it certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery. Include your SSN and the CP14 notice number clearly in your cover letter, and explain that your payment was processed and your online account shows $0 balance. Don't panic about paying the $183.50 just to avoid problems - if your account truly shows $0, you shouldn't owe anything. The written response approach will create a proper paper trail and should resolve the discrepancy within 30-45 days.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually going through the exact same confusion right now. My gross pay was $80,000 and I contributed $12,000 to what I thought was a traditional 401k, but my Box 1 shows $70,500 instead of the $68,000 I expected. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I probably have a mix of traditional and Roth contributions without knowing it, plus I completely forgot about my health insurance premiums ($150/month) and HSA contributions ($200/month). That would account for an additional $4,200 in pre-tax deductions I wasn't considering. I'm going to follow the advice here and check my 401k provider's breakdown, compare my final paystub YTD totals, and create that spreadsheet someone mentioned to track everything properly. It's frustrating that something that seemed simple (does Box 1 include 401k contributions?) has so many variables, but at least now I have a roadmap to figure it out. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

This has been such an enlightening discussion! I'm a newcomer to this community but dealing with the exact same W2/401k confusion. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly valuable. What really stands out to me is how many different factors can affect Box 1 beyond just the obvious 401k contributions - the traditional vs Roth split, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, auto-escalation features, mid-year changes, timing issues, and even taxable benefits being added back in. It's no wonder so many of us get confused trying to reconcile the numbers! The advice about checking your 401k provider's website for the contribution breakdown and comparing your final paystub's YTD totals to your W2 seems like the best starting point. I'm definitely going to create that spreadsheet tracking system someone mentioned to avoid this confusion next year. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this thread should be required reading for anyone with their first 401k! It's amazing how something that seems straightforward on the surface has so many nuances.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! My wife and I got married in 2022 but I forgot to update my employer until this year. I've been paying taxes on about $8k in domestic partner imputed income that should have stopped after our marriage. I'm curious about the timing aspect - for the year you got married (2021 in your case), did you prorate the imputed income correction only for the months after your marriage date? Or did you remove the entire year's worth? I want to make sure I handle my 2022 amendment correctly since we got married in June of that year. Also, has anyone had success getting their employer to at least provide a letter or statement confirming the imputed income amounts and dates, even if they won't issue corrected W-2s? That might help strengthen the documentation package for the IRS.

Just wanted to add another perspective on this issue - I work in HR and see this situation come up more often than you'd think. While your employer is technically not required to issue corrected W-2s for prior years (especially if they consider the reporting accurate based on their records at the time), they should definitely be willing to provide documentation supporting your amendment. One thing that might help with your employer: frame the request as needing "payroll verification" rather than asking them to admit an error. Most HR departments will provide a letter confirming what was included in your taxable wages and when, especially if you explain it's needed for tax compliance purposes. Also, don't forget to check if your employer has a flexible spending account or dependent care assistance program that might have been affected by this marital status change. Sometimes there are additional tax benefits you might have missed out on that could be recovered through the amendment process. The good news is the IRS sees domestic partner/spouse benefit corrections regularly, so your situation isn't unusual to them. Just make sure you have solid documentation of your marriage date and the imputed income timeline.

Has anyone here actually done what the OP is asking about? I'm in almost the identical situation (retired from state job, now working part-time with 401k access). My HR department at the new job got confused when I told them about my 457b contributions earlier this year. They kept saying I was over the limit already, but I showed them the IRS guidelines about separate limits.

I'm in a similar situation but with a twist - I'm 58 and considering whether to use the special 3-year catchup provision for my 457b or wait until I'm eligible for the regular age 50+ catchup. My state plan allows the special catchup starting 3 years before normal retirement age (which is 60 for me). One thing I learned from my benefits coordinator is that you can't use both the special 3-year catchup AND the age 50+ catchup in the same year - you have to choose whichever gives you the higher contribution limit. In most cases, the special 3-year catchup allows much higher contributions because it lets you make up for years when you didn't max out your contributions. For anyone considering this, make sure you understand your plan's normal retirement age definition. Some state plans define it differently than others, which affects when you become eligible for the special catchup provision.

Can someone explain this to me like I'm 5? I get around $1400 back every year but I have no idea what all this 4(b) and 4(c) stuff means. Where on the actual form do I put stuff to get more money in my check? My HR department is useless and just gave me the form with no explanation.

I had the exact same problem and finally got it sorted out! Here's what worked for me after years of getting $800-1000 refunds: The key is understanding that you want to increase your "take-home" pay by reducing withholding, and the easiest way is through Step 4(b) "Deductions" on your W-4. Here's the simple math: Take your typical refund amount and multiply by 4. So if you usually get $1000 back, put $4000 in Step 4(b). This tells your payroll system to withhold less tax because it thinks you have more deductions. I put $3200 in Step 4(b) last year (I was getting about $800 refunds) and my bi-weekly paycheck went up by roughly $62. Got my refund down to just $150 this year, which is pretty much perfect. Just make sure you don't go overboard - you want to get close to zero refund without owing money. Start conservative and you can always adjust it again next year if needed!