Can someone explain the difference between SSAR and standard RSUs? My company offers both and I'm trying to understand the tax implications before my first shares vest next month.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my tax preparer. The key thing to remember is that RSUs and SSARs are handled differently for tax purposes, but both should already be included in your Box 1 wages. For your specific situation with the $7,500 SSAR sale, you absolutely need to find the original exercise documentation to determine your cost basis. This is critical because without it, you might end up paying taxes twice - once when the SSARs were exercised (already included in a previous year's W2) and again when you report the sale. A few places to check for this information: 1. Your company's equity portal (Fidelity NetBenefits, E*TRADE, etc.) 2. Email confirmations from when you exercised the SSARs 3. Previous year tax documents if you exercised them recently 4. Contact your HR department - they should have records of all equity transactions Don't guess at the cost basis or leave it blank on Form 8949. The IRS will assume zero basis if you don't provide it, which could result in paying tax on the full $7,500 sale amount even though you already paid income tax when the SSARs were exercised.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also brand new to reading tax transcripts and was completely lost trying to find this "tracking number" that apparently doesn't exist. Like so many others here, I filed in early February and have been stuck at TC 150 for about a month now, with WMR showing "processing" the whole time. Reading everyone's explanations about what TC 150 actually means (return accepted and filed) versus TC 846 (refund issued) has been a huge relief. I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with my return, but now I understand this is pretty normal timing, especially for returns with EITC. I've definitely been guilty of checking my transcript multiple times a day - sometimes even hourly when I'm really anxious about it! But the advice about weekly checks makes so much sense. The obsessive checking wasn't helping anything except my stress levels. One thing I'm curious about - for those who eventually got their TC 846, did you get any kind of notification or did you just happen to catch it during one of your transcript checks? I'm wondering if there's any point in signing up for IRS updates or if checking the transcript is really the most reliable way to track progress. Thanks Katherine for starting this conversation and everyone else for sharing your knowledge and experiences. This community has been way more helpful than anything I could find on the official IRS website! 🙏

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who was equally confused about transcript codes until recently! I filed in late February and have been sitting at TC 150 for about 2.5 weeks now. Like everyone else here, I was desperately searching for some kind of tracking number I could use to get instant updates on my refund status. This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what these codes actually mean. Learning that TC 150 simply means "return accepted and filed" rather than something being wrong has been such a relief! I was getting really worried when the WMR tool stayed stuck on "processing" with no changes. I've also been guilty of checking my transcript multiple times daily, but reading the advice here about weekly checks makes so much sense. The obsessive monitoring was just adding stress without providing any real benefit. One thing I'm wondering - for those who have EITC or Child Tax Credit on their returns, have you noticed if certain filing methods (like online vs. paper) seem to process faster? I filed electronically through a major tax software but wondering if that makes any difference in processing speed. Thanks to Katherine for starting this discussion and everyone else for sharing their knowledge! This community has been way more helpful than any official IRS resource I've found. It's so reassuring to know I'm not alone in this transcript decoding journey! 🙏

I just went through a very similar situation with a major online retailer earlier this year. They had been overcharging me sales tax for my county - turns out their system was applying the highest possible combined rate in my state instead of my actual local rate. Here's what worked for me: First, I researched the exact tax rate for my zip code using my state's Department of Revenue website. Then I gathered all my receipts and statements going back as far as I could (ended up being about 18 months worth). I calculated the total overcharge, which was around $180. Instead of calling their general customer service line, I found their corporate tax department email through their investor relations page. I sent a detailed email with my calculations, copies of receipts, and a link to the official tax rate for my location. They responded within a week and processed a full refund. The key is bypassing regular customer service and going straight to people who actually understand tax compliance. Most companies will fix these issues quickly once their tax department gets involved because they don't want problems with state tax authorities.

I had a similar experience with a large home improvement chain that was overcharging me on sales tax for about two years. After reading through all these suggestions, I decided to combine a few approaches. First, I used my state's Department of Revenue website to confirm the exact tax rate for my location - turns out I was being charged 9.25% when the correct rate should have been 7.75%. Then I went through my credit card statements and receipts to document all the overcharges, which totaled about $240. Instead of starting with customer service, I took the advice about finding their corporate tax department. I found the email address through their corporate website and sent a professional email with all my documentation, including screenshots from the state tax website showing the correct rates. They responded within 4 business days acknowledging the error and processed a full refund to my original payment methods within two weeks. The tax department representative even mentioned they were "reviewing their tax calculation systems" to prevent future errors. The key seems to be having solid documentation and contacting the right department from the start. Don't waste time with general customer service for tax issues - go straight to the people who handle tax compliance.

I'm in a similar boat with a timeshare I'm trying to get rid of. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that you still have to report the sale even when there's no tax benefit from the loss. The step-by-step breakdown from @Aiden Chen about using code "L" and the adjustment calculation is exactly what I needed to understand. It's frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops for what amounts to no change in our tax liability, but at least now I know the proper way to handle it. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here tried to negotiate with the timeshare company to buy back their unit before going through the hassle of finding an outside buyer? I've heard some companies will do buybacks at very low prices just to avoid dealing with abandoned properties, but I'm not sure if that's real or just wishful thinking. Either way, thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. It's oddly comforting to know I'm not alone in this timeshare nightmare!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - sold my timeshare for $2,300 after paying $21,500 originally. Just got my 1099-S and was hoping I could somehow use that massive loss on my taxes, but clearly that's not happening! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I had no idea about the Form 8949 requirements or the code "L" adjustment process. The fact that we still have to report it even though there's no tax benefit seems like bureaucratic overkill, but I definitely don't want to mess around with IRS matching systems. One thing I'm wondering about - for those of you who have been through this process, how long did it take to actually complete the sale once you decided to get rid of your timeshare? I've been trying to sell mine for months and the whole resale market seems pretty brutal. Did anyone find certain companies or methods that worked better than others? Also, has anyone had their tax software automatically handle the adjustment calculation, or did you have to manually figure out the code "L" part? I'm using FreeTaxUSA this year and hoping it can walk me through the process without too much confusion. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's strangely reassuring to know so many other people have survived this same financial nightmare!

Does anyone know if HSA contributions work the same way? My employee wants to contribute to her HSA through payroll and I'm not sure if I need to pay employer taxes on that portion.

This is such a common source of confusion for small business owners! I went through the exact same thing when I first started my business. The key thing to remember is that retirement contributions like 401k and SIMPLE IRA are "pre-tax" for income tax purposes, but they're still considered wages for FICA (Social Security and Medicare) purposes. So in your example with the $65,000 salary and $25,000 retirement contribution, you'll pay employer FICA taxes on the full $65,000. The employee's income tax withholding will be calculated on $40,000, but that doesn't affect your employer tax obligations. One tip: make sure your payroll system is set up correctly to handle these different tax treatments. I learned this the hard way when I had to file amended returns because my initial setup was wrong. It's worth double-checking with your payroll provider that they're calculating employer taxes on the pre-deduction amounts for retirement contributions. Hope this helps clarify things while you're waiting for your accountant to return!