Make sure you're entering Form 5498-SA information in the right place in TurboTax! I had this exact issue. When you get to the HSA section, there's a question that asks something like "Did you make contributions to your HSA outside of payroll deductions?" Answer yes to that. Then it should ask for contributions not reported on your W-2. That's where you enter the amount from the 5498-SA that isn't shown on the W-2. TurboTax will calculate the deduction for you on Form 8889.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! The key thing to understand is that HSA contributions can be made in different ways, and each affects your tax forms differently. If your wife's HSA contributions don't show up in box 12 of her W-2, it's likely because either: 1. She made direct contributions to her HSA (not through payroll), or 2. Her employer made the contributions directly as a benefit For TurboTax, you need to navigate to the HSA section under "Deductions & Credits" and look for something like "HSA contributions not on W-2" or "Did you make HSA contributions outside of payroll?" This is where you'll enter the amount from her 5498-SA form. The 5498-SA shows all contributions made to the HSA during the year, but only certain types need to be claimed as deductions. If they were direct contributions (not through payroll), you can deduct them. If they were employer contributions, they're already tax-free and don't need to be deducted. Check her paystubs to see if HSA amounts were deducted from her paycheck. If not, they were likely either direct contributions she made or employer contributions. This will help you determine how to handle them in TurboTax.

Pro tip: I scan all my tax documents (all copies) when I get them and save them in a folder with the tax year (like "2024 Tax Documents"). Then I keep the physical copies in a folder too. Makes it super easy if you need to reference them later. I've been doing my own taxes for 20+ years and have been audited twice. Having everything organized saved me massive headaches when the IRS came knocking!

Just remember that even if you're using tax software and don't need to mail in the physical W-2 copies, you should keep them for your records. The IRS can audit returns up to 3 years back (or even 6 years in some cases).

Slightly off topic but related - I have 2 rental properties and use a property management company. Do the hours the property management company spends count toward the 250 hour requirement for the safe harbor? Or only hours I personally spend?

I'm dealing with a similar situation with my rental property and wanted to share what I learned after researching this extensively. The key issue is that regular rental income from a single-family home typically does NOT qualify as QBI unless specific conditions are met. Based on my research and conversations with multiple tax professionals, here are the main ways rental income can qualify for QBI: 1. **Real Estate Professional Status** - You need to spend 750+ hours annually in real estate activities and more than half your working time in real estate trades/businesses. 2. **Safe Harbor Rule (Rev. Proc. 2019-38)** - You must spend 250+ hours annually on rental services, maintain separate books for each property, and keep detailed contemporaneous records. 3. **Self-Rental Exception** - When you rent to a business you materially participate in. 4. **Triple Net Lease Exception** - For certain commercial lease arrangements. Since you mentioned spending less than 50 hours annually on your property, none of these exceptions would apply to your situation. Your accountant may be applying outdated guidance or misunderstanding the current rules. I'd strongly recommend getting the specific tax code section your accountant is relying on. The QBI deduction is heavily scrutinized by the IRS, so you want to make sure any position taken has solid legal backing.

Just pointing out that if your company gives you the option, sometimes taking a bonus in January instead of December can make sense tax-wise if you think you'll be in a lower bracket next year. I pushed my bonus from Dec 2023 to Jan 2024 and it worked out better for me. Worth asking HR if that's a possibility!

Great question about bonus taxation! I just went through this exact situation and learned a ton. One thing that really helped me was understanding the difference between withholding and actual tax liability - your employer will withhold at that flat 22% rate, but come tax time, the bonus just gets added to your regular income and taxed at your marginal rate. For your $3,000 bonus, expect roughly $660 withheld for federal income tax, plus another $230 or so for FICA (Social Security/Medicare), and whatever your state takes. So you're probably looking at taking home around $2,000-2,100 depending on your state. The good news is if you're in a lower tax bracket (like 12%), you'll likely get some of that federal withholding back as a refund when you file. I'd suggest using one of those tax calculators people mentioned to get a better sense of your specific situation. And definitely ask your HR if you can defer it to January if you think you might be in a lower bracket next year!

I went through something very similar about two years ago - also with ADP processing my payroll. The frustrating thing is that HR departments often don't understand that this is a technical issue in their payroll system, not something you can fix by updating your address or tax forms. What worked for me was being very persistent and specific. I documented every paycheck showing the wrong county tax deduction, calculated exactly how much I was being overcharged, and presented it to HR as a formal complaint with a clear dollar amount they needed to correct. I also found it helpful to research the exact tax codes for both counties online and include that information in my complaint. When HR saw that I had done my homework and knew the specific regulations, they took it more seriously than when I just said "this looks wrong." The key is getting someone at your company who understands that this is costing you real money due to their system error. Once they processed the correction through ADP, I also received back payments for all the incorrect withholdings. Don't let them tell you this is your problem to solve - it's absolutely their responsibility to fix their payroll system.

I work for a local tax consulting firm and see this exact issue frequently with ADP systems. The problem is usually in what's called the "geocoding" - where your address gets mapped to the wrong tax jurisdiction in their database. Here's a step-by-step approach that tends to work better than just asking HR to "fix it": 1. Get your exact home address as it appears in ADP (ask HR for a printout of your employee profile) 2. Look up your property on your county assessor's website to confirm which tax districts you should actually be in 3. Present this documentation to HR with a request for them to verify the "tax location code" assigned to your address in ADP The key phrase to use is "tax location code verification" - this is ADP terminology that will help HR understand exactly what needs to be checked. Most HR reps don't realize this is a technical mapping issue rather than a simple address problem. Also, keep in mind that even if they fix it going forward, you're entitled to a refund of all incorrectly withheld taxes. Don't let them tell you that you'll just "get it back when you file your taxes" - that's not how county taxes work in most jurisdictions.