You're definitely not crazy! This is actually one of the most common questions from people filing their own taxes for the first time. Box 11 is only used for "nonqualified deferred compensation plans" - which are specialized retirement arrangements that are typically only available to executives or very highly compensated employees at larger companies. Since the vast majority of regular employees don't have these types of plans, most W-2 forms simply omit Box 11 entirely rather than printing an empty box. It's actually more efficient and less confusing this way. What you should focus on instead is Box 12, where your standard retirement contributions (like 401k) will appear with letter codes - that's where the retirement information that actually matters for most people's tax returns shows up. As long as your wages, withholdings, and any retirement contributions in Box 12 match your final paystub from December, your W-2 is complete and correct. No need to contact HR at all!

This is such a great question that probably helps a lot of people! I went through the exact same confusion my first year filing. Box 11 is one of those things that looks "missing" but is actually just not applicable to most of us regular employees. Just to add to what everyone else has said - Box 11 specifically reports distributions from nonqualified deferred compensation plans or Section 457(b) plans, which are really specialized benefits usually reserved for executives or very high-level positions. If you're a typical W-2 employee with standard benefits like health insurance and a 401(k), you'll never see Box 11 on your form. Your employer is actually doing you a favor by not printing empty boxes - it keeps the form cleaner and less confusing. As long as your regular retirement contributions show up correctly in Box 12 (sounds like yours do with the "D" code for 401k), you're all set to file normally. No action needed on your part!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My friend has been staying in my guest room for about 4 months after what was supposed to be a "couple weeks max" arrangement. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the tax implications when we started this. The consensus seems pretty clear: if your friend is writing "rent" on check memos and you've been accepting regular payments for 7 months, the IRS will definitely consider this rental income that needs to be reported on Schedule E. The fact that it wasn't originally intended as a business arrangement doesn't change how the IRS views the actual pattern of payments. What's encouraging is hearing from multiple people that after legitimate deductions, the actual taxable income is often much less than the total collected. The ability to deduct a proportional share of housing expenses (utilities, insurance, maintenance, mortgage interest) based on the room's square footage seems to really help offset the tax burden. I'm definitely going to start documenting everything retroactively like several people suggested - bank statements, utility bills, insurance payments, maintenance receipts. The spreadsheet approach tracking monthly payments against monthly deductible expenses sounds like a smart way to organize everything. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences with this situation. It's made me feel much less anxious about handling it properly on my taxes. Better to be transparent with the IRS and take advantage of legitimate deductions than try to avoid reporting it and risk bigger problems later!

I've been following this thread as someone who went through this exact situation last year. All the advice here is spot-on - you definitely need to report this as rental income on Schedule E, even though it started as just helping a friend. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping track of when the arrangement actually began for tax purposes. Since you mentioned your friend has been there "since last summer" but started paying in a more regular pattern later, make sure you're only reporting income from when the consistent payments actually started. The IRS cares about when the rental relationship was established, not just when someone started staying there. Also, regarding the deductions - don't forget you can include things like a proportional share of property taxes and even home depreciation if you're itemizing everything properly. In my case, these additional deductions made a significant difference in reducing my taxable rental income. The key is being thorough with your documentation now. Even though this wasn't planned as a rental business, treat the record-keeping like it was. Bank statements, utility bills, insurance payments, maintenance receipts - organize everything by month so you can clearly show the IRS exactly how you calculated both your income and deductions. One last thought: consider whether you want to establish a more formal month-to-month agreement going forward. It doesn't have to be complicated, but having something in writing can help clarify expectations for both of you and make future tax seasons much easier to handle.

I've been following this thread and want to add another avenue that might help - check with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB). Even if the restaurant wasn't BBB accredited, they often have business information on file including EINs for companies that have had complaints filed against them or that have been looked up by consumers. You can search their database online using "Coastal Flavors LLC" or call their local office directly. Since restaurants often deal with customer service issues, there's a decent chance they have some record of the business that could include the tax ID information. Also, if you remember any food delivery services the restaurant used (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.), those platforms require businesses to provide their EIN for tax reporting purposes. While they probably won't give you the EIN directly, if you contact their merchant support and explain you're a former employee trying to file taxes, they might be able to verify the information or provide guidance on how to proceed. One last thought - check with your state's Department of Agriculture if they had any special food handling licenses or participated in any farm-to-table programs. These often require additional documentation that would include the business EIN.

This is such a comprehensive thread with amazing suggestions! I'm dealing with a similar situation with a small consulting firm that dissolved. One additional resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is checking with your state's Unclaimed Property division. When businesses close unexpectedly, sometimes final paychecks, expense reimbursements, or other employee payments end up being turned over to the state as unclaimed property. You can search your state's unclaimed property database using your name to see if there are any funds from "Coastal Flavors LLC." If there are, the business information listed in those records would definitely include their EIN, since the state needs that for proper reporting when they receive the unclaimed funds. Also, if you ever received any direct deposit payments, check if you can access older bank statements (even if just online). Sometimes the originating company information for ACH transfers includes more details than what shows up in your regular transaction history - you might need to look at the actual deposit slip or detailed transaction record to see if the EIN is embedded in the transfer data. Another thought - if any of your former coworkers are on LinkedIn or social media, they might have saved documents or have other ideas about tracking down the EIN. Sometimes crowd-sourcing among former employees can turn up information that individuals might have missed.

As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can confirm what everyone is saying - you absolutely need to report ALL dividend income regardless of amount. I had $3.47 in dividends from some leftover stock and initially thought about skipping it, but after doing research (and talking to a tax professional), I learned that the IRS considers any unreported income as potential tax evasion, even tiny amounts. The key thing to remember is that even though your brokerage didn't send you a 1099-DIV, they still reported those payments to the IRS with your SSN. So the IRS knows you received that money, and if you don't report it, their matching systems could flag it later. I ended up calling my brokerage (Schwab) and they were super helpful - didn't need my password, just answered some security questions and they gave me the exact dividend amounts over the phone. Took maybe 10 minutes total. Way easier than trying to reset passwords or worry about whether I was reporting correctly. My advice: just call your brokerage, get the exact amount, and report it. The peace of mind is worth way more than the few cents in additional tax you'll owe!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I have about $8 in dividends from a Robinhood account that I can't access (phone got stolen and lost my 2FA). After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to report it rather than risk any issues. The explanation about the $10 threshold being for when companies MUST send forms vs. when WE must report income really cleared up my confusion. I'm going to try calling Robinhood tomorrow to see if they can help me get the exact amount without logging in, like others mentioned worked with their brokerages. If that doesn't work, I'll probably go with one of the AI tax services mentioned here to make sure I'm handling this correctly. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's really reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this kind of situation during tax season!

Just to add to what others have said - you absolutely should fill out the W9. I went through this exact situation with my freelance electrical work a few years ago. One thing that really helped me was setting up a separate business checking account once I started getting 1099s regularly. It makes tracking income and expenses so much easier come tax time. Even though it's "just" weekend work, treating it like a real business from a record-keeping standpoint will save you major headaches. Also, don't panic about the self-employment tax rate. Yes, it's about 15.3%, but remember you can deduct half of that SE tax on your regular tax return, which reduces the effective rate. Plus, with legitimate business deductions (which are substantial in construction - tools, materials, safety equipment, vehicle expenses), your actual taxable income from this work could be significantly lower than what they pay you. The key is getting organized now and keeping good records going forward. The IRS isn't out to get small contractors who are trying to do the right thing.

I just went through this exact situation last year and wanted to share what I learned. The W9 is really just paperwork - it doesn't change your tax obligations, but it does mean the IRS will have a record of what they paid you. Here's what I wish someone had told me: start tracking EVERYTHING now. Keep receipts for any tools, materials, gas to job sites, even work clothes that are construction-specific. I was shocked at how much I could legitimately deduct - it brought my taxable income way down from what they actually paid me. The self-employment tax sounds scary at 15.3%, but you also get to deduct business expenses that W2 employees can't. Plus you can deduct half of the SE tax itself. With good record keeping, the actual tax hit is much more manageable than it first appears. One more thing - consider making quarterly estimated tax payments going forward if this income is regular. It spreads out the tax burden instead of getting hit with a big bill at year-end. The IRS has a simple online calculator to help figure out how much to pay each quarter. Don't stress too much about previous years. Focus on getting compliant now and staying that way. The IRS generally appreciates when people make an effort to do things right going forward.