Anyone else get TurboTax Critical Notice about 2018 W-2 data import problems?

I'm a tax preparer and I've seen several clients get this email. This is actually legit, not a scam. TurboTax identified an issue with their W-2 import feature that affected returns from 2018. The good news is that the statute of limitations for most 2018 returns has already passed (3 years from filing date), unless there was substantial underreporting of income (25% or more). If you want to be extra cautious, you could follow their instructions to check your 2018 return. It would involve deleting and manually re-entering your W-2 info, then seeing if anything changes in your return. If there's no change in your tax liability, you're fine. If there is a change, you might want to consider filing an amended return, but only if the difference is significant.

I actually had a similar experience with the W-2 import issues from TurboTax. After trying to figure it out myself for hours, I used this AI tax tool called taxr.ai that helped me figure out exactly what was wrong with my imported data. It has this document analysis feature that compares your W-2 against what was imported into TurboTax and flags any discrepancies. Saved me a ton of time compared to manually comparing every box on multiple W-2s. The tool highlighted two fields that had imported incorrectly - my state withholding amount was completely wrong and my retirement contributions weren't properly categorized. I would have missed the second issue completely on my own. You can check it out at https://taxr.ai if you're concerned about your import data.

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it actually did find an error in my 2018 return! My employer health insurance contributions weren't properly reported in Box 12 when imported to TurboTax. The tool instantly highlighted the mismatch between my physical W-2 and what TurboTax had recorded. I was worried I might be on the hook for back taxes, but after fixing the error and recalculating, it turns out I was actually owed a small refund. Since it's beyond the statute of limitations I can't get that money back, but at least I know I'm not going to get hit with a surprise bill from the IRS. Seriously relieved. The document comparison feature saved me so much time compared to manually checking every line item.

I've been going in circles trying to contact TurboTax about this issue for days. Their phone line kept putting me on hold for 45+ minutes before disconnecting. Finally found Claimyr https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual TurboTax support agent in under 10 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed this was a legitimate notice and explained exactly which fields were affected in the W-2 import bug. In my case, it was the state income tax withholding amount that imported incorrectly. They helped me check my 2018 return while on the phone to make sure everything was correct now. Huge relief to finally get answers instead of waiting on hold forever.

I hate to admit when I'm wrong, but I've got to follow up on my previous comment. After another failed attempt to reach TurboTax (45 minutes on hold then disconnected AGAIN), I broke down and tried Claimyr. Got connected to a TurboTax specialist in about 7 minutes. The agent confirmed there was actually an error with my 2018 return - my federal withholding amount had imported incorrectly and was off by over $1,200. Since we're past the statute of limitations for 2018, I can't get that money back, but at least I know now. The relief of getting a straight answer after days of frustration was honestly worth it. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human to get things resolved.

Does anyone know if this affects state returns too or just federal? I'm in California and wondering if I need to check both my state and federal returns from 2018.

Hey all - I work at an accounting firm and just so you know, the statute of limitations for 2018 returns has passed for most people (unless you filed late or there was major underreporting). So even if there was an error, the IRS can't come after you for additional taxes at this point. That said, if the error resulted in you overpaying, you've unfortunately missed the window to claim that refund too. The deadline to claim a refund for 2018 was generally April 15, 2022 (3 years after the original filing deadline).

I got the same email and was panicking too! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it really helped calm my nerves. I decided to check my 2018 return by manually comparing my W-2s to what was imported into TurboTax, and thankfully everything matched up correctly. For anyone still worried about this, the key takeaway seems to be that even if there was an error, the 3-year statute of limitations has passed for most 2018 returns (unless you had major underreporting). So while it's worth checking for peace of mind, you're probably not going to get hit with surprise back taxes at this point. The bigger concern would be if you overpaid and missed the window to get that money back, but there's nothing you can do about that now. Really appreciate all the helpful info from the tax professionals in this thread!

I'm an enrolled agent and wanted to add some clarity here. The TurboTax notice is legitimate - they discovered their W-2 import feature had bugs that affected some 2018 returns. The most common issues I've seen are incorrect withholding amounts in boxes 2 and 17, and problems with box 12 codes (like retirement plan contributions). For most people, you're protected by the statute of limitations at this point. However, I'd still recommend doing a quick manual comparison of your actual W-2 against what's showing in your 2018 TurboTax return, especially if you remember having multiple W-2s or complex box 12 entries that year. If you do find discrepancies, don't panic. Document what you find, but remember that for routine errors on 2018 returns, both the IRS collection period and your refund claim period have likely expired. The peace of mind from knowing your situation is usually worth the 15-20 minutes it takes to check.