Are there drawbacks to taking a picture of my W-2 for tax filing?

Thanks for the info! Do you know if the photo needs to include both copies of the W-2? Mine has a federal copy and a state copy and they look almost identical. Also, will taking a photo vs scanning affect how quickly I get my refund?

You only need to take a photo of one copy of your W-2 - they contain the same information. The different copies are just labeled for your records (one for federal, one for state, and one for your personal records), but the tax data on them is identical. Taking a photo versus scanning will not affect your refund timing as long as the image is clear enough for the software to accurately read the information. The IRS processes your return based on the data submitted, not how you entered it. What can delay things is if the system misreads numbers from a blurry photo, causing errors that might trigger a manual review.

Does it work with crumpled W-2s? My employer somehow managed to fold mine like 3 times and it's all creased up. Most apps I've tried in the past struggle with that.

I'm a bit paranoid about security... How do they handle our tax documents? Do they store that info somewhere? Seems risky to upload W-2s with SSNs to random websites.

Yes, it actually does work with crumpled forms! I had a similar issue with a 1099 that got mangled in the mail. Just try to flatten it as much as possible when taking the picture, and their system is pretty good at recognizing the data even with creases. Regarding security, I had the same concern initially. Their system uses bank-level encryption for the document uploads and they don't permanently store your tax documents after processing. They extract the information you need and then remove the original documents from their servers. You can read their privacy policy on their site - they're pretty transparent about the whole process.

How exactly does this work? Doesn't everyone have to call the same IRS number? How do they get you through faster than calling directly?

Yeah right. No way this actually works. The IRS phone system is completely broken by design. Nobody's getting through in 20 minutes during tax season unless you have some secret government connection.

It works by monitoring the IRS phone system and using algorithms to detect the optimal times to call. Basically, they navigate the phone tree for you and when they get a spot in the queue, they call you and connect you to the IRS agent. It's the same number everyone uses, but their system is constantly trying to get through instead of you having to redial over and over. Honestly, I was super skeptical too! The IRS phone situation is a complete disaster, especially during tax season. But it legitimately worked for me - took about 18 minutes from when I submitted my request until I was talking to an agent. Way better than the 3+ hours I spent the previous week getting nowhere. They don't have any special government connection - they just figured out how to work with the existing system more efficiently than individuals can.

Thanks so much for the tips! I'll definitely use a dark background and make sure to get that EIN number clearly. That might be why my dad's concerned - he's pretty old school about financial stuff and doesn't really trust anything digital. Do you think if I use the H&R Block app to take the photo it'll be better than just using my regular camera app?

Using the H&R Block app to take the photo is definitely better than using your regular camera app. The tax app is specifically designed to capture tax documents with the right angle, lighting guidance, and it will immediately check if the photo is usable for processing. It also keeps the image within their secure environment rather than storing it in your general photo gallery where other apps might have access to it. Your dad's concern is understandable - many people from earlier generations are cautious about financial documents, and rightfully so. You might ease his mind by explaining that the H&R Block app uses encryption to protect your data, and that digital submission is actually the standard method now, even preferred by the IRS.

This happened to me too! The software mixed up box 1 and box 3 amounts from my photo. Worth taking 2 extra minutes to verify everything before submitting.