Can I change my state on my W2 if the employer put the wrong state?

But what if their employer is being difficult about issuing a corrected W2? My friend had a similar situation and her company took forever to fix it.

If your employer is dragging their feet, you still have options. First, document all your attempts to get the correction - emails, call logs, etc. If they continue to delay beyond a reasonable time, you can contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. They can reach out to the employer on your behalf. You can also file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your tax return if you're approaching the filing deadline and still don't have a corrected W2. You'll need your final pay stub from 2024 to complete this form accurately. Just be aware that using Form 4852 might delay processing of your return since the IRS will need to verify the information.

Does this actually work with state tax issues specifically? My W2 has me living in New York when I moved to New Jersey halfway through the year. I've been dreading dealing with this.

I'm skeptical about these tax service things. Does it actually contact your employer for you or do you still have to do all that back and forth yourself? Because that's the real headache.

Yes, it definitely works with state tax issues - that's exactly what I used it for! It specifically identified that my earnings were tagged to the wrong state and explained how that would impact my tax liability. The system even highlighted the specific box numbers on my W2 that needed correction. No, it doesn't contact your employer directly - you still handle that communication yourself. But it provides you with properly formatted documentation that explains exactly what needs to be fixed and why, which makes the process much smoother. I just forwarded the generated letter to my HR department and they immediately understood the issue rather than me trying to explain tax law to them. It saved me from multiple back-and-forth emails and confusion.

How does this actually work? Does it just auto-dial the IRS repeatedly until it gets through or something? Seems too good to be true.

Yeah right. I've been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about a different issue. No way this actually works - they're completely unreachable no matter what tricks you try.

It doesn't auto-dial repeatedly. They use a system that maintains your place in the IRS queue without you having to stay on the phone. They have specialized software that monitors the hold status and only calls you when you're about to be connected to an agent. I was skeptical too, but it's actually a pretty straightforward concept - they're essentially waiting on hold so you don't have to. I completely understand your skepticism - I felt the same way! I had tried calling the IRS for three days straight before giving up. When I used Claimyr, I got connected to an IRS representative that same afternoon. The difference was night and day. Look, I can't guarantee everyone will have the same experience, but it worked for me when nothing else did. The IRS is definitely understaffed, but they do answer eventually - the problem is most of us can't stay on hold for 2+ hours.

Are you sure that's the right form? I thought Form 8919 was only for misclassified workers (like independent contractors who should be employees). Wouldn't Form 4852 be the substitute for a wrong W2?

You're absolutely right, and I apologize for the incorrect information. Form 8919 is indeed for misclassified workers, not for correcting state information on a W2. Form 4852 is the correct form to use as a substitute for a W2 when your employer either doesn't provide one or provides an incorrect one that they refuse to correct. Thank you for catching my mistake - this is why it's always good to verify tax advice!

I work in HR and can explain why this happens so often. Most payroll systems have separate fields for mailing address vs. work state for tax purposes. When someone moves, the address gets updated but unless the payroll administrator specifically changes the work state field (which is often in a completely different section of the software), the system keeps withholding for the previous state. It's a design flaw in most payroll software.

This is so helpful to know! I always wondered why this kept happening. Is there anything employees can do when we move to make sure the work state gets updated correctly? Like should I specifically mention "work state for tax purposes" when I update my address with HR, or is there a particular form I should ask them to update?