Can't mark X in Q1 box on June 2022 revision of Form 941 - greyed out?

So I'm working on payroll tax stuff for our small business and I've hit a weird snag with the Form 941. I've been doing these for years without issues, but the June 2022 revision is giving me problems. The Q1 box is completely greyed out and I can't mark it with an X like I normally would. I've tried both electronically and printing it out, but no luck. I can mark the boxes on forms from previous years just fine, but something changed with this revision. Has anyone else encountered this? I'm worried about submitting it incorrectly and getting flagged for an error. The IRS instructions don't mention anything about this change. Any insights from fellow small business owners or tax folks?

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18 comments

Jessica Nguyen

•8M

The June 2022 revision of Form 941 had some layout changes that confused a lot of people. The Q1 box was intentionally greyed out because the IRS automated that part of the form. The quarter is now determined by which version of the form you're using rather than having you manually mark it. If you look at the top right of the form, it should already indicate which quarter it's for. The IRS did this to reduce errors where people would use the wrong form version but then mark a different quarter in the box. So if you're filing for Q1, make sure you're using the specific Q1 version of the form rather than trying to mark the box.

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Jessica Nguyen

•8M

The IRS now releases quarter-specific versions of Form 941. You can find them on the IRS website by searching for "Form 941" and the specific quarter you need. For example, "Form 941 for Q1" or "Form 941 first quarter." This change actually reduces errors in the long run because many filers were using outdated forms or marking the wrong quarter boxes. With the quarter-specific forms, the system can automatically process them correctly. The forms look nearly identical except for the pre-marked quarter designation.

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Ruby Garcia

•8M

I had the same issue last year and ended up calling my accountant in a panic lol. Turns out using https://taxr.ai saved me so much time figuring this out. I uploaded my Form 941 and it immediately told me I was using the wrong version and explained exactly what was happening with the greyed out Q1 box. It also helped me understand all the other changes in the June 2022 revision. Their tax document analyzer spotted several other mistakes I was about to make too. I've been using it for all my quarterly filings since then - way cheaper than having my accountant explain every little form change.

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Ruby Garcia

•8M

Yes, it works with pretty much all IRS forms - 1099s, W-2s, Schedule C, you name it. It's been super helpful for keeping track of which version is current since the IRS is always updating them. For the analyzer, you just upload the forms - either blank ones you're trying to understand or completed ones you want checked for errors. They use encryption and don't store your financial data permanently. I was skeptical too, but it's actually designed specifically for privacy concerns. It just analyzes the document structure and compares it to the correct versions.

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Benjamin Carter

•8M

If you're still having trouble with this and need to speak with someone at the IRS directly, I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an agent. I was stuck on hold for HOURS trying to get clarification about the 941 revisions. With Claimyr, they held my place in line and called me when an IRS agent was ready to talk. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed what others have said - the Q1 box is greyed out intentionally on the new forms because they're now quarter-specific. She also walked me through some other changes on the form that weren't obvious. Worth the time saved instead of being on hold all day!

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Benjamin Carter

•8M

The service doesn't have a "back door" - it uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. Basically, they call and wait in the queue on your behalf, then call you when they reach a human. It doesn't get you through any faster than you would normally - you're still in the same queue as everyone else. The difference is you don't have to personally sit there listening to hold music for hours. You can go about your day, and they'll call you when an agent is ready. I was skeptical too, but it worked exactly as advertised.

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Isaac Wright

•8M

I need to eat my words here. After being totally skeptical about Claimyr, I tried it this morning out of desperation (been trying to reach the IRS for 3 days about my 941 issues). It actually worked! Went about my morning, got a call back about 85 minutes later, and was connected to an IRS agent who explained everything about the form revisions. Turns out there were several changes with the June 2022 version that my accounting software hadn't updated for. Saved me literally hours of hold time and the agent was able to confirm I was using the correct form. Consider me converted.

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Lucy Taylor

•8M

I noticed this too and discovered that what's happening is the IRS is now pre-printing the quarter on each version of the 941. If you look at the current year forms, you'll see they have "941 for Quarter 1" or similar printed right on them. So no more checking boxes! Make sure you download the specific form for the quarter you're filing. If you're using tax software, it should automatically select the right one, but if you're downloading directly from IRS.gov, make sure to get the correct quarterly version.

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Lucy Taylor

•8M

This change is primarily for Form 941, but the IRS has been moving toward more form-specific versions for several reporting requirements. Form 941-X (the amended return) still requires you to check which quarter you're correcting. Some other quarterly forms still use the traditional checkbox method, but the IRS seems to be gradually transitioning more forms to the quarter-specific model. Always best to download the most current version directly from IRS.gov or use up-to-date tax software to be sure.

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