Company issued a duplicate W-2 that was reported and not voided - How do I fix this mess?
So I'm in a really frustrating situation with my taxes and need some advice. My previous employer initially gave me an incorrect W-2 for 2022. About two weeks later, they provided me with an updated W-2 that had the correct amounts on it. I didn't think much about it at the time. Fast forward to now, and I just found out that they NEVER voided the first incorrect W-2. So both W-2s were reported to the IRS! I'm freaking out because it looks like I earned way more than I actually did. The original incorrect W-2 shows about $52,000 and the correct one shows $68,000, but the IRS probably thinks I made $120,000 total! I've tried calling my former employer but the accountant who handled this left the company a few months ago. The new person keeps saying they'll "look into it" but it's been over a week with no resolution. Has anyone dealt with a duplicate W-2 situation before? What steps should I take to fix this with the IRS? Will this trigger an audit? I'm really worried about getting hit with a huge tax bill for income I never actually earned!
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ShadowHunter
This happens more than you'd think! The good news is this can definitely be fixed, so try not to worry too much. First, you need to get documentation from your former employer confirming the error. Request a formal letter stating that they issued a duplicate W-2, specifying which one is correct and which one should be disregarded. Make sure they clarify the correct income amount. Next, you should file Form W-2C (Corrected Wage and Tax Statement) with the IRS. While technically your employer should file this, you can submit it yourself with the documentation from your employer. If you've already filed your taxes using the correct W-2, you should contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to explain the situation. They'll make a note in your file about the duplicate reporting issue. Don't worry about an audit - this is a common clerical error. Just make sure you have documentation showing you reported the correct income amount on your tax return.
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Diego Ramirez
•Thanks for the info! Question though - isn't it the employer's responsibility to file the W-2C? I thought as an employee I can't file that form myself? Also, what if my former employer refuses to give me any documentation about their mistake?
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ShadowHunter
•You're right that the employer should be the one filing Form W-2C - I should have been clearer. What you can do is file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) if your employer won't correct their mistake. This form allows you to report your actual wages and withholding. If your employer refuses to provide documentation, gather whatever proof you have of your actual earnings - final paystubs, bank deposits, etc. Document all communication attempts with your former employer. The IRS understands these situations happen and generally works with taxpayers to resolve them, especially when you're proactive about addressing the issue.
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Anastasia Sokolov
I had a similar issue last year and found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) super helpful for sorting it out. I was freaking out because my employer issued two W-2s - one with a typo in my SSN and one corrected one, but both got reported to the IRS. I uploaded both W-2s to taxr.ai and it immediately flagged the duplicate reporting issue and explained exactly what documentation I needed to gather. The tool analyzed both forms side by side, highlighted the discrepancies, and generated a detailed explanation I could send to the IRS explaining the situation. Their document analysis saved me hours of comparing numbers and trying to figure out which forms I needed to file. They even had specific guidance for duplicate W-2 situations.
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Sean O'Connor
•How accurate was their analysis? Did it actually help resolve the issue with the IRS or just point out the problem? I'm in a similar boat but worried about relying on some random website.
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Zara Ahmed
•I'm curious - did taxr.ai help with the actual communication with the IRS or just the document analysis part? My situation is even more complicated because my employer went out of business after giving me duplicate W-2s.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•The analysis was spot-on. It correctly identified all the discrepancies between my two W-2s and explained which numbers were being double-reported. It absolutely helped resolve the issue because I was able to provide the IRS with a clear explanation rather than just saying "I think there's a mistake." For your situation with the out-of-business employer, taxr.ai actually helps with that too. The document analysis includes guidelines for what supporting documentation you need when you can't get corrected forms from an employer. In my case, they helped me understand how to properly file Form 4852 as a substitute for a corrected W-2, and even flagged which line items needed special attention.
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Zara Ahmed
Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my employer went out of business and left me with duplicate W-2s. It was actually really helpful! Their system identified exactly which numbers were being double-reported and gave me step-by-step instructions for filing Form 4852. The best part was the explanation letter it generated for the IRS. It laid out the whole situation clearly, referenced the specific tax codes that applied to my case, and even explained how I calculated my correct income amount. When I called the IRS, the agent seemed impressed by how thorough my documentation was. The whole issue got resolved within a couple weeks instead of the months I was expecting. Definitely less stressful than trying to figure it all out on my own!
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Luca Conti
If you're struggling to get through to the IRS about this duplicate W-2 issue, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar problem last year and spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS with no luck - always got disconnected after waiting for hours. I was super skeptical but checked out their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to give it a shot. They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you back when they have an agent on the line. I got through to an actual IRS representative in about 90 minutes when I had previously wasted 3 days trying. The IRS agent was able to make a note in my file about the duplicate W-2 situation and gave me specific instructions on how to file my return to avoid issues. Saved me a ton of stress and potential penalties!
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Nia Johnson
•Wait, so they just call the IRS for you? How does that even work? Doesn't the IRS need to verify your identity and stuff? Seems sketchy.
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CyberNinja
•This sounds like BS. If it was that easy to get through to the IRS everyone would do it. I spent 4 hours on hold last week and got disconnected. No way some service could magically fix that.
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Luca Conti
•They don't call the IRS "for you" - they basically hold your place in line. When an IRS agent picks up, you get an immediate call back and are connected with the agent. YOU still talk directly to the IRS and handle all identity verification yourself. The system works because they've figured out the best times to call and have automated the hold process. It's not magic - just smart technology that handles the waiting part. I was super skeptical too, but when I got connected to an actual IRS agent after trying unsuccessfully for days on my own, I was sold. You still handle the entire conversation yourself, they just solve the "getting through" part which was the biggest hurdle for me.
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CyberNinja
I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After another frustrating day of trying to reach the IRS about my own tax issue (not W-2 related, but still), I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was 100% convinced it wouldn't work and was ready to come back here and expose it as a scam. Well, I was wrong. Within an hour, I got a call back and was talking to a real IRS agent. No more endless hold music, no more getting disconnected after waiting for hours. The agent was able to look up my account and confirm they had received duplicate information from my employer (different issue than OP but similar problem). She put notes in my file and gave me direct instructions on how to file an amended return. For anyone dealing with duplicate W-2s or any IRS issue where you need to talk to a human, this seriously works. Can't believe I wasted so many hours being stubborn.
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Mateo Lopez
Has anyone tried just filing with the CORRECT W-2 and ignoring the duplicate? I mean, if you file with the right numbers, wouldn't the IRS eventually figure it out on their own? Seems like all this extra paperwork is unnecessary.
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ShadowHunter
•That's actually a risky approach. The IRS automated matching system will flag your return because the total W-2 income they have on file will be higher than what you reported. This almost always triggers a notice or even an audit. When the IRS computers see two W-2s but you only report one, they assume you're underreporting income. You'll likely receive a CP2000 notice proposing additional tax on the "unreported" income. Then you'll have to go through the explanation process anyway, but now with the added stress of responding to a formal IRS notice with deadlines and potential penalties. It's much better to be proactive about addressing the duplicate reporting before it becomes a bigger issue.
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Mateo Lopez
•That makes sense, thanks for explaining! I definitely don't want to trigger any automatic flags or get one of those scary IRS letters. Seems like being proactive is the way to go, even if it means more work upfront.
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Aisha Abdullah
Just sharing what worked for me in a similar situation. My payroll company issued two W-2s (original and corrected) but reported both to the IRS. 1. I gathered my final paystub for the year showing my actual total earnings 2. Used TurboTax to file using the CORRECT W-2 information only 3. Included a brief statement explaining the duplicate W-2 situation 4. Attached copies of both W-2s with the incorrect one clearly marked "DUPLICATE - DO NOT USE" 5. Also included a copy of my final paystub as proof of actual earnings I did get a letter from the IRS about 3 months later questioning the "missing income," but I just had to call and explain. Since I had already documented everything in my original filing, they resolved it pretty quickly. The key is keeping good records and being able to prove your actual income!
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Chloe Taylor
•This is super helpful, thank you! I'm going to follow these steps. Did you mail in your return instead of e-filing to include all those attachments? Or is there a way to add explanation docs with e-filing?
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Aisha Abdullah
•I ended up mailing in my return because at the time (2019) there wasn't a great way to attach all that documentation with e-filing. However, many tax software programs now allow you to upload PDF attachments with your e-filed return. If you're using software like TurboTax or H&R Block, look for an option like "Add an Explanation" or "Upload Supporting Documents" in the filing section. If that's not available, you might need to mail in your return with all the documentation. It's a bit more work, but worth it to avoid headaches later. The most important thing is documenting everything clearly so when the IRS automated system flags the discrepancy (which it probably will), you've already provided a clear explanation.
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