Do I need to include my second job on my tax return if I earned $0 from it?

What if they already set up direct deposit and tax withholding paperwork? Does that count as something that needs to be reported even if no money changed hands?

Setting up direct deposit and completing tax withholding forms (like a W-4) doesn't create a reporting requirement. Those are just administrative setup steps for when you do start earning income. The IRS tax filing system is based on actual transactions that occurred during the tax year, not on paperwork or arrangements for potential future income. If no money was paid to you in 2024, there's nothing to report for that job on your 2024 return.

How does that work? Do you just upload your W-2s and it tells you what to do with them?

Does it handle other confusing situations too? Like I have some side gig income but no 1099. Would it help with that?

You just upload your tax documents and it analyzes them to tell you exactly what needs to be reported and where. It highlights important fields and explains everything in plain English so you know what you're looking at. It definitely handles confusing situations like side gig income without a 1099. It helped me figure out how to report some freelance work I did even though I didn't get an official form. It walks you through everything you need to know about reporting different types of income.

Wait how does this actually work? Sounds sketchy that someone else would wait on hold for me. Do they just call the regular IRS number?

Yeah right. Nobody can get through to the IRS. I've tried calling at all hours and either get disconnected or told the wait is 2+ hours. If this actually works I'll eat my hat.

It's completely legitimate - they use a system that places the call and waits in the queue for you. When an IRS agent picks up, you get a call to connect you directly to that agent. They call the official IRS numbers, just like you would, but their system handles the waiting part. Believe me, I was skeptical too when I first heard about it. But it's just a time-saving service that handles the frustrating hold times. I was able to speak directly with an IRS agent after trying for days on my own with no success. The agent confirmed that I didn't need to report jobs with zero income, which saved me a lot of uncertainty.

But what if the employer filed something on their end showing you as an employee? Couldn't that create a mismatch with your return?

Companies only file W-2s for employees who received wages. If you earned zero dollars, there's no W-2 generated, so there's nothing that would create a mismatch with the IRS. The employer might have you in their system as an employee for their own records, but they don't report anything to the IRS until they actually pay you. So there's no risk of a mismatch or triggering a flag in the system.

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed to know. I didn't get any payment or benefits from them in 2024, just filled out the paperwork. I'll just report my main job income for now and include the second job on next year's taxes when I actually start getting paid.

What about if you got like a signing bonus in December but don't actually start working until January? Would that count for this year's taxes?