Does working for staffing agency like Robert Half change how I check boxes on my taxes?

The company that issued your W2 is your legal employer for tax purposes, so Robert Half is considered your employer. The fact that you physically worked at a different client company doesn't change this for your tax filing. When you're filing with H&R Block, you should enter information exactly as it appears on your W2 from Robert Half. If the checkbox you're referring to is asking whether you're self-employed or a contractor, you would NOT check that box since you received a W2 (which means you were an employee, not a contractor). Many people work through staffing agencies and the IRS understands this arrangement perfectly well. Just make sure all the income reported on your W2 is included in your tax return and you'll be fine!

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! I used to stress about this too until I found this great tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me understand my specific employment situation. I was working through Adecco but placed at Microsoft, and I wasn't sure how to handle some aspects of my taxes. The tool analyzed my W2 and employment details and gave me a clear explanation of my tax situation. It specifically addressed how to handle staffing agency employment and what boxes to check or not check in various tax software. Saved me a lot of confusion and worry about making mistakes!

Guys, I tried that taxr.ai site after asking about it and it was exactly what I needed! I uploaded my three W2s from my staffing agency and it immediately identified that I had a "multiple placement" situation. The guidance walked me through exactly which boxes to check in H&R Block and explained why each selection was correct. It even pointed out that I was eligible for some deductions related to traveling between different work locations that I had no idea about. Definitely going to use this every year now - makes the whole staffing agency tax situation so much clearer!

If you're having trouble figuring out your tax situation, you might need to talk to the IRS directly to get the right answer. I was in a similar situation last year (employed by a staffing firm but working onsite elsewhere) and spent HOURS trying to get through to the IRS phone line. I finally discovered https://claimyr.com which is a service that holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is ready. Saved me literally hours of waiting. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I eventually got through to an IRS rep who confirmed that for tax purposes, you file based on whoever issued your W2, regardless of where you physically performed the work. The agent was super helpful and even walked me through some of the specific form questions from H&R Block.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After seeing the explanation I decided to try it since I was still dealing with my identity verification issue from LAST tax season and couldn't file this year until it was resolved. Got a call back in about 3 hours and finally spoke to a real person at the IRS who fixed my issue in 10 minutes. Wish I'd known about this months ago! Now I can actually file my return for this year which includes work from multiple staffing agencies. For what it's worth, the IRS agent also confirmed what others are saying - you file based on the W2 issuer (the staffing agency), not based on where you physically worked. She said it's a very common arrangement and nothing to worry about.

Just wanted to add something important - make sure the address on your W2 from Robert Half is YOUR address and not the client company's address. I've seen staffing agencies mess this up sometimes. If your address is wrong on the W2, you should contact Robert Half and ask for a corrected W2. Entering an incorrect address can cause problems with your state tax filing especially.

I think everyone is overthinking this! Just enter the info from the W2 and you're fine. The IRS only cares about who paid you and if the correct taxes were withheld. I've worked for like 5 different staffing agencies over the years and never had an issue. That checkbox in H&R Block is probably asking if you're self-employed. Since you got a W2, you're not self-employed, so don't check it. Simple as that!

I went through this exact same situation last year when I worked for a client through Kelly Services! You're absolutely right to treat Robert Half as your employer for all tax purposes since they issued your W2. The key thing to remember is that from the IRS perspective, you were an employee of Robert Half who happened to be assigned to work at their client's location. This is a completely normal and well-understood employment arrangement. For that checkbox you're seeing in H&R Block - if it's asking about self-employment status, definitely don't check it since you received a W2 (not a 1099). If it's asking something else and you're still unsure, you can always skip it for now and come back to it, or look for a help button that explains what that specific question is asking. Don't stress too much about it - staffing agency employment is super common and the tax software is designed to handle it properly!