First time filing taxes - confused about Employer Address section on W-2 form
Hey everyone, I'm doing my taxes for the first time and feeling pretty lost. I started filling out the forms and got to the Employer Address section but I'm not sure what to put there? Do I use my actual work location or the company's headquarters? My company has multiple locations and I'm not sure which address is the right one to use. I don't want to mess this up and get in trouble with the IRS. Thanks for any help!
20 comments
Join the conversation
Benjamin Carter
You should use the employer address that's listed on your W-2 form. Your employer should have already provided you with a W-2 by January 31st. The W-2 has all the information you need, including their official address that they've registered with the IRS. Don't try to guess which address to use - just copy exactly what's on your W-2. If you haven't received your W-2 yet, you can contact your HR department or payroll office to request one. Many employers also make them available electronically through their employee portals.
0 coins
Maya Lewis
•What if the address on my W-2 is wrong though? My company moved offices last year but my W-2 still has the old address. Should I correct it or just use what's printed?
0 coins
Benjamin Carter
•You should still use exactly what's printed on your W-2, even if you know it's not their current address. The W-2 information needs to match what your employer submitted to the IRS, so changing it could cause problems with processing your return. If you're concerned about the address being outdated, you don't need to worry. The IRS is mainly concerned that the Employer Identification Number (EIN) is correct. The employer is responsible for updating their address with the IRS, not you.
0 coins
Isaac Wright
I was super confused about this too last year! After hours of frustration, I found this AI tool called taxr.ai that literally saved me. I took pictures of my W-2 and other tax docs, uploaded them to https://taxr.ai and it extracted all the info and told me exactly what to put where. It even explained which address to use (the one on the W-2 like the person above said) and why. Saved me so much headache trying to figure out all the tax jargon.
0 coins
Lucy Taylor
•Does it work with state tax forms too? I'm doing both federal and state this year and getting really overwhelmed.
0 coins
Connor Murphy
•How secure is it tho? Kinda nervous about uploading my tax documents with all my personal info to some random website...
0 coins
Isaac Wright
•Yes, it absolutely works with state tax forms! It can handle pretty much any tax document and will extract the info for both federal and state taxes. It made the whole process so much simpler for me. As for security, I was worried about that too. They use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after processing. You can also delete everything right after you're done. I researched it pretty thoroughly before using because I was paranoid about my SSN and everything.
0 coins
Lucy Taylor
Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here! Seriously, it was so helpful for a first-timer like me. I was stressing about all the different fields and what goes where, but I just took pics of my documents and it pulled everything out and explained what I needed to do. The employer address thing was exactly what you all said - just use what's on the W-2. But the tool also caught a couple other things I would have messed up. Definitely recommend for anyone else who's confused!
0 coins
KhalilStar
If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS directly (which is pretty much everyone right now), I had a really good experience with Claimyr. I spent DAYS trying to get through to someone at the IRS about a similar first-time filing question, but kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I was super skeptical but tried https://claimyr.com and they actually got me connected to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent confirmed what others are saying here - use the exact employer address that's on your W-2, don't try to "fix" or update it even if you know it's wrong.
0 coins
Amelia Dietrich
•Wait, how does this even work? Do they have some special connection to the IRS or something? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful.
0 coins
Connor Murphy
•This sounds like a scam tbh. Nobody can get through to the IRS that fast, especially during tax season. I'll believe it when I see it.
0 coins
KhalilStar
•They use a technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they reach a live agent, they call you and connect you directly. No special IRS connection, just smart tech that handles the waiting part. It's definitely not a scam. I was connected to a legitimate IRS agent who answered all my questions. I was skeptical too, but it worked exactly as advertised and saved me hours of frustration and hold music.
0 coins
Connor Murphy
OK I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because I couldn't get any answers about my first-time filing questions. Not only did it work, but I got through to the IRS in about 30 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I spent before getting disconnected. The agent was super helpful and walked me through several questions I had, including the employer address thing. Turns out there were some other things I was doing wrong that could have caused problems. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind knowing I'm doing everything correctly.
0 coins
Kaiya Rivera
pro tip: if u dont have ur W-2 yet and ur employer is being slow, u can get ur wage and income transcript directly from the IRS website. it has all the same info. just go to irs.gov and make an account. might be easier than waiting if ur on a time crunch!
0 coins
Evelyn Martinez
•Thanks for this tip! My employer actually just emailed saying there might be a delay with our W-2s, so this is perfect timing. Do you know how long it takes to get access to the transcript once you make an account?
0 coins
Kaiya Rivera
•If you can verify your identity online, you can access it immediately. You'll need a credit card number (they don't charge it, just use it for verification), a phone in your name, and I think a loan account number like mortgage or car loan. If you can't verify online, you'll have to request a mailed PIN which takes about 10 days. So definitely try the online verification first!
0 coins
Katherine Ziminski
Small warning from someone who works in tax prep: make sure you're actually required to file! Lots of first-time filers waste time filing when they don't need to. If your income is below $12,950 for 2024 (assuming you're single) you might not need to file a federal return at all.
0 coins
Noah Irving
•This is super important advice that doesn't get shared enough! I spent hours doing my taxes my first year of college only to find out I didn't even have to file because I made like $4k from my part-time job. Such a waste of time and stress.
0 coins
Elin Robinson
As someone who just went through this same confusion last year, I can confirm what others are saying - definitely use the exact employer address that's printed on your W-2 form. Don't second-guess it or try to "correct" it even if you know the address has changed. The IRS matches everything electronically, so any discrepancy between what you enter and what your employer submitted could trigger delays or questions. One thing that helped me was organizing all my documents first before starting. Make sure you have your W-2 (and any 1099s if applicable), your Social Security card, and a copy of last year's return if you have one. Having everything in one place made the whole process way less stressful. Also, take your time! There's no rush, and it's better to double-check everything than to have to file an amended return later. The IRS website has some good resources for first-time filers too if you get stuck on other sections.
0 coins
Rudy Cenizo
•This is really helpful advice! I'm also filing for the first time and didn't even think about organizing my documents first. Quick question - you mentioned keeping a copy of last year's return, but since this is my first time filing, I obviously don't have one. Is there anything else I should have ready that might not be obvious to a first-timer?
0 coins