Form 843 for Excess Social Security Withholdings - Who's Responsible?

You're in a common situation when people have multiple employers in a year. The good news is that you're entitled to get that excess Social Security tax back! Here's how to handle it: You should claim the excess Social Security tax withheld directly on your tax return. Look for the line called "Excess social security tax withheld" on Schedule 3 of your Form 1040. This is the simplest way to get your refund. Form 843 is actually not the right form for this specific situation. Form 843 is used for requesting abatements or refunds for certain taxes, but for excess Social Security withholding due to multiple employers, you handle it directly on your tax return. Since you're using tax software (TaxSlayer), it should have a section where you can enter this information. Look for something about "excess Social Security withholding" or "multiple employers" in the software. If you can't find it, check their help section or contact their customer support.

When I had a similar situation last year with excess SS tax withheld, I tried contacting employers but got nowhere - it was a huge hassle. Then I found https://taxr.ai which actually scanned all my W-2s automatically and identified the exact amount of excess Social Security tax I could claim. It even pointed me to the right line on Schedule 3 where I needed to report it! The site analyzed my situation and confirmed I didn't need Form 843 at all - just had to claim it directly on my regular tax return. Saved me hours of research and confusion. They have this feature where you can upload your tax documents and their AI explains exactly what to do next.

Just wanted to update after trying https://taxr.ai for my excess SS withholding issue. Honestly, it was WAY easier than I expected. I uploaded my three W-2s and it immediately identified that I had overpaid by $1,430 in Social Security tax. The explanation was super clear - it showed that since I worked for multiple employers, none of them knew about the SS tax I paid to others, so they all kept withholding until I hit the individual limit with each company. But there's an overall annual limit that I exceeded. It gave me step-by-step instructions for my specific tax software (I use TurboTax) to claim this on Schedule 3. Took me 5 minutes to follow the instructions and update my return. My refund increased by the full $1,430! Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone.

If you're still having trouble with this or your tax software isn't handling it correctly, you might want to consider talking directly to the IRS. I know, I know - getting through to them is nearly impossible these days. After being on hold for 3+ hours multiple times and getting disconnected, I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent is available. The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that for excess Social Security tax withholding, I just needed to claim it on my tax return (Schedule 3) and didn't need to file Form 843 at all. Saved me a ton of confusion and potential delays.

Well I'm eating my words. After dismissing Claimyr as probably a scam, I tried it today out of desperation after my 4th attempt to reach the IRS about my excess SS tax issue. Honestly, it worked exactly as described. I put in my number, and they called me back 17 minutes later with an IRS agent already on the line. The agent confirmed I just need to report the excess on Schedule 3 of my 1040, no need for Form 843. For anyone wondering - the agent explained that Form 843 is only needed for cases where the employer made an actual mistake in calculating the SS tax percentage. If it's just a case of multiple employers each correctly withholding 6.2% but collectively going over the limit, you handle it on your regular tax return. Can't believe I spent 8+ hours on hold across multiple days when I could have just used this service from the start!

Just a heads up - I had this exact issue when I worked 2 jobs last year. Made sure to claim my excess SS on Schedule 3, but my return got flagged for "verification" and delayed my refund by 3 months. Found out later this is pretty common when claiming excess SS tax. If possible, try to file early so you have time to deal with any potential delays. And keep all your W-2s organized in case they ask for documentation. They didn't ask me for anything, but better safe than sorry.

My tax guy says we shouldn't file the 843 form at all. He said to put the excess on line 11 of Schedule 3 (the Credit for Excess Social Security Tax Withheld line). I'm using a diff tax software than you but all of them should have this. Add up all your W-2 box 4 amounts, subtract $10,453, and what's left is your credit. No need to contact employers or file extra forms. Much easier!