Got a 1099 with incorrect SSN - what should I do?

Thanks for the advice! I've never heard of Form 4852 before. Do I need to attach any additional documentation when I submit it? Also, will this slow down my refund processing time?

You don't need to attach additional documentation to Form 4852, but you should keep records of all your attempts to contact DoorDash about the correction. This includes dates of calls, emails, and names of representatives you spoke with. Using Form 4852 might cause a slight delay in processing your refund, but it's much better than filing with incorrect information or not filing at all. The IRS may do some additional verification, but many returns with this form are processed normally. Just make sure all the income information is accurate, even if the SSN on the original document was wrong.

That sounds helpful. How long did the whole process take from when you uploaded your documents until you got your refund? I'm in a similar situation but with Grubhub.

I'm skeptical of these online tax services. How do I know they're secure? Seems risky to upload tax docs with all my info.

The process was pretty quick - I uploaded my incorrect 1099 and had my action plan within a couple hours. As for the total time until refund, I filed in mid-February and had my refund by the first week of March, so it didn't seem to cause any unusual delays. Regarding security, I totally get the concern - I was hesitant too. They use bank-level encryption for all uploads and don't store your documents after analysis. I researched them pretty thoroughly before using the service since I was nervous about sharing tax docs online.

Wait, so this service somehow gets the IRS to call you? How does that even work? Sounds too good to be true.

There's no way this actually works. The IRS doesn't take requests from third parties to call people. You probably just got scammed.

It's not magic - they basically hold your place in line with the IRS and when they reach an agent, they have the agent call you directly. I was skeptical too until I tried it. It works because they're not asking the IRS to make special calls - they're just navigating the phone system and waiting on hold so you don't have to. The IRS agent I spoke with was definitely legitimate and provided all the guidance I needed about my incorrect 1099 situation.

Is that actually ok to do? I thought you had to use the exact same info that's on your tax forms. Won't this cause a mismatch when the IRS compares your return to what the company reported?

You're reporting the same income amount that's on the 1099, so the dollar figures match what the company reported. The difference is just that you're using your correct SSN rather than the wrong one they put on the form. The IRS knows your correct SSN from your previous filings and other documentation, so they can reconcile the information. The brief explanation letter helps them understand why there's a discrepancy. In my experience, they're used to handling these types of issues and it didn't cause any problems with my refund.

You must live in a small state! I tried contacting California tax dept and got nowhere. Phone wait times were even worse than IRS. But good idea for those in smaller states.

This is really helpful, thank you! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with Instacart. Did you have to send the Form 4852 by mail or could you file it electronically with your tax software? Also, when you say you kept detailed records of your attempts to get it corrected, did you include all of that information directly on the Form 4852 or in a separate attachment?

I was able to file Form 4852 electronically through TurboTax, so you shouldn't need to mail it in. Most major tax software supports this form. For the detailed records, I included a brief summary directly in the explanation section on Form 4852 (just the key dates and that I made multiple attempts), but I kept all the screenshots and call logs as separate documentation in case the IRS requested them later. They never asked for the additional proof, but it was good to have everything organized just in case. The main thing is showing you made a good faith effort to get the correction from the company first.

I filed Form 4852 electronically through TurboTax without any issues. Most major tax software can handle it. For the documentation of your correction attempts, I included the key details directly in the explanation section of Form 4852 - dates of calls, email attempts, reference numbers, etc. I kept it concise but thorough. I also attached a separate one-page summary as a PDF that listed everything chronologically, but the form itself had the main points. The IRS just wants to see you made good faith efforts to get it corrected before using the substitute form.

I filed mine electronically through TaxAct and it handled the Form 4852 just fine. Most tax software can accommodate it - you just need to look for the section about substitute forms or reporting issues with your tax documents. As for the documentation, I included a brief summary on the Form 4852 itself (there's a section for explanations), but I also attached a separate one-page document with all the details - dates, times, reference numbers, names of representatives I spoke with, etc. Better to provide too much information than too little when explaining why you're filing a substitute form. The key is showing the IRS that you made genuine attempts to get the correct form from the company before resorting to the substitute. Keep everything organized and you should be fine!

I was able to file Form 4852 electronically through TurboTax, so you shouldn't need to mail it in. Most tax software supports this form now. For the detailed records, I included a brief summary directly on Form 4852 in the explanation section - something like "Called DoorDash support on 1/15, 1/22, and 2/3. Emailed support@doordash.com on 1/20 and 1/28. All requests resulted in receiving same incorrect 1099 form." Then I kept all the detailed documentation (screenshots, call logs, etc.) in my tax records in case the IRS needed more information later. They never asked for the additional details, but it gave me peace of mind knowing I had everything documented properly.

I was able to file Form 4852 electronically through TurboTax - most major tax software supports it. For the detailed records, I included a brief summary directly on Form 4852 in the explanation section (like "Called DoorDash support 5 times between 1/15-2/3, emails sent on 1/20 and 1/28, all attempts resulted in receiving same incorrect form"). Then I kept all the detailed documentation (screenshots, call logs, etc.) as backup in case the IRS requested it later. The key is showing you made good faith efforts to get it corrected before using the substitute form.

I filed Form 4852 electronically through TurboTax, so you don't need to mail it separately. Most tax software can handle it once you enter the correct information. For the detailed records, I included a brief summary directly in the explanation section of Form 4852 (something like "Contacted company 5 times between 1/15-2/10, provided reference numbers #12345, #67890, etc. Company continued sending incorrect form despite multiple correction requests"). Then I kept all the detailed documentation (call logs, emails, screenshots) in my personal tax files in case the IRS requested them later, but I didn't need to submit them with my return. The form has limited space anyway, so a concise summary works best.

I filed Form 4852 electronically through my tax software (TurboTax) - you don't have to mail it separately. The form has a section where you can explain the situation, and I put a brief summary there like "Company provided incorrect SSN on 1099-NEC despite multiple correction requests." Then I attached a separate document with all the detailed timeline - dates of calls, email screenshots, reference numbers, etc. Most tax software lets you attach additional documents as PDFs. The key is being thorough but organized so the IRS can quickly understand what happened and that you made good faith efforts to get it corrected.

I was able to file the Form 4852 electronically through my tax software (I used FreeTaxUSA). Most major tax software programs support this form now. For the detailed records, I included a brief summary directly on Form 4852 in the explanation section - just the key dates and number of attempts. Then I attached a separate statement with all the specifics like call reference numbers and email screenshots. The IRS accepted it without any questions. Good luck with your Instacart situation!