Got a 1099 with incorrect SSN - what should I do?
I've been driving for DoorDash for about 6 months last year and just received my 1099 form in the mail. Problem is, they somehow got my Social Security Number completely wrong. Last 4 digits aren't even close to mine. I've called their driver support three times already and sent multiple emails. Each time they just send me a link to download the same incorrect 1099 again. Super frustrating! I'm trying to file my taxes early this year because I'm expecting a decent refund that I need for some car repairs. This SSN issue is holding everything up. Has anyone dealt with this before? What steps should I take to get this corrected? I've already spent hours trying to contact DoorDash with no luck. Is there someone at the IRS I can talk to about this? Really need to get this sorted ASAP.
21 comments
Join the conversation
Amara Oluwaseyi
This happens more often than you'd think! You're right to be concerned about the incorrect SSN, as it could cause problems with your tax return processing. First, keep trying to contact DoorDash, but be more specific in your request. Tell them explicitly that you need a corrected 1099 form with your correct SSN, not just access to the existing incorrect form. Ask to speak with a supervisor if possible. If they still won't help, you should file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2, 1099-R, or 1099-MISC) with your tax return. This form allows you to self-report the correct information when the issuer won't provide a corrected form. You'll need to include an explanation of why you're filing this substitute form and describe your attempts to get a corrected 1099. You should also contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to alert them to the situation. They may be able to help prompt DoorDash to issue a correction. Don't let this delay your filing too much - you can proceed with the Form 4852 approach if needed.
0 coins
CosmicCaptain
•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?
0 coins
Amara Oluwaseyi
•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.
0 coins
Giovanni Rossi
I had something similar happen with Uber Eats last year and I found that going through their tax help center at https://taxr.ai really saved me. I was going around in circles with customer service and getting nowhere. The service analyzed my incorrect 1099 and walked me through exactly what to do - they confirmed I needed to file Form 4852 and gave me step-by-step instructions specific to my situation. They even had this tool that let me upload my incorrect 1099 and it prepared all the paperwork I needed to submit. Honestly made the whole process way less stressful when I knew exactly what I was doing.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Maktoum
•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.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
•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.
0 coins
Giovanni Rossi
•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.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
Well I was skeptical about https://taxr.ai but I gave it a shot after getting nowhere with GrubHub about my incorrect 1099. Wow, what a difference! The system immediately identified that my SSN was off by two digits and gave me exact instructions for filing Form 4852. The best part was they provided a template letter to send to GrubHub that actually got results - I received a corrected 1099 within a week! Really impressed with how they handled everything. Their document analysis spotted other issues I hadn't even noticed that could have caused problems. Filed my taxes last week and already got my refund deposited yesterday.
0 coins
Sofia Gutierrez
If you keep hitting roadblocks with DoorDash, you might need to speak directly with the IRS. I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through to an actual human at the IRS about a similar issue last year. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I tried https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they actually had an IRS agent call ME instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do about my incorrect 1099 issue and even noted in my file that I had attempted to get it corrected with the company. Super helpful for these frustrating tax situations when you feel stuck.
0 coins
Dmitry Petrov
•Wait, so this service somehow gets the IRS to call you? How does that even work? Sounds too good to be true.
0 coins
StarSurfer
•There's no way this actually works. The IRS doesn't take requests from third parties to call people. You probably just got scammed.
0 coins
Sofia Gutierrez
•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.
0 coins
StarSurfer
OK I need to eat my words about Claimyr from my comment above. After continuing to get nowhere with TurboTax support about my incorrect 1099-NEC, I broke down and tried https://claimyr.com out of desperation. Within 2 hours I got a call directly from an IRS agent! She was super helpful and confirmed I needed to file Form 4852 with my return and explained exactly how to fill it out. She also gave me information about reporting the company for not correcting their mistake. Just filed my taxes yesterday following her instructions. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind knowing I'm doing everything correctly.
0 coins
Ava Martinez
When this happened to me with Shipt, I just filed my taxes using the numbers from the 1099 but with my correct SSN. I included a brief explanation letter with my return. Got my refund without any issues or delays. The IRS cares more about the income being reported properly than if the company messed up the SSN on their end.
0 coins
Miguel Castro
•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?
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•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.
0 coins
Zainab Abdulrahman
Has anyone tried contacting their state tax department about this? I had a similar issue and my state tax office was actually more helpful than the IRS. They reached out to the company on my behalf and the company finally issued a corrected 1099. Might be worth trying if you're still stuck.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•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.
0 coins
Yara Elias
dont forget to still report ALL income even with wrong SSN. i messed up once and didnt report a 1099 with wrong info and got hit with underreporting penalty 3 yrs later. nightmare!!! better to overeport than underreport.
0 coins
Ellie Simpson
Just wanted to add my experience - I had the same exact issue with DoorDash last year where they had my SSN completely wrong on the 1099. After weeks of getting nowhere with their support, I ended up filing Form 4852 like others mentioned here. One thing I learned is to be very detailed on the form about your attempts to get it corrected. I listed every date I called, the reference numbers they gave me, and even took screenshots of the emails showing they kept sending the same wrong form. The IRS processed my return normally and I got my refund in about 3 weeks, which was actually faster than some of my friends who had no issues with their 1099s. Also, make sure you keep that incorrect 1099 for your records even though you're not using it directly. The IRS may ask for it later to verify your explanation. Don't stress too much about it - this happens more than you think and the IRS has procedures in place to handle it.
0 coins
Henrietta Beasley
•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?
0 coins