I forgot to submit one of my W2s when filing taxes last year - how do I fix this?

You'll need to file an amended return using Form 1040-X to correct this mistake. The IRS doesn't allow you to simply add last year's missing income to this year's return - each tax year needs to be reported accurately. Since you didn't report all your income, you likely underpaid your taxes. Filing an amended return will probably result in you owing additional tax plus interest on the amount you should have paid originally. There might also be a penalty, though it's usually small for honest mistakes. You can file a 1040-X electronically through most tax software or download the form from the IRS website. You'll need to include the corrected information showing both W2s. Make sure you check the box indicating you're amending due to "unreported income.

I went through something similar last year with missing income on my taxes. After hours of frustrating research and trying to figure out which forms to file, I discovered this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me understand what I needed to do. It analyzed my situation and walked me through the exact steps to file my amendment. The nicest part was that it could look at both my W2s and instantly tell me what the difference in my tax liability would be. Definitely made a stressful situation way easier to deal with - especially figuring out which boxes on the 1040-X needed to be changed.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my missing income issue. It was honestly way better than I expected! I uploaded my original return plus the missing W2 and investment docs, and it showed me exactly how much I would owe with the amendment (about $430 less than I feared). The step-by-step instructions for filing the 1040-X made the process super clear. I was most worried about calculating the correct amounts for each line, but the tool handled all of that. Definitely recommend for anyone in a similar situation!

If you're also having trouble getting through to the IRS about this issue (I was on hold for 2+ hours), I finally had success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this system that holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an agent is about to answer. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first, but I needed to ask some specific questions about my amended return situation. Got a callback in about 45 minutes and was able to speak directly with an IRS agent who confirmed exactly what I needed to do for my forgotten W2. Saved me an entire afternoon of waiting on hold!

Well I'm eating my words now. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr anyway because I had been trying to reach the IRS for THREE DAYS about an amended return issue. Got a callback in about an hour and actually spoke to someone helpful at the IRS! The agent confirmed I was filling out the 1040-X correctly and gave me some specific advice for my situation. Can't believe I wasted so many hours on hold before this. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good...

You could also look into the IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program if you're worried about penalties. I had to amend 2 years of returns after finding some missed 1099 income and this helped reduce the penalties significantly.

Does anyone know if TurboTax makes this process easier? I used them last year and also forgot a W2... dreading having to figure this all out.

Don't stress too much about this - it happens more often than you'd think! I had a similar situation a few years back where I forgot to include a 1099-MISC from some freelance work. The key thing is to act quickly once you realize the mistake. Like others have mentioned, you'll need to file Form 1040-X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return). The IRS actually prefers when taxpayers voluntarily correct their own errors rather than discovering them during an audit. A few tips from my experience: - Gather all your original tax documents plus the missing W2 - You'll need your original tax return to compare against - The 1040-X asks you to explain the reason for the amendment - just be honest that you inadvertently omitted income - File as soon as possible to minimize interest charges Since you only made $5,000 from that job, the additional tax owed probably won't be huge, but you will need to pay interest from the original due date. The penalty for honest mistakes is usually pretty minimal, especially when you're proactively fixing it.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Just realized I completely missed including a W2 from a seasonal retail job I worked during the holidays last year. The income was only about $3,200, but I'm still kicking myself for the oversight. From what I've been reading and researching, it sounds like filing the 1040-X is definitely the way to go. I've been putting it off because I was worried about huge penalties, but seeing everyone's experiences here is actually pretty reassuring. It seems like the IRS is generally reasonable with honest mistakes, especially when you're the one coming forward to fix it. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes for the IRS to process an amended return? I know regular returns usually take a few weeks, but I'm not sure if amendments take longer since they probably require more manual review. Thanks for sharing all this helpful information everyone - definitely makes this whole process feel less intimidating!

I've been through this exact situation and want to echo what others have said - don't panic! Filing Form 1040-X is really the standard process for this type of correction, and the IRS deals with forgotten W2s all the time. One thing I'd add that I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure you check whether that missing $5,000 in income might have pushed you into a different tax bracket or affected any credits you claimed. Sometimes the additional tax owed isn't just from the missed income itself, but from how it impacts other parts of your return (like the Earned Income Credit or education credits if you qualified for those). Also, if that part-time job had any federal taxes withheld (check your W2), you might actually get some of that back as a refund even though you'll owe tax on the income. I was pleasantly surprised when my amendment resulted in a smaller balance due than I expected because of withholdings I had forgotten about. The sooner you file the better - not just for interest reasons, but also for your own peace of mind. This kind of mistake is totally fixable and more common than you might think!