My W-2 shows a DE address but I lived in MD and worked in VA/MD - What should I do for filing?

This is actually pretty common and shouldn't cause you any problems. The address on your W-2 is typically your employer's address or their payroll processing center address, not your home address. What matters for tax purposes is: 1) Your actual state of residence (Maryland in your case) 2) The state(s) where you physically performed the work (Maryland and Virginia) 3) The state withholding boxes on your W-2 (boxes 15-17) which should show which states had taxes withheld Check boxes 15-17 on your W-2 - they should indicate the states where tax was actually withheld (likely MD and VA). You'll file a resident return for Maryland and a non-resident return for Virginia for the portion of income earned there. The Delaware address is just an administrative detail and doesn't mean you need to file a Delaware return or that you're somehow being taxed in Delaware. It's just where your company's payroll operations are headquartered.

Had a similar issue last year that drove me crazy until I found https://taxr.ai which helped me sort through my multi-state W-2 confusion. I uploaded my W-2s and answered a few questions about where I actually lived vs worked, and it figured out exactly how to handle the mismatch. Turns out my company's HQ was in Nevada but I never set foot there - totally confused my tax software until I understood what was happening. The tool explained that the employer address on W-2s doesn't determine where you pay taxes - it's the state withholding sections that matter. Got my returns filed correctly without having to pay a tax pro hundreds of dollars for something that wasn't actually complicated once it was explained properly.

Just wanted to update on my situation - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was super helpful! I was overthinking my multi-state situation and making it more complicated than it needed to be. The tool walked me through exactly which states needed returns and which didn't based on my residency timeline. Saved me from filing unnecessary state returns that would have just been rejected anyway. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with multiple states like the original poster.

If your company isn't being helpful about the W-2 situation, you might need to talk directly to IRS. I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone when I had a similar issue last year. Finally used https://claimyr.com to get through (they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). Got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed I just needed to file based on where I actually lived and worked, not the address on the W-2. The agent said they see this all the time with companies that have centralized payroll or use third-party processors. As long as the income and withholding amounts are correct, the address discrepancy doesn't trigger any red flags. Saved me from requesting corrected W-2s which would have delayed my filing.

I can't believe I'm saying this but that Claimyr thing actually works. After my skeptical comment I decided to try it since I was desperate about my W-2c issue. Got a call back in about 30 minutes and talked to an actual IRS person who helped me sort out my problem. The agent explained that I didn't even need the W-2c for my situation and could file with what I had. Wish I'd known this weeks ago instead of stressing about it! Ended up filing my return the same day after spinning my wheels for almost a month.

Don't overthink this. The W-2 address is your employer's address, not yours. When you input your W-2 into tax software, it's going to ask for YOUR address separately. Just enter your correct Maryland address there. The software calculates state taxes based on the state code in boxes 15-17, not the employer address at the top of the form.

Has anyone here actually had an issue with the IRS because of an employer address mismatch? I've lived in WA but had TX, NY, and CA addresses on W-2s over the years and never once had a problem. This seems like worrying about nothing.

I had a similar situation last year with my W-2 showing my employer's corporate headquarters address instead of where I actually lived and worked. The key thing is to look at boxes 15-17 on your W-2 - these show which states actually had taxes withheld from your paychecks. Since you lived in Maryland and worked in both MD and VA, you'll need to file: 1. A Maryland resident return for all your income 2. A Virginia non-resident return for the portion of income earned while working in VA 3. You'll likely get a credit on your MD return for taxes paid to VA to avoid double taxation The Delaware address is just administrative - many large companies process payroll through subsidiaries or third-party processors in different states for business reasons. As long as the income amounts and state withholding boxes are correct, you're good to go. Don't let the address throw you off - it's one of the most common tax questions people have but it's really not a problem at all.