No W2 for $350 of earnings from election work - how to file this correctly?

Thanks for explaining! So I just add the $350 to line 1 along with my other W-2 income? Do I need any special form or attachment to explain why the numbers won't match the W-2s I'm submitting?

Yes, add the $350 to line 1 along with your other W-2 income. Most tax software has an option to enter "income not reported on W-2" or something similar. You don't need any special form or attachment to explain the discrepancy. The IRS isn't matching your exact line 1 total to the sum of your W-2s. Just keep your pay stubs for your records in case there are any questions, but this situation is actually quite common and shouldn't cause any issues.

Does this actually work for stuff like paystubs too? I have a similar situation with a small stipend I got from my neighborhood association, and I'm not sure if I should be treating it as self-employment income or what.

I'm skeptical about AI tax tools. How does it actually know the correct classification for your specific situation? Did you have to upload your paystubs or something?

Yes, it works great for paystubs and other income documents! You just upload them and it extracts the relevant info and tells you exactly where it should go on your return. For your neighborhood association stipend, it would analyze the nature of the work to determine proper classification. For the skeptical question - it's not just blindly guessing. You upload your documents and it analyzes the contents based on IRS guidelines. In my case, it identified the election board letterhead, the payment structure, and even the FICA refund note to determine I was an employee under special election worker rules, not a contractor.

Wait how does this actually work? I've tried calling the IRS multiple times and always end up on hold forever before getting disconnected. Does this service somehow jump the queue?

Sounds like a scam. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS unless you're paying someone inside to prioritize your call, which would be illegal.

It doesn't "jump the queue" - it uses an automated system that continually calls and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through to a representative. Then it calls you to connect. It's completely legitimate and uses publicly available methods. No, it's definitely not a scam. It's just automating what you'd do manually (repeatedly calling until you get through). There's nothing illegal about it - it's just using technology to handle the frustrating part of waiting and redialing. The service has been featured in major news outlets and has thousands of satisfied users.

No letter from them, just my pay stubs. I'll try calling their finance dept though - that's a good idea. Did your letter specifically state that you were an employee rather than a contractor?

My letter simply stated the total earnings and noted I was an "election worker" with a statement that the amount was below the W-2 threshold. It didn't specifically classify me as an employee vs contractor, but the election commission HR person told me I was definitely considered an employee for tax purposes. It's worth calling - most counties have dealt with this question before since they hire thousands of election workers.

This is the right answer. I've been an election judge for years. Election workers are employees, not independent contractors. I'm surprised your town committee gives W-2s for $170 but your county doesn't for $350. Different payroll systems I guess.