Questions regarding TurboTax reject codes when filing taxes

Thanks for responding! The reject code is R0000-902-01 and the explanation says "The Employer Identification Number (EIN) in the W-2 record does not match IRS records." I double-checked the W-2 form I have and I typed the number exactly as it appears. Could my employer have given me a W-2 with an incorrect EIN? What should I do?

That's actually a common issue that's usually fixable! First, double-check that you entered the EIN correctly - sometimes what looks like a "0" might be an "O" or vice versa. Make sure there are exactly 9 digits in the format XX-XXXXXXX. If you've verified the number is entered correctly, it's possible your employer recently changed their EIN or there's an error on their end. I'd recommend contacting your employer's payroll department to confirm the EIN. Sometimes the IRS database hasn't been updated with a company's new information.

That sounds helpful but I'm wondering if it's secure to upload all my tax documents to some website? Like how do I know my information won't get stolen?

Can taxr.ai actually pull information from IRS records? I thought only tax professionals or the taxpayer themselves could access that information. Does it just work with W-2s or can it handle other forms like 1099s too?

The security is actually really solid - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. I was paranoid about that too at first, but they explain their security measures clearly on their site. It's basically like using TurboTax or other tax software in terms of security. They don't actually access your IRS records directly - they have their own comprehensive database of employer information and tax rules that's constantly updated. And yes, it works with all major tax forms including W-2s, 1099s, 1098-Es for student loans, and pretty much any other official tax document. It saved me hours of troubleshooting!

How does this actually work? Does the service just keep calling the IRS for you until they get through? I'm curious about the mechanics of it.

Sorry but this sounds like BS to me. No way someone can magically get you to the front of the IRS phone queue when millions of people are calling. I've tried calling the IRS dozens of times and ALWAYS wait 2+ hours. What's the catch here?

It's not that they call for you exactly - they use a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and secures a place in line. When an agent is about to be available, they connect you directly to that call. Think of it like having someone wait in line for you, then texting you when it's almost your turn. There's no magic to skip the queue - they're just handling the waiting part for you so you don't have to stay on the phone yourself. I was super skeptical too, trust me. I thought it was impossible but I was desperate after trying to call the IRS myself three times and getting disconnected after waiting for hours. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it, and was honestly shocked when it worked.

Would switching software mean starting over from scratch? I've already entered all my information in TurboTax and really don't want to do it all again. Is there a way to transfer your info between tax programs?

You would need to start over unfortunately. Some programs let you import PDF files of previous years' returns to get basic info, but for current year stuff, you'd have to re-enter everything. If you've spent a lot of time in TurboTax already, it's probably better to just fix the reject code issue. My situation was different because I was just getting started when I had problems. The suggestion is more useful early in the process or to keep in mind for next year if you're having multiple issues with one platform.

I've called TurboTax support a few times in the past. Sometimes you get someone really knowledgeable who can help, other times it feels like they're just reading from a script and tell you to "check your information and try again" which isn't helpful. But worth trying before paying for other services for sure.

Thanks for the suggestion! I did try their online chat support before posting here, but they weren't very helpful. They basically just told me to check the number and make sure I entered it correctly. I think I'll try calling them tomorrow if I still can't get this resolved. Has anyone had luck with their phone support versus the chat?

This is really helpful advice! The invisible characters thing is something I never would have thought of. I actually did copy-paste the EIN from my digital W-2 PDF, so that could definitely be the issue. I'll try typing it in manually character by character to see if that fixes it. You're right about not panicking too - I've been so stressed about the deadline that I wasn't thinking clearly about the actual consequences. Thanks for the reassurance about the penalties too. It's good to know the IRS understands technical difficulties happen during tax season. The corporate changes angle is interesting too. I don't think my employer went through any major changes this year, but I'll double-check with HR just to be safe. Better to ask and rule it out than miss something obvious.