Received 2 W-2 copy bs from same employer - what's going on?

This is actually more common than you might think! What you're seeing is likely a "correction" situation with your W-2s. When an employer makes a mistake on state reporting, they sometimes issue a second W-2 to fix the error. In your case, it sounds like your employer initially reported your wages to Alabama (where you briefly lived) instead of Georgia (where you worked). The second W-2 with only state wages for Georgia is probably meant to correct this mistake. For your tax filing, you should contact your employer's payroll department to confirm this is what happened. They might need to issue a corrected W-2 (marked as "CORRECTED") that properly shows both your federal and Georgia state wages on a single form. Until then, don't file yet since TurboTax is right to be confused - the system expects Box 1 to contain your federal wages.

After dealing with a similar W-2 nightmare last year, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful for sorting it out. I had three W-2s from the same employer due to a system migration, and it was a complete mess trying to figure out which one was correct. The taxr.ai tool analyzed my documents and explained exactly what was happening - turns out one was a correction that fixed a state withholding error. The system flagged inconsistencies between the forms and showed me which one to actually use for filing. Saved me from a potential audit headache!

Just wanted to update on my experience with taxr.ai after trying it with my multiple 1099 situation. It was surprisingly helpful! I uploaded my confusing 1099s and within minutes got a clear explanation showing the first one was sent in error and the second was a correction. The analysis even pointed out some reporting inconsistencies I hadn't noticed that could have caused issues with my filing. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with multiple versions of tax forms like these duplicate W-2s.

If you're having trouble getting your employer to issue a corrected W-2 quickly, I can tell you from experience that calling the IRS directly is almost impossible these days. I spent 3+ hours on hold last month trying to get help with a similar W-2 issue. I ended up using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you back when an agent is about to answer. The agent I spoke with explained exactly how to handle mismatched W-2s and what documentation I needed from my employer.

I have to apologize and eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about missing tax documents. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 45 minutes (when I had previously waited 2+ hours and got disconnected). The IRS agent I spoke with explained that with duplicate W-2s, I should ask my employer for a "Combined W-2" that shows the correct information for both federal and state. Apparently this is a common issue when employees move between states. Definitely changed my opinion on this service. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good!

If your employer is being slow about issuing a corrected W-2, you can also file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your tax return. It lets you recreate the correct information from your final paystub. I had to do this when my employer went bankrupt and never issued corrected forms. Just be super careful to get the numbers right. You'll need to combine the information from both W-2s to create an accurate substitute form. Your last December paystub with year-to-date totals will help verify everything.

Quick question - has anyone had success calling their state tax department about duplicate W-2s? My employer made mistakes on my state withholding and I'm wondering if I should talk to the state first before the IRS?

I went through something very similar last year when my employer's payroll system got updated mid-year. What you're describing sounds like a classic state allocation error - your employer probably reported your wages to the wrong state initially (Alabama) and then issued the second W-2 to correct the state reporting to Georgia. The key thing to understand is that you should NOT file with both W-2s. Contact your payroll department immediately and ask them to issue a single corrected W-2 that shows your full federal wages in Box 1 and the correct Georgia state information. Most payroll departments are familiar with this issue and can turn around a corrected form pretty quickly. In the meantime, definitely don't try to force the incomplete W-2 into TurboTax - the IRS computers will flag the mismatch between what your employer reported and what you filed. Better to wait a week or two for the proper correction than deal with IRS notices later.