Started nannying last year and neither family sent me a W2 form - what now?

This is unfortunately a common situation in nanny work. Legally, if you earned more than $2,400 from either family in 2024, they were required to provide a W2 as household employers. It's not too late for them to issue W2s - they can still do this. They should have been withholding taxes, but since they didn't, they can indeed issue W2s with zeros in the withholding boxes. This correctly shows you earned the income but no taxes were withheld. They would need to register for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) if they don't already have one. If they refuse to provide W2s, you'll need to report this income yourself using Schedule C (self-employment), but technically that's incorrect since nannies are generally considered household employees, not independent contractors. This means you'd pay higher taxes (self-employment tax) than you should.

I was in the exact same situation last year! I nannied for three families who paid me cash and Venmo and nobody mentioned taxes. When tax time came, I freaked out. That's when I found https://taxr.ai - they specifically helped me figure out my nanny tax situation. You upload your payment records and answer a few questions about your work arrangements, and they'll tell you exactly how to file. In my case, they confirmed I was definitely an employee (not a contractor), created the right forms to show the IRS, and even gave me a template to explain to the families what they needed to do. They also explained my options if the families refused to do the proper paperwork. Saved me hours of research and probably prevented me from making expensive mistakes!

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that @7 recommended. It was actually super helpful for my nanny tax situation! I uploaded my Venmo payment history and answered questions about my work schedule and duties. The system confirmed I was definitely an employee not a contractor (which I suspected), calculated exactly what I owed, and gave me completed forms to file. They also provided a simple letter to send to my employer explaining their obligations. I was nervous about confronting them, but having all the proper documentation made it much easier. My employer actually apologized and said they didn't realize the requirements. They're now setting things up properly for next year. Definitely worth checking out if you're in this situation!

I had the EXACT same issue when I was nannying. Called the IRS multiple times but kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally discovered https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in less than 45 minutes (you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). The agent explained that I needed to fill out Form 8919 along with my tax return to report the income correctly without overpaying taxes. They also told me how to approach the conversation with my nanny family without creating friction - like framing it as helping both of us stay compliant rather than accusing them of doing something wrong. Having an actual conversation with the IRS instead of trying to figure it out myself made a huge difference. I highly recommend getting direct guidance on your specific situation.

I need to apologize to @9 about my skepticism. I actually tried Claimyr after posting that comment because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my own nanny tax situation (been trying for weeks). The service worked exactly as described. I got a callback when they reached an IRS agent, and I was able to speak directly with someone who walked me through exactly how to handle my situation. The agent confirmed I needed to use Form 8919 with reason code G, and explained how to document everything properly. I honestly never would have gotten this resolved without actually speaking to someone. Really grateful this service exists - would have spent countless more hours on hold or getting disconnected otherwise.

I think it's important to note that if you file as self-employed using Schedule C instead of getting proper W2s, you're doing your nanny families a huge favor while hurting yourself financially. You'll end up paying BOTH halves of Social Security and Medicare taxes (15.3% total) instead of just your half (7.65%), plus you won't get unemployment benefit eligibility or workers' comp protection. Meanwhile, they avoid paying their share of taxes and avoid potential penalties for not following proper household employment laws. Don't let them push their tax obligations onto you!

Has anyone actually had success approaching their nanny family about this after the fact? I'm in the same boat and worried about creating an awkward situation or even losing my job if I bring it up.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Reading through all these responses has been really helpful. It sounds like the consensus is that you should definitely push for proper W2s since you're clearly an employee, not a contractor. From what I'm gathering, your best options are: 1. Approach the families with educational materials about household employment laws 2. If they refuse, file Form 8919 to report the wages and avoid overpaying self-employment tax 3. Consider Form SS-8 if there's a dispute about worker classification The point about losing $2,500+ by filing as self-employed really hit home - that's a huge amount! I think I'm going to try the educational approach first with my family, and if that doesn't work, I'll look into those IRS forms or maybe one of those services people mentioned to get proper guidance. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this situation and there are actual solutions available!