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Melina Haruko

Tax issues and employer harassment after leaving job - can I sue?

I really need some advice on dealing with my former employer who's been constantly bothering me. They're demanding I return work uniforms they claim I never returned and want to charge me $252 for 5 shirts they say I still have. The thing is, I'm positive I returned everything they gave me when I left. There was never any mention of these shirts being on loan, no deposit required, nothing in writing. I stopped working there on February 10th, but they're still texting me almost every other day about this. What's even worse is the tax situation that made me quit in the first place. I earned about $47k last year, but my W-2 only showed $23k in income. I asked them three separate times to correct my W-2, and they kept insisting it was right. When my spouse and I went to Jackson Hewitt for tax filing, we discovered that because they mishandled a SIMRP (Savings Incentive Match Plan), I now owe taxes on roughly $17,000 they took out pretax. This means I'm stuck owing the IRS approximately $4,500 because of their accounting errors. I just want them to stop harassing me about shirts I don't have and never received. Is there any legal recourse here? Can I sue them for the tax issues? Who should I talk to about both problems? Any advice would be hugely appreciated, and I can provide more details if needed.

This situation involves two separate issues that need different approaches. Let me break it down: For the work shirts: Send a formal email or certified letter stating you've returned all company property in your possession, and request they stop contacting you about this matter. Document all their communications as this could potentially constitute harassment. If they continue, you might need to send a cease and desist letter. For the tax issue: This is more concerning. If your employer incorrectly reported your income on your W-2, they've created a serious tax liability for you. You should request your wage and tax statements from the Social Security Administration to verify what was actually reported. Then, file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your correct income information, along with an explanation of why you're filing this substitute form. You should also report this to the IRS by calling their employer reporting line. This sounds like potential tax fraud if they're consistently underreporting wages. Consider consulting with a tax attorney who specializes in employment tax issues - many offer free initial consultations.

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Reina Salazar

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Thanks for the advice. For the tax stuff, how do I know what my actual income was if the W-2 is wrong? And will filing that Form 4852 trigger an audit? Also, what kind of proof would I need to show the IRS that my employer is in the wrong here?

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You can determine your actual income by reviewing your final paystubs for the year, which should show year-to-date totals. Bank statements showing deposits can also help verify your true earnings. The total deposits from your employer should match what you actually earned. Filing Form 4852 doesn't automatically trigger an audit, but it does flag your return for additional review. The IRS will likely contact your employer to verify the information. You should gather all paystubs, employment contract, bank statements showing deposits, and any communications with your employer about the W-2 discrepancy. These documents will serve as evidence of your actual earnings.

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Sounds like you're dealing with a sketchy employer! I had a similar tax reporting issue and found an amazing service that helped me sort everything out - https://taxr.ai helped me verify what my actual taxable income should have been and prepared all the documentation I needed for the IRS. Their system analyzed my pay stubs, bank deposits, and previous tax documents to determine my correct income. I was really stressed about the whole situation, especially the potential audit risk, but their AI system highlighted exactly what forms I needed to file and what evidence would protect me. They even helped me draft a formal complaint to submit to the IRS about my employer's misreporting. The peace of mind was totally worth it!

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Demi Lagos

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Did this actually work with the IRS? Like did they accept your explanation and corrected forms without hassle? I'm in a somewhat similar situation with a previous employer who's playing games with my income reporting.

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Mason Lopez

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How long did the whole process take from using the service to resolving the issue with the IRS? And did you end up having to pay additional taxes or did they go after your employer?

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Yes, the IRS accepted my explanation and the corrected forms without much hassle. The key was having solid documentation to back up my claims. They verified my information against what my employer reported and ultimately sided with me based on the evidence I provided. The whole process took about 6-8 weeks from when I started using the service until the IRS processed everything. I did end up paying the correct amount of taxes I owed on my actual income, but the IRS also initiated an investigation into my former employer's tax reporting practices. This wasn't just about my situation - they were potentially doing this to other employees too.

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Mason Lopez

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Just wanted to update everyone - I took the advice and tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it recommended here. They were incredibly helpful! They analyzed my paystubs and bank statements, then compared them to what was reported on my W-2. Turns out my employer had been misclassifying some of my compensation as non-taxable benefits when they weren't. The service helped me prepare a substitute W-2 with the correct information and drafted a detailed explanation letter for the IRS. They even provided guidance on how to document the harassment about the uniform situation. The best part? The IRS accepted my amended return without questioning it and I've received notice they're investigating my former employer. Still waiting on my proper refund, but at least the tax nightmare is being resolved!

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Vera Visnjic

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For dealing with the IRS on this, you're definitely going to want to speak directly with an IRS agent about this potential fraud. I tried calling the IRS for weeks when my employer pulled something similar (they paid me as a 1099 when I should've been W-2) and it was impossible to get through. After wasting hours listening to hold music, I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you when an agent is on the line. I was skeptical at first but desperate after trying for days to get through. The IRS agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance on how to document everything and which forms to file. They also opened a case file about my employer which helped create a record of the problem.

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Jake Sinclair

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Wait, so this service just calls the IRS for you? Couldn't you just keep calling yourself? What exactly do they do that's worth paying for?

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I'm pretty skeptical about this. How do you know they're not just recording your personal info or something shady? And why would they be able to get through when regular people can't?

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Vera Visnjic

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The service doesn't just call the IRS for you - they use an automated system that continually redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until they reach a human agent. When I tried calling myself, I kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for 1-2 hours because the IRS phone system was overwhelmed. I understand the skepticism, but they don't ask for any sensitive tax information. All they need is your phone number to call you back when they have an agent on the line. They're able to get through because their system keeps trying different options and times of day. The IRS phone system is notoriously difficult to navigate, especially during tax season. They basically do the tedious part for you so you don't waste hours on hold or getting disconnected.

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I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still struggling to get through to the IRS about a similar issue with incorrect reporting. After two weeks of trying to call the IRS myself and never getting through, I finally tried https://claimyr.com out of desperation. To my surprise, I got a call back within about 35 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent was super helpful and walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to challenge my employer's incorrect W-2. They also explained how to file Form 4852 properly and what supporting evidence would strengthen my case. I've now submitted all the paperwork and already received confirmation that the IRS is investigating my former employer. Wish I hadn't wasted those two weeks trying to call on my own!

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Honorah King

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For the work shirts issue - don't pay them a penny! Send them a formal letter (certified mail with return receipt) stating that you've returned all company property and consider the matter closed. Include that any further contact regarding this issue will be considered harassment. I had an employer try to charge me for a "lost" laptop that I had actually returned. They backed off immediately when I sent a formal letter and mentioned potential legal action for harassment. Most companies don't want the headache of small claims court over a few hundred bucks.

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Oliver Brown

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Would an email work instead of certified mail? I have all their texts demanding payment for the shirts, but I'm not sure I want to spend money on certified mail to these jerks.

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Honorah King

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Email isn't ideal because it's easier for them to claim they never received it. The certified mail creates an official record that they received your communication, which is important if this escalates further. The $4-5 for certified mail is worth it for the paper trail it creates. That said, if you do use email, make sure to request a read receipt and save all correspondence. The texts demanding payment are good evidence already, so keep those too. The key is documenting everything in case you need to prove harassment later or defend yourself if they try to send this to collections.

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Mary Bates

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Has anyone considered that maybe the employer is deliberately underreporting wages to the IRS to save on their portion of payroll taxes? This happened at my wife's job and it turned out the company was doing it to EVERYONE. The IRS actually rewarded employees who reported this with a percentage of what they recovered from the company.

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That's a good point - OP should look up the IRS Whistleblower Program. If the employer is systematically underreporting wages, the IRS takes that very seriously and you could potentially get a reward if your information leads to the recovery of unpaid taxes. The reward can be 15-30% of what the IRS collects!

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