W2-C Form Received After Filing: Do I Need to Amend My Tax Return?

If they already filed in Arizona showing all their income (regardless of what the original W2 said), would they still need to amend the AZ return? Or only if they split the income between states on their original filing?

If you already reported all your income to Arizona on your original return (regardless of how it was split on your W-2), then you wouldn't need to amend your Arizona return. You only need to amend if you reported your income based on how it appeared on the original W-2, meaning you split it between states. For Pennsylvania, you would still need to address that situation if you filed a PA return based on the incorrect W-2. You'd need to file an amended PA return showing you had no income there, which could result in a refund of any PA taxes you paid.

Does it help with filing the actual amendments or just tells you what you need to do? I'm in a similar situation but with a 1099 correction and I'm terrible at paperwork.

I'm skeptical about these AI tax tools. How accurate is this compared to just calling a CPA? And does it handle complicated situations like if I had deductions that were based on income percentages across multiple states?

It walks you through the entire amendment process with step-by-step instructions customized to your situation. It doesn't just tell you what to do - it shows you how to do it with specific guidance for your exact forms and circumstances. Regarding accuracy, I found it extremely reliable for my state allocation issue. It handles multi-state scenarios really well, including recalculating deductions that are affected by income allocation across states. The system was built by tax professionals and CPAs, so it combines their expertise with the convenience of AI. I was impressed by how it handled all the nuances of my situation.

How exactly does this work? Does it just keep dialing for you or something? Seems too good to be true since I've literally wasted entire days trying to reach someone at the tax office.

This sounds like a scam tbh. Why would I pay a service to call a government agency that should be accessible for free? Do they have access to special phone lines or something? I don't get how this would work better than just calling myself.

It uses a combination of automated dialing technology and line-holding services. The system basically calls the IRS or state tax agency repeatedly using their algorithms to identify the best times to call, then it holds your place in line until an actual agent picks up. When that happens, you get a call back and are connected directly to the agent. No, they don't have special access or phone lines - they're just much more efficient at getting through the regular channels than an individual repeatedly calling. Think of it like having a persistent assistant who keeps trying the line for you while you go about your day. The time savings alone made it worth it for me since I was able to work instead of sitting on hold for hours.

That's a really important point I hadn't thought about! I just checked the original W2 and yes, they did withhold about $240 for PA state tax. So I definitely need to get that back. I didn't file a PA return initially since I've never even been to Pennsylvania. So should I file an original PA return first and then amend it, or just file a PA return showing the corrected $0 income?

You should file an original PA return showing the corrected information (zero income) and request a refund of the $240 that was incorrectly withheld. There's no need to file and then amend since you haven't submitted anything to PA yet. Make sure to include a copy of both your original W-2 and the W-2C with your PA return so they can see what happened. Also write a brief explanation letter to include with your return. PA should refund the entire withheld amount since you had no tax liability there.

This!!! I had a W-2C a couple years ago and completely overlooked my city taxes. Ended up getting a notice 6 months later for underpayment and penalties 😭

Thanks for bringing this up! Fortunately Arizona doesn't have county income taxes, just state-level. So I think I'm ok on that front but it's definitely something important for others to consider.