What occupation should I list on my tax return if I was on leave without pay for the entire year?

You should put your actual job title. The occupation field on your tax return doesn't need to perfectly match your income sources for the year - it's asking about your profession or occupation in general. Since you were on unpaid leave rather than terminated, your occupation didn't change, just your working/payment status. The IRS isn't going to flag your return because your occupation doesn't match your income sources. They're more concerned with making sure income is reported correctly. As long as you're accurately reporting whatever income you did have from other sources during your leave, you'll be fine.

After spending hours on hold with the IRS last year trying to sort out a similar situation, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was literally a game changer. I uploaded my documents and it analyzed my employment status situation instantly. Their system is specifically designed to handle unusual employment situations like unpaid leave, sabbaticals, and employment gaps. It confirmed that I should use my actual job title despite being on medical leave for most of the year, and explained the legal reasoning behind it.

Wanted to follow up after trying taxr.ai like someone suggested here. I was initially hesitant but decided to give it a shot for my complicated tax situation with the unpaid leave. I'm honestly impressed - it gave me a detailed explanation of how to handle my occupation listing (use my actual job title) and also found some deductions related to my situation I had no idea about. The analysis was really thorough and referenced actual IRS publications that applied to my case. If you're dealing with unusual employment circumstances, it's definitely worth checking out.

If you're still having doubts or want official confirmation directly from the IRS, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an IRS agent quickly. I was stuck in a similar situation last year - had a job but was on unpaid medical leave for 9 months. I spent days trying to get through to the IRS myself with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that I should list my official job title regardless of being on leave. She explained that the occupation field is just informational and doesn't impact tax calculations. Having that official word directly from the IRS gave me peace of mind when filing.

I have to eat my words and apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After posting my doubtful comment, I was so frustrated with my own IRS situation that I decided to try it anyway. I was shocked when I got a call back connecting me to an actual IRS agent after about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed for me that I should list my regular occupation on my tax forms even though I was on unpaid leave for most of the year. She also helped me sort out an issue with my previous year's return that had been stressing me out for months. I've spent literally days of my life on hold with the IRS before, so this was mind-blowing.

Just to add another perspective - I worked in tax preparation for 6 years. The occupation field on tax returns is primarily for statistical purposes and doesn't affect your tax liability. We always advised clients to list their regular occupation, even during temporary leave periods. Just make sure you're accurately reporting any income you did receive during the year (unemployment, side gigs, etc). The key thing the IRS cares about is reporting all income correctly, not the occupation title you list.

Has anyone here actually had their return questioned because of what they put in the occupation field? I'm stressing about this too but wondering if it's even something the IRS pays attention to.

I went through almost the exact same situation two years ago when I was on unpaid FMLA leave for most of the tax year. I was so worried about getting audited that I called three different tax preparers, and they all gave me the same advice - just use your regular job title. One thing that really helped put my mind at ease was learning that the IRS processes millions of returns where people's occupations don't perfectly match their income sources. Think about it - students who work part-time, retirees with occasional consulting income, people between jobs, etc. The system is built to handle these mismatches. I ended up putting "Senior Project Coordinator" (my actual title) on my return even though I had zero W-2 income that year. No issues whatsoever. The IRS cares way more about whether you're accurately reporting the income you did have rather than whether your occupation field makes perfect sense with your tax documents.

I had a similar situation last year when I was on extended unpaid sick leave for about 10 months. I was really stressed about the occupation field too, but after doing some research and talking to a tax professional, I learned that the IRS primarily uses the occupation field for statistical analysis and research purposes, not for determining tax liability or flagging returns. The key principle is that your occupation represents what you do professionally, not necessarily where your income came from in a specific tax year. Since you maintained your employment status (just on unpaid leave), your occupation didn't actually change - you're still a Senior Project Coordinator, you just weren't actively working or receiving pay. I ended up listing my actual job title and had no issues at all. The IRS processes thousands of returns every year where people's occupations don't perfectly match their income sources - think about seasonal workers, freelancers between contracts, people on sabbatical, etc. As long as you accurately report whatever income you did receive during 2024, you'll be fine. Don't stress too much about this field - focus on making sure your income reporting is accurate and complete.

I understand the anxiety around this - I went through something similar when I was furloughed for several months during the pandemic but technically still employed. After consulting with a CPA, I learned that the occupation field is really just a descriptor of what you do professionally, not a reflection of your current work status or income sources. Think of it this way: if a doctor takes a sabbatical year to write a book, they're still a doctor by profession even if they didn't earn medical income that year. Same principle applies to your situation - you're still a Senior Project Coordinator by profession, you just weren't actively working due to your leave status. The IRS gets thousands of returns where occupation and income sources don't align perfectly - people changing careers mid-year, retirees with part-time work, students with summer jobs, etc. As long as you accurately report whatever income you did have in 2024 (unemployment benefits, freelance work, investment income, etc.), the occupation field won't cause any issues. Just put "Senior Project Coordinator" and focus your energy on making sure all your actual income is properly reported. You're definitely overthinking this part of the return!