Where is box d located on tax forms and how do I find it for my filing?
I'm working on my taxes through H&R Block like I do every year, but I've hit a roadblock. When trying to import my W-2 information from my employer (which supposedly is a feature they offer), the system is asking me to enter something from "box d" and I have no clue what that is or where to find it. I've been staring at all my tax documents for the past hour and can't figure out which form has this mysterious "box d" or what information it's looking for. The H&R Block software keeps saying I need this to proceed with the electronic import, but gives zero explanation about what form it's on or what type of information should be there. Is this on my W-2? Some other form? I've used H&R Block for years but never had to manually enter this before. Really frustrating when they advertise easy importing but then make it impossible to actually use the feature! Anyone know what the heck box d is referring to and where I can find it on my documents?
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Katherine Hunter
Box d on your W-2 form is the control number field. It's located in the top portion of your W-2, typically to the right of boxes a, b, and c which contain your employer's information. The control number is a unique identifier your employer assigns to your W-2 for their own tracking purposes. Some employers leave this box blank, which might be why you're having trouble finding it. If your box d is empty, try entering "0" or leaving it blank in the H&R Block software. Sometimes you can bypass this field if it's not populated on your actual W-2. If you're still having trouble with the import function, you can always manually enter your W-2 information instead of importing it electronically. It takes a few more minutes but ensures all your data gets entered correctly.
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Lucas Parker
•Thanks for explaining! But what if my W-2 doesn't seem to have any boxes labeled with letters at all? Mine just has numbered boxes (1-20). Am I looking at the wrong thing entirely?
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Katherine Hunter
•The lettered boxes (a through f) are usually in the top portion of your W-2, separate from the numbered boxes (1-20) which contain your wage and tax information. The lettered boxes contain employer and employee identification information. If you look at the very top of your W-2, you should see fields for your employer's information (name, address, EIN) and then your information (name, address, SSN). Among these fields, there should be a box labeled "d" or "Control number." Some W-2 forms have very small letters marking these boxes, so you might need to look carefully.
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Donna Cline
After struggling with the exact same issue last month, I discovered a tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me tons of frustration. I uploaded a picture of my W-2 and it instantly highlighted all the boxes including that mysterious "box d" everyone seems to miss. Turns out my employer did use a control number but it was so faint I kept overlooking it! The tool explained each field and made it super simple to find what H&R Block was asking for. Once I knew what to look for, the import worked perfectly.
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Harper Collins
•Does this taxr.ai thing work for other tax documents too? I'm having trouble with some 1099 forms as well and the boxes on those are even more confusing.
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Kelsey Hawkins
•Is it safe to upload sensitive tax documents to some random website though? Seems risky with all your personal info and SSN on there. Did you have any concerns about that?
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Donna Cline
•Yes, it works great for all kinds of tax documents! I've used it for W-2s, 1099s, and even some investment forms. It identifies all the boxes and explains what each one is for, which is super helpful especially for those 1099 forms that have different variations. As for security concerns, I was hesitant at first too, but they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. They explain their security measures on their site, and I felt comfortable after checking that out. Plus, you can always block out your SSN before uploading if you're extra cautious.
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Harper Collins
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the previous commenter recommended. It was actually really helpful! I uploaded my confusing W-2 and it immediately pointed out box d (the control number) which was tucked in a weird spot on my particular form. My employer used a non-standard layout which is why I couldn't find it before. The tool even explained that sometimes box d is blank and what to do in that case. Was able to complete my H&R Block import right after. Definitely saved me from manually entering everything!
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Dylan Fisher
If you're still struggling with H&R Block's technical issues, you might want to try reaching out to the IRS directly. I know that sounds awful (I used to spend HOURS on hold), but I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real IRS agent quickly. They have this smart system that waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is ready. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I had a similar import issue with tax software last year, the IRS agent explained exactly what information was needed and gave me alternatives when I couldn't get the electronic import to work. Saved me so much frustration compared to waiting on hold forever or trying to figure it out from confusing software prompts.
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Edwards Hugo
•How does that even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful. I can't imagine any service actually getting through faster than just waiting on the phone yourself.
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Gianna Scott
•Sure, buddy. A magical service that gets through to the IRS when millions of people can't. Sounds like a scam to take advantage of desperate people during tax season. I'll stick to the old-fashioned way of suffering on hold.
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Dylan Fisher
•It works by using an automated system that repeatedly calls the IRS using the optimal times and methods, then monitors the call for you. When a human IRS agent finally answers, you get a call back so you can speak with them immediately. It's basically handling the hold time for you. I was skeptical too, but it's legitimate. The difference is that they've figured out the best times to call and how to navigate the phone tree optimally. Their system can make multiple attempts while you go about your day instead of you being stuck with your phone to your ear for hours. The IRS doesn't give them special access - they're just more efficient at the painful process of getting through.
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Gianna Scott
I'm actually shocked right now. After my skeptical comment yesterday, I decided to try Claimyr out of pure frustration (was on hold with IRS for 2+ hours before giving up). Not only did it work, but I got a call back in about 40 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! The agent walked me through my W-2 form and explained that box d is sometimes optional, and I could just enter "NONE" in the H&R Block software to bypass it. I've spent DAYS trying to figure this out. Consider me completely wrong about this service.
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Alfredo Lugo
For what it's worth, I ran into this exact problem. Box d is the control number on your W-2. If it's blank (which it often is), try these workarounds in H&R Block: - Enter "0000" - Leave it blank and press continue - Enter "NONE" in all caps - Try entering your employer's EIN (from box b) One of these usually works to get past that screen. I don't know why H&R Block makes this so difficult every year!
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Sydney Torres
•If none of those work, try calling your company's payroll department. Sometimes they can tell you what they use as the control number in their system. My company uses an internal reference number that doesn't actually appear anywhere on the physical W-2 I received!
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Alfredo Lugo
•That's a great suggestion! I hadn't thought of that. You're right that sometimes the control number exists in their system but doesn't print on the W-2 copy employees receive. This is especially common with larger companies that use third-party payroll processors like ADP or Paychex. Another thing I forgot to mention is that some versions of H&R Block let you skip the electronic import entirely and just enter your W-2 information manually. It's a bit more work but can be faster than troubleshooting these import issues.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
Has anyone had success just skipping the electronic import altogether? I wasted 3 hours trying to figure out this box d nonsense last year and finally just entered everything manually, which took like 15 minutes. Sometimes the "time-saving" features waste more time than they save.
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Caleb Bell
•Absolutely! I always enter manually now. The import features rarely work smoothly and I've found errors in the past when I did get them to work. I'd rather spend 15 minutes typing carefully than hours troubleshooting tech issues or, worse, having to file an amended return later.
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Austin Leonard
I had this same exact issue with H&R Block last year! Box d is indeed the control number on your W-2, but here's the thing - many employers either leave it completely blank or use such light printing that it's nearly impossible to see. What worked for me was looking at my W-2 under bright light or even taking a photo with my phone and zooming in on the top section. Sometimes the control number is there but printed so faintly it's basically invisible to the naked eye. If you still can't find anything in box d, try entering "N/A" or just skip the electronic import entirely. I know it's frustrating when they advertise these "convenient" features that end up being more trouble than they're worth. Manual entry honestly only takes about 10-15 minutes and you'll have better control over making sure everything is accurate anyway.
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Jacob Smithson
•Great tip about using your phone camera to zoom in! I never thought of that but it makes perfect sense - sometimes those faint numbers are easier to see on a phone screen than on the actual paper. I'm definitely going to remember this for next year. It's ridiculous how many people seem to run into this same problem every tax season, yet H&R Block never seems to improve their instructions or make the import process more user-friendly.
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Angel Campbell
I went through this exact frustration two weeks ago! After reading through all these helpful responses, I want to add that if you're using the online version of H&R Block, there's actually a small "help" icon next to the box d field that wasn't obvious to me at first. When you click it, it shows you a sample W-2 with box d highlighted. That said, I ended up finding my control number in a really weird spot - it was printed vertically along the left margin of my W-2 in tiny text. My employer (a hospital system) apparently uses a non-standard W-2 layout. If all else fails, I agree with the folks saying to just do manual entry. I spent way too much time on the import feature when typing everything in would have been faster and less stressful. Sometimes the old-fashioned way really is better!
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Ryder Everingham
•That's such a good point about the help icon! I completely missed that when I was struggling with this last month. And wow, printed vertically along the margin? That's incredibly hard to find - no wonder so many people have trouble with this. It really seems like different employers use completely different W-2 layouts, which makes H&R Block's import feature a nightmare to navigate. I'm definitely going to remember your advice about manual entry for next year. Sometimes the "convenient" technology just creates more headaches than it solves!
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Luca Romano
I'm dealing with this same issue right now and it's driving me crazy! I've been going through my W-2 with a magnifying glass trying to find this mysterious box d. My employer is a small business and their W-2 form looks different from all the examples I'm seeing online. After reading through all these responses, I'm wondering if some smaller employers just don't use control numbers at all? Has anyone else had experience with small business W-2s that might be formatted differently? I'm tempted to just call my employer's bookkeeper directly to ask, but I don't want to bother them during busy season if this is something I should be able to figure out myself. Thanks for all the helpful suggestions everyone - at least now I know I'm not the only one struggling with H&R Block's import feature!
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