Missing self-employment income in Social Security records from 2019-2023 - submitted proof but SSA has no record

Unfortunately this happens more often than the SSA likes to admit, especially with self-employment income. Here's what you need to do: 1. Request a formal earnings record review. This is different than just bringing in documents. Ask specifically for Form SSA-7008 (Request for Correction of Earnings Record). 2. Submit EVERYTHING again, but this time with a cover letter listing exactly what you're providing. Include tax returns, Schedule C, Schedule SE, Form 1040, and proof of tax payments for each missing year. 3. Get a receipt! Don't leave without written confirmation they received your documents. 4. If the local office keeps losing documents, bypass them and send everything certified mail to the regional processing center (addresses are on SSA.gov). Self-employment earnings can take longer to verify since they don't have W-2 forms with automatic reporting. Also know there's a 3-year, 3-month, 15-day time limit for corrections, but there are exceptions for "good cause" which your case should qualify for.

This happend to me too!! My records were missing 2017-2020 and I'm also self employeed. The SS office kept giving me the runaround for almost 8 months. Every time I went in they told me something different. One lady said it was IRS's fault, then another guy said I didnt file my Schedule SE right (but I DID). so frustrating!!!!

I had this EXACT SAME ISSUE last year. Wasted 6 months trying to get through to SSA on the phone and visiting the office three times with no results. Finally used a service called Claimyr to get through to an actual SSA agent who could help (https://claimyr.com). You can see their video demo here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to a knowledgeable agent, they explained there's a special unit that handles self-employment earnings corrections. The local offices often don't process these correctly. The phone agent created a specific case file and tracked it for me. Much better than dealing with the local office losing everything! My record was fixed within about 6 weeks after that call.

As a retired SSA employee, I can provide some insight. Self-employment income reconciliation is handled by a specialized unit and requires specific documentation. Here's the correct process: 1. You need Form SSA-7008 (Request for Correction of Earnings Record) as mentioned above. 2. Critical documentation includes: - Form 1040 (full tax return) - Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) - Schedule SE (Self-Employment Tax) - Proof of tax payments (canceled checks or bank statements) - IRS tax account transcript (request from IRS.gov) 3. Most importantly, ask for a "protective filing date" to be entered in the system. This documents when you first reported the issue and protects your right to retroactive correction even if there are further delays. 4. Request a written receipt confirming all documents received. 5. Get the name and direct extension of the Claims Specialist handling your case. Self-employment earnings corrections take approximately 90-120 days when properly submitted. The challenge is often that field offices send these requests to different processing centers without proper tracking.

To address the time limit question: Yes, the general rule is 3 years, 3 months, and 15 days from the end of the tax year for corrections. However, there are important exceptions: 1. The time limit applies to initial filing, not corrections when tax returns were properly filed but SSA failed to record them. 2. Self-employment income has additional protections when timely tax filings can be proven. 3. SSA can apply "administrative finality exceptions" for good cause, which includes agency error (like losing submitted documents). 4. The protective filing date I mentioned is crucial - it establishes you reported the issue within the timeframe. If your husband filed his tax returns on time and paid self-employment taxes, SSA should correct all years 2019-2023 with proper documentation.

just a tip make sure ur husband bringing ORIGINAL tax returns not copies. when i had this problem they wouldnt accept my copies saying they could be altered. also the irs transcript thing helped alot. the ssa lady told me thats the best proof.

You need to file a formal complaint through SSA's Office of the Inspector General. My husband went through something similar (had income gaps for 2016-2018). The local office kept giving us the runaround until we filed a complaint. Suddenly they "found" all our documents and fixed his record within 2 weeks. Also, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Get names of who you speak with, dates, times. Ask for everything in writing. The system is designed to frustrate you into giving up. Don't let them win. If you're going back in person, bring a witness or record the conversation (if legal in your state). Sometimes just mentioning you're documenting everything makes them take you more seriously.

Has ur husband checked his IRS wage and income transcripts? If the problem is just with SSA not showing the income but IRS has record of it then its easier to fix. You can download them free from IRS.gov with an account. My tax person told me this saved him weeks of hassle.

To answer your question about local office versus national number: I'd recommend both approaches simultaneously. 1. Call the national number (or use a service to help get through) to create a formal case for earnings review. This puts it into the national tracking system. 2. Also schedule an appointment (don't just walk in) at your local office specifically for an "earnings record review" and request Form SSA-7008. 3. When you go in person, bring a complete organized package with: - Cover letter listing all contents - Original tax returns and copies (they'll return originals) - IRS tax account transcripts - Payment proof - Previous visit information 4. Most importantly, request both: - A receipt with all documents listed - A "protective filing date" notation - Case number for the earnings investigation Using both channels creates redundancy so if one fails, the other may succeed.

My dad had something similar happen and it was becaus he filed taxes but didnt actually PAY the self employment tax!!! Just filing schedule SE isnt enough, you have to actually pay the tax. Is your husband sure he paid the actual SE tax and not just income tax? They're different things.

One more important thing I learned from my experience - the earnings review process has actually been centralized in recent years. Most local SSA offices don't handle the actual processing anymore - they just collect documents and forward them to processing centers. That's why so many documents get lost in transit. When I finally got through on the phone, the agent told me I could actually fax or mail my documentation directly to the processing center with my case number. This bypassed the local office entirely. If you can get a case started through the national number, ask specifically if you can submit documents directly to the processing center handling your case. Might save you another frustrating visit to the local office.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My self-employment income from 2020-2022 is completely missing from my SSA records despite filing all my taxes on time and paying SE taxes quarterly. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the key things are: 1. Getting Form SSA-7008 specifically 2. Requesting that "protective filing date" 3. Getting IRS transcripts as proof 4. Having everything documented with receipts @Isabel Vega - your advice about the dual approach makes so much sense. I've been banging my head against the wall with just the local office. @Laila Prince - that tip about faxing directly to the processing center is gold! Do you happen to remember what fax number or address you used? This thread is honestly a lifesaver. I was starting to think I'd never get this resolved, but now I have an actual action plan. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! My self-employment income from 2020-2023 is completely missing from my SSA records too. I've been to the local office twice and they keep telling me different things each time. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many specific steps and forms involved. The fact that @Isabel Vega mentioned getting a "protective filing date" is something I never would have known to ask for. @Abby Marshall - definitely follow everyone's advice about getting Form SSA-7008 and documenting everything. I'm planning to get my IRS transcripts first like several people suggested, then try both the national number and local office approach simultaneously. It's honestly infuriating that this seems to happen so frequently with self-employed people. We pay our taxes on time, file all the right forms, and then have to fight tooth and nail just to get credit for what we already paid! Has anyone here had success with the Inspector General complaint route that @Louisa Ramirez mentioned? I'm wondering if I should start there given how unresponsive my local office has been.

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a self-employed contractor and had no idea this was such a widespread issue. Reading everyone's experiences has me worried about my own records now. Quick question for those who've been through this - is there any way to proactively check if your self-employment income is being properly recorded before it becomes a problem? Should I be reviewing my SSA earnings record annually? Also, @Isabel Vega mentioned getting IRS tax account transcripts as key documentation. For those who used this successfully, did you need transcripts for just the missing years or for additional years as well for comparison? I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and all the specific forms/procedures mentioned. Sounds like having Form SSA-7008, requesting a protective filing date, and getting a case number are the critical first steps. Thank you all for sharing such detailed information - this could save people months of frustration!

This entire thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm actually dealing with something similar - my self-employment income from 2020-2022 isn't showing up properly in my SSA records either. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that the key is being extremely organized and persistent. The advice about Form SSA-7008, getting IRS transcripts, requesting a protective filing date, and using both local office and national number approaches simultaneously seems like the winning strategy. What really struck me is how @Isabel Vega mentioned that most local offices don't actually process these corrections anymore - they just forward documents to processing centers. That explains why so many documents get "lost"! For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also suggest keeping a detailed log of every interaction - dates, times, names of representatives, what was discussed, and what documents were provided. It sounds like documentation is absolutely critical when dealing with SSA. One question for those who've successfully resolved this: How long did the entire process take from start to finish once you had all the right documentation and followed the proper procedures?