I completely understand your frustration! As someone who works in tax preparation, I see this situation way too often. While there's technically no hard deadline for corrected W-2s, "early March" turning into "end of March" is definitely unreasonable. Here's my practical advice: First, call your HR/payroll department TODAY and ask for two specific things: 1) What exactly is being corrected on the W-2, and 2) A firm date when you'll receive it. Don't accept vague answers like "soon." If the correction is minor (like a coding issue that doesn't affect your actual wages or withholdings), you can likely file with your original W-2 and ignore the corrected one. However, if it involves actual dollar amounts for wages, taxes withheld, or retirement contributions, you'll want to wait or file an amended return later. If they can't give you a firm timeline, I'd seriously consider filing with your original W-2 and amending later. You're losing potential refund money sitting in limbo, and if you end up owing taxes, you could face penalties for late filing. Your employer's inefficiency shouldn't cost you money or peace of mind.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation! My employer promised corrected W-2s in "early February" and here we are in April with nothing. What's really frustrating is that they keep sending these generic company-wide emails saying "we're working on it" without any actual timeline. Reading through these comments has been super helpful though. I think I'm going to follow the advice about calling HR directly to ask what specifically is being corrected. If it's something that doesn't actually impact my tax liability, I might just file with my original W-2 rather than continue waiting indefinitely. Has anyone here had success getting their employer to prioritize this by mentioning potential IRS contact? I'm wondering if that might light a fire under our payroll department since the generic follow-up emails clearly aren't working.

Quick tip from someone who went through this: keep records of EVERYTHING. Print out all your crypto transaction histories, take screenshots, document your calculation methods. The more organized your amendment paperwork is, the smoother things will go. I made the mistake of not being super detailed, and ended up getting a request for additional information that delayed my whole process by months. Also, if you're dealing with multiple exchanges, make sure you're accounting for transfers between exchanges so you don't accidentally double-count anything.

Based on my experience helping clients with similar situations, you're definitely on the right track by coming forward voluntarily. Here are a few key points to keep in mind: 1. **File amendments chronologically** - Start with 2022 and work forward. This makes it easier for the IRS to process and shows a clear timeline of your corrections. 2. **Calculate interest carefully** - Interest compounds daily from the original due date of each return. The IRS interest rate changes quarterly, so make sure you're using the correct rates for each period. 3. **Consider reasonable cause** - Since this was an honest oversight and you're proactively correcting it, you may qualify for penalty relief under "reasonable cause." Include a detailed explanation letter with your first amended return explaining the circumstances. 4. **Track your cost basis properly** - Make sure you're using the correct method (FIFO, specific identification, etc.) consistently across all years. Switching methods between years can trigger additional scrutiny. The fact that you're being proactive will definitely work in your favor. I've seen cases where voluntary disclosure resulted in penalty waivers or significant reductions, especially when the taxpayer demonstrates good faith efforts to comply going forward.

Just to add some perspective from someone who's been through this transition - the new W4 system is actually much better once you understand it, even though it seems confusing at first. For your specific situation (married, 3 kids, non-working spouse), here's a simple approach: Fill out Steps 1-3 normally (married filing jointly, claim your 3 children for $6,000 in Step 3). Then for Step 4, if you want less withholding, you can estimate your itemized deductions. With a $1,350 mortgage payment, you're probably paying around $16,000+ annually in mortgage interest, which along with state/local taxes might put you above the standard deduction ($27,700 for married filing jointly in 2024). If you're comfortable owing a small amount, you could put something like $5,000-8,000 in Step 4b as an estimate of deductions above the standard deduction. This would reduce your withholding similar to claiming additional allowances in the old system. Start conservatively and adjust later in the year if needed!

As someone who recently went through this same confusion, I can share what finally clicked for me. The key insight is that the new W4 is designed to be more precise than the old allowance system, but it requires you to think differently. For your situation, here's what I'd recommend: Start with the basics - married filing jointly in Step 1, skip Step 2 since you're the only worker, and definitely claim your $6,000 for three kids in Step 3. That's already going to significantly reduce your withholding compared to someone without children. For Step 4, here's the thing about your mortgage - with a $1,350 monthly payment, you're likely paying around $12,000-14,000 in interest annually. However, with the current standard deduction being $27,700 for married filing jointly, you'd need over $27,700 in total itemized deductions to benefit from itemizing. Unless you have high state taxes, significant charitable donations, or other major deductions, you'll probably take the standard deduction anyway. My advice? Start by filling out just Steps 1-3 and see how your paychecks look. The child tax credits alone will reduce your withholding substantially. You can always adjust later if you're getting too big of a refund. This approach has worked well for me and eliminates the guesswork about deductions you may not even use.

I'm also a relatively new freelancer (about 10 months in) and I had this exact same panic attack when I got my first 2018 W-9! I literally lost sleep over it thinking I was going to mess up my taxes somehow. After reading through all these responses, I feel so much better knowing that basically every new freelancer goes through this same anxiety. It's incredibly reassuring to hear from multiple tax professionals and experienced freelancers that the 2018 W-9 is still completely current and valid. What really strikes me is how many people have shared almost identical experiences - getting that "old" form from a client, panicking about whether it's still acceptable, and then discovering it's actually the most current version the IRS has. It makes me feel so much less alone in having these worries! I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about keeping copies of completed forms and focusing on accuracy rather than obsessing over versions. This whole thread has been like a masterclass in "things I wish I knew when I started freelancing." Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and expertise - it's clear this community really looks out for newcomers!

I completely understand your anxiety about this! As someone who's been freelancing for about 3 years now, I remember having this exact same worry when I first started. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - the 2018 W-9 is still the current, valid version that the IRS uses. I've filled out countless W-9 forms over the years for different clients, and probably 90% of them are still using the 2018 version because the IRS simply hasn't needed to update it. The core information it collects (your name, address, SSN/EIN, business classification) hasn't changed, so there's been no reason for a new revision. What really helped me overcome my tax form anxiety was realizing that being cautious about these things is actually a strength, not a weakness. The fact that you're double-checking rather than just assuming shows exactly the kind of attention to detail that will help you succeed as a freelancer. My advice: fill out the form they sent you accurately, make sure your legal name matches exactly what's on your tax return, keep a copy for your records, and don't stress about it. You're showing great instincts by being careful, and this particular worry is something pretty much every new freelancer goes through. You've got this!

This exact same thing happened to me about three weeks ago! I got a deposit from "TPG products SBTPG LLC" and was completely baffled. Like you, the amount seemed familiar but I couldn't place where it would be coming from. I actually ignored it for a few days thinking it might have been a delayed payment from some freelance work I did months ago. It wasn't until I was organizing my finances and cross-referencing everything that I realized I was still waiting for my tax refund and the timing lined up perfectly. Sure enough, when I checked the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool and my TurboTax account, everything made sense. The amount difference from what TurboTax estimated is exactly what everyone else described - they take out all their fees before SBTPG sends you the remainder. In my case, I had paid for TurboTax Premier plus their "Audit Defense" add-on, plus the state filing fee, plus that $39.99 refund transfer fee. It all added up to about $140 in total fees, which explained why my deposit was so much less than expected. What really bothers me is that TurboTax makes it seem like such a convenient option to pay from your refund, but they don't clearly explain upfront that your refund will come from this random-sounding third party company. A little transparency would go a long way in preventing all this confusion!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I literally just went through this exact same panic two days ago when I saw "TPG products SBTPG LLC" show up in my account. The amount was suspiciously close to what I usually get from my Uber Eats deliveries, so I just assumed it was a payment from them under a new system or something. It wasn't until I got my regular Uber Eats payment the next day that I realized something was off. After seeing everyone's explanations here about SBTPG being TurboTax's bank partner, I checked my TurboTax account and found that refund breakdown section. Sure enough, all the fees were deducted from my original refund amount - TurboTax Deluxe fee, state filing, and that $39.99 refund transfer fee. The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool confirmed that they had sent out my full refund amount, so the difference went to all those TurboTax fees I had forgotten about when I chose to pay from my refund instead of upfront. It's honestly ridiculous that TurboTax doesn't make this clearer during the filing process. A simple notification like "Your refund will be deposited by our processing partner SBTPG LLC" would save so many people from this confusion. Next year I'm definitely paying the preparation fees upfront to get my refund directly from the IRS and avoid this whole mystery deposit situation!