Does anyone use QuickBooks for payroll? I'm trying to run the 941 vs W-2 reconciliation report but can't figure out how to get it to show me the comparison by wage type.

Great question! I've been doing payroll for small businesses for over 8 years and this is one of the most common reconciliation issues I see. The key is understanding that Form 941 reports wages subject to Medicare tax, which should match Box 5 on the W-2. Here's why the other boxes won't match: - Box 1: Excludes pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance, etc.) so it's typically lower than your 941 totals - Box 3: Has a Social Security wage cap ($160,200 for 2023, $168,600 for 2024) so high earners won't match - Box 5: No wage ceiling and includes all compensation subject to Medicare tax - this is your match! One thing to watch out for: if you have any employees who received taxable fringe benefits (like personal use of company vehicle, group term life insurance over $50k), make sure those are properly included in both your 941s AND Box 5 of their W-2s. That's where I often find discrepancies. If you're still having trouble reconciling, double-check that you're comparing the exact same time periods and that any third-party sick pay is being handled consistently across both forms.

I've been following this discussion closely and wanted to share my own experience since I'm in almost the exact same boat. I've won around $3,500 across Chumba, LuckyLand, and Stake.us this year and was completely clueless about the tax implications until recently. After reading through everyone's experiences here, especially the direct IRS guidance that several people obtained, I'm convinced that the safest approach is to report everything as "Other Income" regardless of whether I receive any tax forms. The consistency of that advice from multiple sources, including actual IRS representatives, gives me confidence it's the right path. I started creating a detailed spreadsheet yesterday with all my redemptions going back to January - dates, platforms, amounts, confirmation numbers, everything. It was tedious reconstructing several months of activity, but definitely worth it for peace of mind. I'm also keeping screenshots of confirmation emails and account histories as backup documentation. One thing that really stood out to me from this thread is how unreliable these platforms are with their own tax reporting. Even when they're legally required to send 1099-MISC forms for winnings over $600, the compliance seems completely hit-or-miss. That makes keeping your own detailed records absolutely critical. Thanks to everyone who shared their research and experiences here - this has been incredibly valuable information that I couldn't find anywhere else online!

I've been in a very similar situation and can share some insights from my experience. Last year I won about $4,100 across Chumba, LuckyLand, and Global Poker, and like you, I was getting completely inconsistent information from customer support. After doing extensive research and speaking with a tax professional, here's what I learned: these social casino platforms are technically required to issue 1099-MISC forms for cumulative winnings over $600 per year, but compliance is notoriously inconsistent. Many companies operate in regulatory gray areas and simply don't follow proper reporting procedures. The bottom line is that you're legally required to report ALL winnings as taxable income regardless of whether you receive forms. For your $3,800, I'd strongly recommend reporting it as "Other Income" on your tax return. While you can't deduct losses like with traditional gambling winnings, this classification aligns with how the IRS views sweepstakes-style platforms. My advice: start documenting everything NOW. Create a simple spreadsheet with dates, platforms, amounts, and confirmation numbers for every redemption. Take screenshots of confirmation emails and account histories. I learned this the hard way when I had to reconstruct months of activity after the fact. Don't rely on these companies to handle tax reporting properly - they're unreliable at best. Better to over-report and have good documentation than risk issues with the IRS later. The peace of mind is definitely worth paying taxes on the winnings.

I actually just finished filing with Column Tax this past season and wanted to share my experience since you're considering it. I'm also a small business owner (marketing consultant) and was in the exact same boat - always used TurboTax but was curious about the banking integration. The good: The automatic transaction import really is as convenient as advertised. It pulled everything from my business account and the categorization was surprisingly accurate - probably saved me 3-4 hours of data entry. The interface is modern and intuitive, definitely less cluttered than TurboTax. The concerns: Since it's newer, there's less online documentation and community support compared to established players. I did run into one small issue with a foreign client payment that required some manual adjustment. Their support was helpful but took about 24 hours to respond, which made me a bit nervous close to the deadline. My advice: Given that it's free with your Novo account, maybe try running through the process early (like in February) to see how it handles your specific situation. You can always fall back to TurboTax if you're not comfortable. The Schedule C handling seemed solid for straightforward business expenses, but if you have complex deductions or unusual situations, definitely review everything carefully before filing. Overall, I'd cautiously recommend giving it a shot, especially since the price is right!

I've been using Column Tax for my freelance writing business for about 8 months now and it's been pretty solid overall. The integration with my business banking (I use Relay) has definitely streamlined my expense tracking compared to the manual entry nightmare I used to deal with. A few things I've learned that might help with your decision: **Pros:** - The automatic categorization really does work well for common business expenses (office supplies, software subscriptions, travel, etc.) - The Schedule C handling is comprehensive - it caught several deductions I had overlooked in previous years - The interface is much cleaner and less overwhelming than TurboTax's maze of screens - Customer support has been responsive when I've needed help (though I always contact them well before deadlines) **Things to watch out for:** - Double-check any unusual or large transactions - the AI sometimes miscategorizes things it hasn't seen before - Make sure to review the final tax summary carefully before filing - If you have complex situations (multiple business entities, significant equipment purchases, etc.), you might want to have a CPA review it the first year Since it's free with your Novo account, I'd say definitely try it out for a practice run early in tax season. You can always switch back to TurboTax if it doesn't feel right for your situation. The time savings alone on transaction entry has been worth it for me. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Reading through all these suggestions has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many different ways to track down old employment information. I wanted to add one more tip that helped me recently: if you remember any coworkers from those jobs (even just first names), try searching for them on LinkedIn or Facebook. Sometimes seeing their current profiles will show their employment history, which might help you remember the exact company names or even jog your memory about other places you worked around the same time. Also, if you have any old resume files saved anywhere, those obviously list your employment history with dates. I found a resume from 2019 in my Google Drive that I had completely forgotten about, and it filled in several gaps in my memory about where I worked. One question for the group - has anyone tried using the "Get Transcript Online" feature on the IRS website multiple times? I'm wondering if sometimes the masking is inconsistent, or if requesting transcripts for different date ranges might show different levels of detail. Just curious if anyone has experimented with this. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences. This thread is going to save me so much time and stress!

I've been reading through all these suggestions and they're incredibly thorough! I'm in a similar situation with missing W2s from several years, and this thread has given me so many new avenues to explore. One additional resource I wanted to mention that I don't think anyone has brought up yet - if you've ever applied for a mortgage, auto loan, or other major credit during those years, your lender likely has copies of your employment verification documents and pay stubs in their files. Banks and credit unions typically keep loan files for 7+ years, and these often contain detailed employment information that could help you identify missing employers. Also, if you worked any seasonal or temporary jobs through staffing agencies like Kelly Services, Manpower, or Adecco, those agencies often maintain worker records for many years even after assignments end. They can usually provide employment verification and sometimes even duplicate W2s. For anyone dealing with this issue, I'd also suggest creating a timeline document where you write down everything you DO remember - approximate dates, cities you lived in, major life events, etc. Sometimes organizing the information you have helps trigger memories about jobs you might have forgotten about completely. Even partial information can be helpful when cross-referencing with the other sources mentioned in this thread. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is incredibly helpful!

I had a very similar issue last year! Turned out my company was including several benefits I didn't even know I had - basic life insurance ($50k policy they automatically enroll everyone in), short-term disability coverage, and even our employee wellness program that includes things like flu shots and health screenings. The key thing is that Box 12 DD is just informational - it doesn't increase your taxable income or affect what you owe. But given that your accountant was recently fired for embezzlement, I'd definitely recommend getting a detailed breakdown from HR showing exactly what benefits are included in that $4,350. You can also compare this year's W-2 to previous years. If this is the first time you're seeing Box 12 DD with a value, ask HR why it's appearing now. Sometimes companies change their reporting practices or add new benefits that trigger the reporting requirement. Don't stress too much about filing your taxes - you can proceed with the W-2 as is, but definitely follow up with HR for your own peace of mind about what's included in that figure.

I work in HR and can shed some light on this! Box 12 DD reporting has actually become more common in recent years as the IRS has been stricter about enforcement. Many companies that previously didn't report these values are now doing so to stay compliant. The $4,350 likely includes multiple benefits you might not think of as "health coverage" - basic life insurance (very common to auto-enroll), any wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and even some supplemental benefits like accident insurance if your company provides it. Given your situation with the fired accountant, I completely understand your concern. Here's what I'd recommend: Request a "benefits cost breakdown" from HR - they should be able to provide an itemized list showing exactly what benefits comprise that $4,350. This is standard information they track for W-2 reporting purposes. Also, ask HR when they started including Box 12 DD reporting and why. Some companies only recently began reporting these values due to IRS guidance changes, which might explain why you haven't seen it before. The good news is this amount isn't taxable to you - it's purely informational. But getting that breakdown will give you peace of mind about what's actually being reported.