One important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you do decide to file separately, make sure you understand how it affects any quarterly estimated tax payments you might need to make for 2025. Since your wife has a business (even if it's currently at a loss), she'll likely need to make quarterly payments next year if the business becomes profitable. The safe harbor rules for estimated taxes are based on your previous year's tax liability, so filing separately this year could affect those calculations. Also, just wanted to echo what others have said about running the actual numbers. I work in tax preparation and I've seen so many couples assume filing separately will save them money, only to discover they'd pay significantly more. The loss of credits like the Child and Dependent Care Credit, education credits, and the full standard deduction often outweighs any perceived benefits. Given that your situation involves unemployment benefits (fully taxable) and business losses (potentially valuable for offsetting that income), my gut says filing jointly will likely be better - but definitely worth running both scenarios to be sure!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through multiple filing status changes over the years. You absolutely can switch back and forth - I've filed jointly, separately, and back to jointly again as our circumstances changed. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of WHY I made each decision. When you're trying to decide next year, having notes about what drove this year's choice (unemployment benefits, business losses, student loan payments) makes it much easier to evaluate whether those factors still apply. Also, don't underestimate the complexity that comes with filing separately. Beyond just the tax calculations, you'll need to split expenses, track who paid what, and coordinate on things like estimated quarterly payments if your wife's business becomes profitable. It's definitely more paperwork and bookkeeping throughout the year. That said, if the numbers clearly show filing separately saves you money this year, don't let the complexity scare you away. Just be prepared for the extra administrative burden and make sure you're both on the same page about tracking expenses going forward. The IRS doesn't care about your marital dynamics, but they do care about accurate reporting!

Great question! I went through this exact same situation when I started freelancing. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: You absolutely need to track everything, even small cash payments. The IRS requires you to report ALL income, regardless of whether you get a 1099 or not. For your records, keep track of: date of payment, amount, client name, type of work, and method of payment (cash, check, etc.). The difference between contractor and freelancer isn't really important for tax purposes - you're self-employed either way and will file Schedule C. A few key points for your situation: - Anyone paying you $600+ in a year should send you a 1099-NEC, but many cash clients don't follow this rule - You're still required to report the income even without a 1099 - Keep receipts for ANY business expenses (gas, supplies, phone bills, etc.) - these can really add up - You'll owe self-employment tax (15.3%) plus regular income tax on your net profit - If you expect to owe $1,000+ in taxes, you may need to make quarterly estimated payments Start a simple spreadsheet or even just a notebook to track each payment as you receive it. Trust me, trying to recreate months of cash payments from memory at tax time is a nightmare!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar boat as a new freelancer doing web development work. One thing I wanted to add that helped me get organized early on is opening a separate business checking account, even though I'm just a sole proprietor. Having that separate account makes it so much easier to track business income and expenses. I deposit all my freelance payments there (cash or otherwise) and pay all business expenses from that account. At tax time, I just need to look at one account's transactions instead of trying to separate personal and business expenses from my main account. Most banks offer basic business checking accounts with low or no monthly fees if you maintain a small minimum balance. It's made my record-keeping way simpler and gives me a clear paper trail if I ever need it for the IRS. Plus, it makes me feel more professional when writing checks or giving clients my account info for direct deposits. For anyone just starting out, I'd highly recommend setting this up before you get too deep into the cash payment tracking mess. It's one of those things that's much easier to do from the beginning than to try to organize later!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help anyone else dealing with missing state information on their W-2. After going through a similar situation last year where my employer took forever to respond, I learned that you can also check if your company uses a third-party payroll processor like ADP, Paychex, or Workday. If they do, you might be able to log into that system directly (if you still have access) to view your complete pay history and tax withholding details by state. Many of these payroll systems maintain more detailed records than what appears on your W-2, including the specific state codes and employer IDs. I was able to find my missing state employer ID number this way when my small company's HR person was out on extended leave. Another thing to keep in mind - if you do end up having to file Form 4852 as a substitute W-2, make sure you're conservative with your estimates. It's better to slightly overestimate your state tax liability than to underestimate and potentially owe penalties later. You can always file an amended return once you get the corrected information. The IRS generally understands that employees sometimes can't get complete information from their employers, especially smaller companies that don't have dedicated payroll departments. As long as you make a good faith effort and document your attempts to get the correct information, they're usually reasonable about these situations.

I went through almost the exact same situation two years ago when I moved from Oregon to Washington mid-year and my employer's W-2 had a blank box 15. What really helped me was creating a timeline of where I lived and worked during the tax year, along with copies of all my pay stubs. Since you mentioned you were in Nevada (no state income tax) for most of the year but moved to Arizona in December, and your employer withheld $1,142 in state taxes, that's definitely Arizona withholding. Nevada wouldn't have any state income tax withholding at all. Here's what I'd suggest doing right now while you wait for your employer to respond: 1. Gather all your 2024 pay stubs and look for any state tax information 2. Note the exact date you moved to Arizona (this will be important for determining your resident status) 3. Check if your company has offices or is headquartered in Arizona - this often determines which state they withhold for The good news is that Arizona's tax system is pretty straightforward for part-year residents. Since you were only physically in Arizona for a couple weeks, you might actually get a decent refund since they likely overwitheld based on your full year's income rather than just the Arizona portion. If your employer doesn't respond within a few days, definitely call the Arizona Department of Revenue with your employer's federal EIN. They've been helpful in my experience and can usually provide the state ID number you need for box 15.

I'm really sorry you're going through this stress, especially when you need that refund for your mom's care. I had this exact same thing happen to me two years ago when I moved during tax season. Here's what worked fastest for me: I updated my address through my online IRS account first (much quicker than Form 8822), then called the Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954 about a week later. When you call, ask specifically for "returned refund reissuance" - those magic words get you to the right department. The key thing I learned that nobody mentioned to me initially: ask them to put a "freeze code" on your account so your refund doesn't get absorbed back into their system while they're processing everything. Without that, you could face even longer delays. Have your SSN, DOB, and last year's AGI ready for verification when you call. The identity check is pretty straightforward if you have your prior year tax return handy. I know waiting feels impossible when you need that money, but you WILL get your refund - the IRS handles returned refunds regularly and has procedures in place. My reissued check arrived about 5 weeks after I made that call. Stay strong! 💙

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation, especially when you need that money for your mom's medical expenses. I went through this exact same nightmare last year when I moved from Ohio to Florida right before my refund was issued. Here's what I learned from my experience: The absolute fastest approach is to update your address online through your IRS account at irs.gov (takes about 7-10 days to process) AND then call the Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954. Don't use the main IRS number - the refund hotline gets you to the right people much faster. When you call, use these exact words: "I need help with returned refund reissuance due to an address change." This gets you transferred to the correct department immediately. Have your SSN, DOB, and last year's AGI ready for identity verification. The MOST IMPORTANT thing nobody told me initially: Ask them to place a "freeze code" on your account. This prevents your refund from getting absorbed back into their general fund while they process everything. Without this code, you risk additional delays or complications. My timeline was: Updated address online (day 1), called refund hotline (day 10), got my reissued check (day 35). It felt like forever when I was waiting, but the system does work. Stay strong - you WILL get your refund! The IRS handles thousands of these cases during tax season. 💙

Just wanted to add my voice to all the newcomers who found this thread through late-night anxiety Googling! I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - KSCS letter in my informed delivery, nothing showing up online, and that familiar pit-in-your-stomach feeling we all seem to know so well. What's been so reassuring about reading through this entire conversation is seeing how universal this experience is. It's like we all have the same playbook: see IRS mail → immediate panic → refresh online account 20 times → imagine worst-case scenarios → (hopefully) discover it's something completely mundane. The consistent theme about KSCS handling routine administrative correspondence that often doesn't sync with the online system has been incredibly helpful for managing my anxiety. It's amazing how much comfort there is in knowing that so many others have walked this exact same path and lived to tell boring stories about payment confirmations and address change acknowledgments! I'm definitely keeping this thread bookmarked for future reference, and like everyone else, I'm really hoping our original poster comes back with another anticlimactic update to add to this wonderful collection of "tax anxiety false alarms." This community support has been exactly what I needed during this stressful waiting period!

As another newcomer who just found this community through my own IRS letter panic, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! I'm currently going through the exact same situation - got a KSCS letter notification in my USPS informed delivery this morning and have been refreshing my IRS online account every 30 minutes since then (spoiler alert: still nothing there). Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring. The consistent pattern everyone describes - immediate panic upon seeing IRS mail, obsessive online account checking, catastrophic thinking, then discovering it's routine administrative stuff - is so relatable it's almost therapeutic. I had no idea how common it was for these letters to never appear in the online system! What really strikes me is how this has become such an amazing support network. Everyone sharing their "anticlimactic" stories is creating this invaluable database of reassurance for future anxious searchers. The fact that KSCS seems to handle mostly routine correspondence like payment confirmations and processing acknowledgments is so helpful to know. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference and, like everyone else, really hoping our original poster updates us with what I'm confident will be another perfectly boring conclusion to this story. Thank you all for making me feel so much less alone in this particular type of adulting anxiety!