Based on everyone's helpful advice here, I'd recommend taking a two-pronged approach to get this resolved quickly and correctly. First, definitely request both 2024 and 2025 on Line 7 of your Form 8802 since the fee is the same for multiple years. This covers you regardless of what your employer specifically needs, and given the March start date, you want maximum flexibility. Second, while you're waiting for the IRS processing (which could take 6-8 weeks), reach out to your employer's HR or international tax team to ask specifically which tax year they need and if they have any other documentation requirements. Sometimes they just need proof of US tax residency status and don't care about the specific year. For submitting the form, definitely fax it rather than mail it - several people mentioned this can save 1-2 weeks of processing time. Make sure you're using the current version from the IRS website and that every field is completed accurately since errors cause major delays. The good news is that requesting 2025 certification isn't a problem even though you haven't filed those taxes yet - the IRS will use your 2023 and 2024 filing history to verify your US tax resident status. Just make sure to include any required attachments like tax transcripts if you've had amended returns or special circumstances. Given your tight timeline, I'd get this submitted ASAP and consider the expedited processing option if your employer can provide documentation of the firm deadline. Good luck! 🤞

I've been following this thread and wanted to add a few practical tips that might help with your Form 8802 submission! Regarding the faxing question - you don't need a special cover sheet when faxing Form 8802. Just make sure your contact information is clearly legible on the form itself, especially your phone number and email. The IRS fax number for international forms is (855) 215-1627. One thing I learned the hard way: if you're requesting certification for multiple years (2024 and 2025), make sure you write both years clearly on Line 7 separated by a comma, like "2024, 2025" rather than using ranges or abbreviations. The IRS processors are very literal about how this information is interpreted. Also, since your employer is requesting this for a March start date, you might want to include a brief cover letter explaining the employment situation and timeline. While this won't guarantee expedited processing, it can help the reviewer understand the context if there are any questions about your request. Keep copies of everything you submit and consider using a fax service that provides delivery confirmation so you know it was received. The last thing you want is to find out weeks later that your fax didn't go through properly! Good luck with your application - sounds like you've got a solid plan now thanks to all the great advice in this thread! 🙂

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Had marketplace coverage for 8 months in 2023 and my 1095-A form is completely missing from my Healthcare.gov account. Got the same notification email in January saying it was ready, but nothing shows up when I log in. After reading through all these responses, I'm going to try a combination approach. First calling Healthcare.gov again tomorrow and specifically asking for the Document Services department like DeShawn suggested, then if that doesn't work, I'll contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service that Anna mentioned. It's so frustrating that this seems to be a widespread problem but Healthcare.gov reps act like it's the first time they've heard of it. Really appreciate everyone sharing their solutions here - gives me hope that there are still options to get this resolved before the deadline!

I'm a tax professional who specializes in marketplace issues, and unfortunately what you're experiencing is more common than Healthcare.gov wants to admit. There's actually a specific internal escalation process they use for missing 1095-A cases that most front-line representatives don't mention. When you call back, ask to speak with a "Marketplace Appeals and Grievances" supervisor - this is a different department than regular customer service and they have access to backend systems that can regenerate missing forms. Reference "Case Type: Missing Tax Document 1095-A" and mention that you have proof of the notification email but cannot access the document. If they still can't help, file a formal complaint through Healthcare.gov's online complaint system while simultaneously contacting your state's insurance commissioner. The combination of internal escalation plus external regulatory pressure often gets results within 48-72 hours. As a backup plan, I always recommend my clients prepare Form 8962 using their available documentation (bank statements, insurance cards, premium payment confirmations) and include a detailed explanation letter with their return. The IRS has specific procedures for handling returns filed without complete 1095-A information when taxpayers can demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the missing documents. Don't let them tell you there's nothing they can do - you have legal rights here and multiple avenues for resolution!

This is such helpful information! I'm in a similar situation - married, both working, and we got burned with a big tax bill last year. One thing I learned the hard way is that even after you fix your W-4s, it's worth running a quick calculation in October or November to make sure you're still on track. I thought I had everything figured out after adjusting our forms in March, but then my wife got a promotion with a retroactive raise that threw off our withholding again. For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also suggest keeping copies of your old W-4s and notes about what changes you made. When tax time comes around, it helps to remember why you made certain choices, especially if you need to adjust again the following year. The key takeaway from all these responses seems to be: check box 2(c) on both forms, only claim dependents/credits on one form, and add any extra withholding to just one form. Sounds like that combo should help avoid the surprise tax bills we've all been dealing with!

Great thread everyone! As someone who works in tax preparation, I see this exact scenario constantly during tax season. The confusion around married couples with dual incomes is probably the #1 W-4 mistake I encounter. Just to reinforce what others have said with a slightly different explanation: Think of it this way - the W-4 withholding tables assume you're the only earner in your household. When both spouses work and earn similar amounts, you're essentially in a much higher tax bracket than either W-4 form realizes, which is why you end up owing. The key fixes everyone mentioned are spot-on: - Box 2(c) on BOTH forms tells each employer "hey, there's another income stream you don't know about" - Only claiming dependents on ONE form prevents double-dipping the credits - The extra withholding from the worksheet compensates for that higher effective tax rate One additional tip: If you're still nervous about owing after making these changes, you can always add an extra $50-100 per paycheck in Step 4(c) as a buffer. Better to get a small refund than owe money plus penalties! And yes, definitely recommend doing those mid-year checkups mentioned above. I've seen too many people fix their W-4s in January only to have life changes (raises, bonuses, side income) throw everything off again by December.

Just to add another perspective here - I've been using Wise for about 3 years and went through this exact same confusion. The key thing I learned is that you need to look at WHERE each currency is actually held, not just that it's a "foreign" company. I contacted Wise support directly and they provided me with a detailed breakdown of which banks hold each currency. My USD was indeed held at a US bank (Community Federal Savings Bank), so that didn't count toward FBAR. But my EUR and GBP were held at European banks, so those did count. The tricky part is tracking the daily balances throughout the year to find your maximum. I ended up creating a simple spreadsheet to track this since Wise statements don't always make it obvious when you hit peak balances across multiple currencies. One more tip: if you're even remotely close to the $10k threshold, it's probably worth filing the FBAR anyway. The penalties for not filing when required are much worse than over-filing when not required. Better safe than sorry with FinCEN compliance.

Based on what you've described, you likely don't need to file an FBAR for your Wise account this year since your maximum balance across all currencies was only around $800. The FBAR filing requirement only kicks in when the aggregate value of ALL your foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. However, there are a couple of important nuances to consider with Wise accounts: 1. **Location matters more than currency**: As others have mentioned, what determines if an account is "foreign" for FBAR purposes is where the financial institution holding your money is located, not the currency type. Your USD in Wise is likely held at a US bank and wouldn't count toward the threshold. 2. **Keep good records**: Even though you're well below the threshold now, I'd recommend tracking your balances more carefully going forward. If you start using the account more frequently for larger transfers, you could potentially hit the threshold without realizing it. 3. **Consider other accounts**: Make sure you're not forgetting any other foreign accounts - even small investment accounts, savings accounts in other countries, or accounts you have signature authority over (like business accounts) all count toward the aggregate total. Since you're nowhere near the $10k threshold with just this account, you should be fine for this year's filing. But definitely keep documentation of your maximum balances just in case!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is checking if your former employer had a third-party benefits administrator like Workday, BambooHR, or UltiPro. Even after a company goes bankrupt, these service providers sometimes maintain employee records for a period of time and may be able to provide W2 copies or at least employment verification. You can try searching your old emails for login credentials to any HR portals you might have used, or contact these companies directly if you remember which one your employer used. They might require some verification of your identity and employment, but it's worth a shot before going through the more complex IRS process. Another angle - if you have any former coworkers you're still in touch with, they might be dealing with the same issue and could have found a solution, or you could coordinate efforts to contact the same resources together.

I went through this exact same nightmare when my company folded in late 2023! After trying everything mentioned here, what finally worked for me was a combination approach. First, I got the wage transcripts from the IRS (which took about 10 days by mail since I couldn't get through their identity verification online). Then I gathered all my supporting documentation - bank statements showing direct deposits, old paystubs I found in my email, and even my final pay stub that showed year-to-date totals. The key was presenting it all together as a complete package to my lender. I wrote a brief explanation letter describing the bankruptcy situation and included printouts of news articles about the company closure. This helped establish credibility and showed I wasn't just being lazy about getting proper documentation. Most lenders are actually pretty understanding about this situation since company bankruptcies aren't that uncommon. The wage transcripts from the IRS carry a lot of weight since they're official government documents. Don't stress too much - you've got several good options here and the IRS really does have all your W2 information on file!