Thank you all for such a thorough discussion! As someone who just dealt with this exact situation, I want to share what worked for me. I had the same duplicate Box 18 entries with different Box 19 amounts, and I was initially panicking about messing up my taxes. After reading through these responses and doing some additional research, I confirmed that you should indeed add the Box 19 amounts together ($464.06 + $896.21 = $1,360.27 in your case) and only report the Box 18 amount once since they're identical. I called my HR department to understand why I had two entries, and they explained that our county increased the local tax rate from 0.75% to 1.45% in July, so they had to report my wages under both rates for the portions of the year they applied. This made total sense once explained! One tip I'd add - when entering this in your tax software, look for a section that says something like "Local/City taxes" or "Additional state taxes." Most modern tax prep software will walk you through entering multiple local tax entries if needed. Don't try to manually combine numbers unless you're certain that's what the software expects.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation on my W-2 this year! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I have duplicate entries in box 18 (same amounts) but different amounts in box 19, just like the original poster. What I found most useful was the explanation about local tax rate changes mid-year - I never realized that's why this happens. I'm going to follow the advice here: add the box 19 amounts together for total local tax withheld, and only report the box 18 amount once since mine are identical. I'm also planning to call my HR department tomorrow to confirm why I have the duplicate entries, just so I understand what happened during the year. It's reassuring to know this isn't some kind of error that's going to get me in trouble with the IRS! Thanks everyone for such detailed explanations. This community is so helpful for navigating confusing tax situations like this.

This thread is absolutely incredible - I'm saving this whole conversation! I've been dealing with an ID.me suspension for over a month and had no idea there were so many different escalation paths available. The combination of TIGTA complaints, CFPB filings, congressional offices, and even AARP resources gives me hope that there's actually a way out of this mess. Special thanks to everyone who shared specific phone numbers and websites - having those concrete next steps makes all the difference when you're feeling completely stuck in the system. I'm planning to try the early morning call strategy first, then escalate through TIGTA if needed. It's frustrating that accessing our own tax records has become this complicated, but this community really shows the power of people helping each other navigate bureaucratic nightmares!

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm dealing with my own ID.me suspension right now and honestly felt hopeless until I found this discussion. The systematic approach everyone's outlined here - starting with early morning calls, then escalating through TIGTA, CFPB, and even congressional offices - gives me a real roadmap instead of just randomly trying things. I had no idea about the Treasury Inspector General route or that they have direct connections to ID.me's government services team. That seems like it could be a game changer. Also really appreciate the practical tips like documenting everything, using certified mail for Form 4506-T, and downloading backup transcripts once you regain access. It's ridiculous that we need this many workarounds just to access our own tax information, but at least there are options. Going to start with the phone strategy tomorrow and work my way through the escalation ladder if needed. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes a difference!

Has anyone else noticed that sometimes the total interest reported on the 1098s doesn't match what you actually paid according to your payment history? My mortgage was sold in August and the sum of both 1098s was about $340 less than what my payment records show for interest.

Great question! I dealt with this exact situation last year when my mortgage was sold in July. You definitely need to add both 1098 forms together - each lender reports the interest they collected during their respective periods of servicing your loan. One thing to watch out for: make sure there's no overlap in the dates. Sometimes there can be a few days where both lenders might report interest, especially around the transfer date. If the numbers seem unusually high when added together, double-check your monthly statements to verify the totals. Also, keep both 1098 forms with your tax records. The IRS receives copies of both forms, so they'll expect to see the combined total reflected in your return. TurboTax should handle this smoothly when you enter both forms separately - it will automatically combine the mortgage interest amounts for your Schedule A.

5 Has anyone addressed whether this could be an intentional income-shifting strategy by the mom? I've seen small business owners do this to reduce their own tax liability by "paying" family members. The IRS is aware of this practice and does scrutinize family business arrangements. If the child isn't actually performing meaningful work worth $6,300, or if they're not being paid market rates for the work, this could be problematic in an audit.

You're absolutely right to be concerned about this situation. As several others have mentioned, the $400 threshold for self-employment income is key here - your daughter definitely needs to file. However, I'd strongly recommend getting professional help before proceeding. The classification of a 12-year-old as an independent contractor is highly questionable and could trigger an audit. The IRS looks closely at family business arrangements, especially when children are involved. A few red flags I see: 1) A 12-year-old typically can't meet the "independence" test for contractor status, 2) The amount seems high for basic filing/sorting work by a child, and 3) This could be viewed as income shifting to avoid taxes. I'd suggest consulting with a tax professional who can review whether this should have been handled differently (like employee wages with FICA exemptions for children in family businesses) and help you navigate the filing requirements properly. The goal should be compliance, not just getting through this year's filing.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My DDD was today (Feb 26) and I've been obsessively checking my bank account every few hours. It's so frustrating when you're counting on that money and the IRS says it's "sent" but your account is still empty. Reading through all these comments is actually really reassuring though - sounds like 1-3 day delays are totally normal even when everything is processed correctly. I'm going to try to stop checking my account every 5 minutes and just wait until Friday before I start panicking. Thanks for posting this - nice to know I'm not alone in the waiting game!

I'm going through this exact same situation! My DDD was February 26th (today) and I've been refreshing my bank app constantly with no luck. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money for expenses. Reading through everyone's responses here is really helping me feel less anxious about it though. Sounds like 1-3 day delays are super common even when the IRS shows everything as processed correctly. The explanation about how the IRS just initiates the transfer on the DDD but banks take additional time to actually process it makes total sense. I'm going to try to stop obsessing over my account balance and just wait until Friday before I start worrying. Thanks for posting this - it's comforting to know so many others are dealing with the same waiting game!