has anyone tried getting their w2 info through the irs "get transcript" online? i heard you can get wage & income transcripts that show all your w2 info there but when i tried to set up an account it wanted a credit card number or loan account number for verification and i don't have either of those things? super annoying.

I went through this exact same situation last year! Here's what worked for me: First, try sending a certified letter to your previous employer's HR department requesting your W-2. This creates a paper trail and shows you made a formal request. Include your full name, SSN, employment dates, and current mailing address. If that doesn't work within 2 weeks, definitely call the IRS at 800-829-1040. They can contact your employer directly and will also send you a wage and income transcript that has all the same information as your W-2. The transcript is actually accepted by most tax software and preparers. One tip: if you have your final paystub from that job, it should show your year-to-date earnings and withholdings, which is basically all the info that would be on your W-2. Many tax preparers can work with that if you're in a real time crunch. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think, and there are definitely ways to get the info you need before the deadline!

Maria, I went through something very similar last year when I had to withdraw $6,000 from my Roth for an emergency car repair. The good news is it's much more straightforward than it initially seems! A few practical tips from my experience: First, when you contact your brokerage to make the withdrawal, specifically tell them you want to withdraw "contributions only" - while technically all withdrawals come from contributions first anyway, having this documented in their records can be helpful later. Second, ask them to email you a confirmation of the withdrawal details for your records. When tax time comes, you'll get that 1099-R form that shows the total withdrawal amount. Don't panic when you see it - it will likely show the full amount as a "distribution" without specifying it's penalty-free contributions. That's totally normal. Form 8606 Part III is where you tell the IRS the real story. One thing I wish I had known: keep a simple spreadsheet or document tracking your total Roth contributions by year. It makes filling out Form 8606 so much easier. I had to dig through three years of tax returns to reconstruct my contribution history, which was stressful during an already stressful time. TurboTax walked me through the whole process pretty smoothly once I had all my paperwork together. You've got this!

Maria, I completely understand your stress about this situation! I've been through a similar withdrawal process myself and want to reassure you that withdrawing Roth contributions is actually one of the more straightforward tax situations, even though it can feel overwhelming at first. Since you're only withdrawing $7,500 from your $18,000 in contributions, you're well within safe territory - no taxes, no penalties. The key thing to remember is that your brokerage's 1099-R will just show the withdrawal amount without distinguishing contributions from earnings, so you'll need Form 8606 Part III to tell the IRS this was a contribution withdrawal. For documentation, I'd suggest creating a simple folder (physical or digital) with: your last 3 years of tax returns showing your Roth contributions, any year-end brokerage statements, and the 1099-R you'll receive for this withdrawal. This gives you a complete paper trail if you ever need it. One practical tip: when you call your brokerage to initiate the withdrawal, ask them to note in your account that you're specifically requesting a "contribution withdrawal." While all withdrawals technically come from contributions first anyway, having this documented can provide extra peace of mind. You're making the right choice by only touching contributions and leaving your earnings to continue growing. The paperwork might seem intimidating, but TurboTax should handle most of the heavy lifting once you have your 1099-R in hand. You've got this!

Could also be interest they paid you on your escrow account! My lender sent me a 1099 for $27.38 which was apparently the interest earned on my escrow funds. Totally forgot that was a thing, but if you live in a state that requires lenders to pay interest on escrow accounts, that might be it.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! In my case, the 1099-MISC was for a lender credit I received at closing that reduced my closing costs by $800. I had completely forgotten about it until I dug through all my closing paperwork. The tricky part is that these lender incentives (whether they're cashback, closing cost credits, or promotional bonuses) are considered taxable income by the IRS, even though they feel like discounts to us as borrowers. Your 1098 form for mortgage interest is completely separate and unaffected by this. If you still can't figure out what the 1099-MISC amount corresponds to, I'd recommend checking your Closing Disclosure (CD) form from your purchase. Look for any credits, rebates, or incentives listed there. The amount on your 1099-MISC should match one of those items. Sometimes they break down larger credits into smaller components too, so don't be surprised if the math isn't immediately obvious. When you file your taxes, you'll report this as "Other Income" and yes, you'll owe taxes on it at your regular income tax rate. It's annoying to discover after the fact, but at least now you know for any future home purchases!

I went through this exact same situation about 5 months ago and completely understand that sinking feeling when you see Form 9143! In my case, the issue turned out to be that I had signed my return with a purple gel pen (I know, not my smartest choice) which their scanning system couldn't process properly. What really helped me was calling the specific phone number listed on the Form 9143 itself rather than the general IRS helpline. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was wrong - apparently purple ink doesn't scan well in their system, and gel pens can be too inconsistent for their fraud detection algorithms. Here's what worked for me: - Used a regular blue ballpoint pen (blue ink shows it's an original signature) - Signed at my kitchen table with the form completely flat - no magazines or clipboards underneath - Took my time and signed my normal signature, just more carefully than usual - Made sure the signature stayed within the box boundaries - Attached the Form 9143 to the top when I mailed everything back My return was processed in exactly 19 days after resubmission, and I got my full refund with zero penalties since I had filed on time originally. The agent also confirmed that this type of correction doesn't affect your filing status at all - you're still considered timely filed. Your $1,230 is definitely coming! This happens to thousands of people every tax season and it's always resolvable. Just breathe, sign carefully with good blue ink, and try not to stress too much about it. You've got this!

I completely understand that panic feeling! I just went through this exact situation about 3 months ago with my own Form 9143, and I know how overwhelming it can feel when you're expecting a refund and get that letter instead. In my case, it turned out I had used a black felt-tip pen that was too thick and inconsistent for their scanning system. The IRS has definitely upgraded their signature verification technology recently, which explains why signatures that worked fine in previous years are now getting flagged more often. Here's what I learned that helped me get it resolved quickly: - Use a standard blue ballpoint pen (blue ink proves it's an original document, and ballpoint gives consistent ink flow) - Sign on a completely flat, hard surface - I made the mistake of signing on top of a stack of papers which made my signature uneven - Take your time and sign your normal signature, just more deliberately than usual - Make sure your signature fits entirely within the signature box boundaries - Include the Form 9143 on top when you mail everything back The good news is this absolutely does not count as late filing since you submitted on time originally - you won't face any penalties or interest charges. My return was processed in about 20 days after I resubmitted, and I got my full refund without any issues. Your $1,230 is definitely still coming! This is just a routine verification step that happens to thousands of taxpayers every season. It feels scary because it's from the IRS, but it's really just a minor paperwork correction. Try to think of it as them being thorough about fraud prevention rather than finding fault with your filing. You've got this - just sign clearly with good blue ink and send it back promptly!

the irs website is useless for this stuff fr fr. Called them 3 times got 3 different answers smh

ngl dealing with amended returns is the worst. the irs be playing games with us fr