I got a letter from the IRS that says my federal tax withholding isn't supported by my W-2. Turbotax calculated the number, but I can't see how they calculated it.

[oldnoah]

My wife's W-2 just has one number on line 12. Mine has several numbers on lines 12a - 12d, but none of them add up to what Turbotax calculated.

[VolvoGirl]

No.  Federal withholding is only from box 2 not 12.  Box 12 is mostly pretax deductions that don't show up on your return.  The federal withholding in box 2 should equal 1040 line 25a.

[oldnoah]

Ok, looking at the turbotax return, the W-2s they included with the return don't show box 2 at all. Looking at my paper W-2s they add up to line 25a

[macuser_22]

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@oldnoah wrote:

Ok, looking at the turbotax return, the W-2s they included with the return don't show box 2 at all. Looking at my paper W-2s they add up to line 25a

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The tax withholding is not calculated at all.  It is simply the total of all W-2 box 2 amounts that you enter and is reported on the 1040 line 25a.    It 25a matches your W-2's then it is correct, so exactally what does the IRS think is wrong?   Did an employer fail to report the withholding to the IRS?

[oldnoah]

The tax withholding is not calculated at all. It is simply the total of all W-2 box 2 amounts that you enter and is reported on the 1040 line 25a. It 25a matches your W-2's then it is correct, so exactally what does the IRS think is wrong? Did an employer fail to report the withholding to the IRS?

No. Turbotax didn't use the paper W-2s that I received in the mail. They used W-2s that they downloaded from somewhere. It's clear that they had the correct information, because they calculated the correct amount. The problem is not in the W-2, it's in the way that Turbotax presented them on my return. They simply left out box 2 through 7.

[oldnoah]

VolvoGirl,

Thanks for pointing me at box 2. The turbotax copy of my return doesn't have box 2-7 shown at all. Looking at my original W-2 (the paper ones I was sent in the mail) the amount is correct.

[VolvoGirl]

The problem is not in the W-2, it's in the way that Turbotax presented them on my return. They simply left out box 2 through 7.

Huh?  The backup detail worksheets don't get sent to the IRS.  If the right amount is on 1040 line 1 wages and line 25a withholding that's all you need.

[VolvoGirl]

Wait a second.  Did you mail ALL the pages to the IRS?  You only should have mailed the 1040 and any schedules 1-4 and official forms.  Not all the worksheets.  Maybe that is confusing them.

[oldnoah]

I didn't mail anything to the IRS. Turbotax e-filed it. I got a copy of what they filed in a .pdf file. It includes the W-2 forms that they downloaded. It's clear that turbotax left off the pertinent information.

[macuser_22]

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@oldnoah wrote:

I didn't mail anything to the IRS. Turbotax e-filed it. I got a copy of what they filed in a .pdf file. It includes the W-2 forms that they downloaded. It's clear that turbotax left off the pertinent information.

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Downloaded W-2's come from your employer and you are responsible to be sure the download matched your paper W-2.

However, the W-2 does NOT get sent to the IRS with your tax return, ONLY the total withholding on the 1040 line 25c is sent to the IRS and if that is correct then there is no error or missing information at all.

[oldnoah]

"However, the W-2 does NOT get sent to the IRS with your tax return, ONLY the total withholding on the 1040 line 25c is sent to the IRS and if that is correct then there is no error or missing information at all."

That makes no sense. The W-2 that I got from my employer includes the information. The W-2 that Turbotax used, didn't include the information. The IRS says the information wasn't included with the return. So the missing information that the IRS is asking me for must have been missing from the return.

[VolvoGirl]

What info is missing from the 1040?  You said line 1 wages and line 25a withholding are right.  

[fanfare]

If IRS is not crediting you with box 2 withholding you have to dispute their changes.

If the IRS letter doesn't tell you how to fix the problem,

you should reply saying you are going to amend and report the missing/correct federal tax withheld.

When you amend you have to include copies of both W-2s showing Federal tax withheld, and any other tax documents that show federal tax withheld.

This is not rocket science.

[oldnoah]

"What info is missing from the 1040? You said line 1 wages and line 25a withholding are right. "

There is no information missing from the 1040. The information is missing from the W-2 that Turbotax sent them. The IRS is arguing that the amount on 25a is not supported by the W-2, and they're right. Box 2 is simply not there. 

[VolvoGirl]

But we are telling you the W2 you entered or downloaded does not get sent at all to the IRS.  The IRS is comparing your return to the W2s your employers sent in.