Estimating CASDI Tax - Wages Calculated from box 1, 2, or 3?

[Skyxliner]

Hi,

Background: my employer did not provide me a W-2 and i am unable to obtain. As a result, I am calculating a reasonable estimate of my CASDI tax payment.

I understand that CASDI is calculated from a percentage of wages.

Is this typically using box 1 wages, tips and other comps or box 2 social security wages or box 3 medicare wages and tips?

[MaryK4 · Accepted solution]

If you are not sure what withholding was taken from your paycheck, you should use the information from your last paycheck stub.  It is usually the Box 1 amount but not always.

[Skyxliner]

Noted that makes sense.

Wasn't able to retrieve historical pay stubs so hoping to use a figure that is as close as possible to that amount.

Box 1 makes sense, that's also the same amount reported to state wages box 16, thinking since this is a CA tax, makes sense to use CA wages.

[macuser_22]

Why didn't you get a W-2?  Employers were required by law to issue it no later then  Jan 31, 2020.

You can contact the IRS or your state department if labor to assist in getting the W-2.

In any event, the CASDI  probably does not matter at all unless you have enough deduction to itemize - most tax payers cannot itemize unless they have large mortgage interest and property tax payments to exceed the standard deduction.   If you do not itemize and deduct the state tax then  ignore CASDI.

[Skyxliner]

The previous employer I am missing the W-2 has been acquired by another company in 2019. They had reported to IRS and State Franchise Tax Board but I am the only EE missing a W-2 (other EE's received). I assume might have been lost in mail or never mailed out. Also unfortunately, don't have historical pay stubs.

Already notified IRS and State Franchise Tax Board who provided all numbers except the CA SDI which they do keep records of. They also cannot issue a W-2 as the only information is in the format of a transcript.

I am most concern with excess CASDI withheld and would want to claim a refund back from the state. I do itemized my deductions. From what everyone's saying, as long as I can reasonably estimate and provide support for my calculations, should be sufficient. I just didn't know which "wages" amount to best use for my calculations.

[macuser_22]

If you claim a refund for an excess, then you must be able to prove with documentation that an excess was in fact, withheld.  You can calculate all you want, but how are you going to prove that your calculated amount was the amount actually withheld?    You cannot guess that the employer did it correctly or withheld an excess, you must have some kind of employer provided documentation that they did.   Without either a W-2 or pay stubs you would have a difficult time proving that the employer withheld *any* CASDI at all.

[macuser_22]

You can get an exact copy of the W-2 from the Social Security Administration for $81 per copy.
https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02501

[Skyxliner]

Thanks, i'm going to call SS on Monday to make sure their copy has the state CASDI information I need so I am not wasting $81 dollars. Has anyone on here requested a copy of the W-2 from the SS office? Is it the exact full copy I typically I get from my employer including state tax information?

I guess I was originally okay with estimating because I made efforts to call CA Franchise Tax Board and CA EDD, and the CA EDD Tax Advocate, and they advised me to estimate the CA SDI from wages from pay stub. Additionally, on my tax return, I was very transparent that I was missing a W-2 (filing substitute W-2 form) and also clarifying how I got to my estimate. All I know is CA Franchise Tax Board and CA EDD told me they don't know how much my employer paid and couldn't give me that information.