This shouldn't really pose a
problem; or at least not one that will prevent you from filing your tax
return. Please allow me to explain that statement.
The only truly meaningful
elements on a W-2 for income tax filing purposes are your employer's
federal EIN (Employer's ID number), your own Social Security Number (SSN),
and your actual wage data.
However, with respect to the state
number ID issue, it won't really matter what you input in Box 15 Employer ID,
as long as the software will accept it (explained below). Simply try
leaving the space entirely blank at first. If there is any issue with Box
15 that prevents e-filing your return with a blank Box 15, and it absolutely
requires some value in the software, then either try using your Federal EIN
here, or enter a clearly "fictitious" value such as 12345 67890 (with
a space in the middle, or not).
If the TurboTax program asks you for
a state ID number in a specific format, such as needing exactly 9-digits and
ending in XYZ, for instance, then just enter a value that conforms to
that format . . . such as 123456XYZ. This will enable you to bypass the
issue and file your return. In other words, try to be a little creative
here, and just give the software some value (even a made-up one) that it will
accept.
In fact, the IRS computers and
your state department of revenue really won't care, as they're really just
looking for the federal EIN, SSN, and relevant wage data. The State
ID is simply a bureaucratic convention for the state; a state can and
will still be able to easily and uniquely identify your employer by their
federal EIN, even if they have to cross-reference the Federal / State ID
numbers in their database. And in Texas there is no personal income tax system at all, so the State ID number really has no meaning; thus you don't need to concern yourself with locating a valid one.
In other words, this single issue should not
affect the processing of your tax return, as long as you can satisfy the
software with some acceptable input (or none at all). The revenue authorities should still
be able to understand and process your tax return, without an accurate state employer ID number.
Thank you for asking this question.
