Tax Refund Schedule - and Filing with Paycheck Stub without W-2
UPDATED FOR 2018 Tax Year (January 2019) - Every Year, Most Folks really don't like this answer but it is the truth!!!
Certainly, you can start entering all the various personal data that you have, and if you want to try to guess what your Form W-2 will look like and also any Forms1099 that you might receive, such as Interest Income, feel free to do so for ESTIMATION purposes only.
However, read this post to learn why others have found it to be a very serious mistake to go ahead and submit your filing before you have gotten all your W-2s and 1099s.
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IRS PROCESSING DATES - starts (as of now) on January 28, 2019
AND REFUND DATES - Unclear - IRS has forced some 40,000 employees back to work without pay,
so possibly refunds will start in early February, as originally planned
January 11, 2019 - UPDATE
IRS PROCESSING STARTS 1/28/2019 JANUARY 28, 2019
SUBMITTALS TO TURBOTAX SIT 'pending" AT TURBOTAX AND ARE SUBMITTED WHEN IRS STARTS.
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JANUARY 11, 2019 UPDATE: Federal Adminstration says it can make IRS workers process refunds even while not paying workers.
- MAYBE OUTDATED IF CONGRESS OR COURTS ALLOW IRS TO WORK WITHOUT PAY
OUTDATED 1/4/2019: REFUND SCHEDULE LIKELY DELAYED BY GOVERNMENT SHUDOWN!!
JANUARY 4, 2019 UPDATE: Major news services have all reported that the IRS, with only 12% of its workforce currently being able to work (without pay), will be able to receive tax filings as of the original late January, 2019, date, BUT no refunds can be processed nor a schedule of refunds be available until the Federal Goverment shutdown ends and IRS employees are allowed back to work on the task of processing the refunds to be sent out.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/millions-could-face-severe-cuts-to-food-stamps-due-to-government-shutdo...
https://www.businessinsider.com/irs-tax-refund-delay-partial-government-shutdown-2019-1?utm_source=f...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-delay-irs-tax-filing-and-refund-brings-chaos-just-b...
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/04/what-the-federal-shutdown-could-mean-for-tax-season.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/business/treasury-irs-shutdown-refund/index.html
What will this mean? Rushing to file is guaranteed to not speed your refund and if you jump the gun without your W-2, has a great chance of delaying because your data will be wrong and you will have to file a paper Amended 1040X which the shutdown IRS will not even touch for months.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ALREADY JUMPED THE GUN IN JANUARY, 2019, AND ARE FACING A VERY BIG DELAY, PROBABLY GETTING A NASTY LETTER FROM THE IRS AND HAVING TO FILE 1040X
Don't be like these people who now got themselves a big headache:
2019 UPDATE OF "How do I fix this because I did not use my W-2 when it finally arrived?"
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4524508-how-do-i-redo-my-taxes-i-used-the-wrong-w2
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4518511-i-accidentally-put-in-my-2017-w-2-instead-of-my-2018-w-2-h...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4169486-can-i-change-my-return-if-i-already-submitted-it-and-you-r...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4518463-what-do-i-do-if-i-entered-incorrect-tax-amounts-and-submit...
NO! You cannot change your filing once you hit "submit" and file
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4169486-can-i-change-my-return-if-i-already-submitted-it-and-you-r...
## Look Folks, I'm a retired Jake - firefighter - and not an employee of Intuit. I've got no ax in this argument -
## just telling you the simple truth. Some folks will file based on copying information from their last
## paycheck and they won't get into trouble, others and in fact many more others will find that they
## created trouble for themselves and also delayed their refund. So do as you want, I'm just here to try to help.
##
## SHORT ANSWER: NO! Don't use your paycheck stub instead of waiting a little time for your W-2!
##
## WHY? Because you won't get your refund any faster and probably slower!
##
##. >>> DON'T AGREE? SCROLL DOWN TO LINKS BELOW TO READ WHAT FOLKS WHO FILED
##. EARLY LAST YEAR THEN HAD TO SAY WHEN THEY CRIED HELP!
##############################################################################################
DISAGREE? DON'T LIKE SHORT ANSWER? READ ON! Hey, Look I know a lot of us want that refund as fast as it is possible to get it - and for good reason. But using your paycheck stub instead of the Form W-2 can cause you to overpay taxes, or delay your refund, or be the opportunity to have correspondence from the IRS. So the answer to "Can I use my last paycheck stub instead of W-2?" is "Do so at your own risk and you will likely regret it for any one of several reasons!"
=========>>>>>> Don't believe me? Scroll down to near bottom and read how others last year really fouled up their own taxes and refunds!!!!! Check out the links of posts from last year! Use a paycheck stub and risk serious problems - getting an audit/inquiry letter from the IRS - having your refund delayed - and having to file an Amended Return Form 1040X (& this is really a "Delight!")
If you want to use your last pay stub simply for estimation - that's fine, but if you want to use it to actually file your taxes -then that is certainly your choice but before you do that - please read what follows (REALLY!). Yes, I know it is a long answer but it covers the questions of 1) Filing without a W-2;
2) Tax Refund Schedule and
3) Earned Income or Additional Child Credit - delays in refund
4) W-2 Importing will be available sooner that the printed form - probably by second week of January.
5) TurboTax Advertising "Accepting Returns" as opposed to actually being processed6) Forms 1099-INT DIV and B for Interest Earned, Dividends Received, and any investments
While many folks really do need that refund money as soon as possible, and I understand that totally, be patient unless you want to become an expert in learning how to file an amended return - the Dreaded Form 1040X!
READ==>>: To prove the point, you can scroll down to near bottom and read just a few of the requests for help posted earlier - examples of TurboTax users who filed without a W-2 for last year, and then had to ask for help in filing an Amended Form 1040X which is printed, mailed, and almost guaranteed to be audited:
It is certainly up to you to do what you want when it comes to the subject of going forward with your last pay stub in hand or waiting the several days to several weeks to get your real actual Form W-2 , and the electronic download and import of the W-2 may be available much earlier than the paper form and it avoids any possible error!
LURQUIDEZ
Please read what has been written on this.
Please also see that many folks are already complaining about having jumped the gun and now having to learn to do Amended Tax Returns 1040X and being further delayed on their corrected refund.
Lastly, you posted your question today, 11-JAN-11 when Forms W-2 are probably already being handed out or mailed out now and throughout this week.
go back and read what was written in response to the very same question you ask.
where do i find my employee identification number using my last check stub?
No! You can't enter your info from your paychecks or by using last year's W2 as a sample. It won't work. You have to wait for your employer to send you the W2. It is the tax summary of your wages for the year. They have to send it to you by Feb 1. You can't use your last paystub because there might be differences in the taxable amounts sent to the IRS. There are several items that are deducted pre-tax that will affect your taxable gross income. Usually your last paystub does NOT match your W2! And you can't file until you get the actual W2.
We urge you to WAIT!
You can use your last paycheck and enter it to get an estimate but be sure to come back and correct it when you get the W2.
LAST YEAR WE HAD PEOPLE POSTING THEY FILED USING THEIR LAST PAYCHECK AND IT WAS NOT RIGHT!! NOW THEY HAVE TO FILE AN AMENDED RETURN!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
DO YOUR EIN NUMBER REMAIN THE SAME FROM LAST YEAR TAX RETURN OR YOU HAVE TO WAIT TIL THE W2S COME IN
NO! You can't enter your info from your paychecks or by using last year's W2 as a sample. It won't work. You have to wait for your employer to send you the W2. It is the tax summary of your wages for the year. They have to send it to you by Feb 1. You can't use your last paystub because there might be differences in the taxable amounts sent to the IRS. There are several items that are deducted pre-tax that will affect your taxable gross income. Usually your last paystub does NOT match your W2! And you can't file until you get the actual W2.
We urge you to WAIT!
You can use your last paycheck and enter it to get an estimate but be sure to come back and correct it when you get the W2.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD PEOPLE POSTING THEY FILED USING THEIR LAST PAYCHECK AND IT WAS NOT RIGHT!! NOW THEY HAVE TO FILE AN AMENDED RETURN!
See this post…
https://ttlc.intuit.com/post/show_full/d8okoMiPur4iAhacfArtYW/how-do-i-send-an-ammendment?ppid=138276186