CAN I PREPARE MY TAX RETURN USING MY PAY STUB?
Please do not try to use your pay stub to prepare your tax return. It will not match the W-2 that you will get from your employer in just a few short weeks. Your employer has until the end of January to give you your W-2. By waiting for your W-2 you will be able to file accurately. If you try to guess what goes in the W-2 “boxes” and mess up your return, you will need to amend. It takes about 4 to 6 months to amend a tax return. The IRS will not be accepting 2024 returns until late January — so you can wait for your W-2. If you are hoping to get a quick tax refund by filing early, using your pay stub might have the opposite result. Your tax return will not match the W-2 reported to the IRS by your employer; this may result in rejection of your return — or if accepted, could actually delay your refund for months. And, if you are hoping to get EIC or the child tax credit, your refund will not be released until late February anyhow due to the PATH act. It is much wiser to wait for your W-2 and file correctly.
And….remember….ALL of your 2024 W-2’s go on the SAME tax return.
Users who rush to file early often end up under review or file with mistakes that require them to amend later. If you file before the IRS is accepting returns, your return just sits on a server, where you will be powerless to fix any mistakes you discover after you file. No changes can be made when your return is pending on a server. And….every year…..Every. Year. …..we get users who want to know how to fix their incorrect e-filed returns that are sitting on the server.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
