I messed up my taxes and I’m married to someone who didn’t help… how do I fix this?

Unsolved
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Edit: Meant W2s, not W4s

So, I got married, and my husband was supposed to handle our taxes. It’s been two or three years, and he never actually filed them. He kept saying he would, but it didn’t happen. I gave him all my paperwork, and now I have no idea where it is. I recently quit my job because my boss made fun of my disability. I left on really bad terms. Also, the business manager wasn’t great at their job, so I doubt I’ll be able to get copies of my old W2s. I’m completely stuck and panicking. If someone can’t get their W2s or pay stubs, is there another way to get what’s needed to file taxes?

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You can get what you need to file federal taxes without contacting your employer. What state are you in? State info is harder to get. For federal, request your wage transcripts here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.

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@Kai
Minnesota.

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You and your husband can create accounts on IRS.gov to request Wage and Income transcripts for the years you missed. Here’s the link: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.

A few things to know:

  • The IRS masks a lot of entity info (business names, addresses, etc.) for security, so you’ll only see partial details. If you need unmasked transcripts, you’ll have to call IRS customer service to request them by mail.

  • The transcripts won’t have state tax info, so you’ll need to contact your state tax agency for that.

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@Delaney
Thanks. I don’t have state info either. Lesson learned—never work for a church.

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You can also reach out to the Social Security Administration. They’ll have your W2s, which include federal and state tax info.

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Jin said:
You can also reach out to the Social Security Administration. They’ll have your W2s, which include federal and state tax info.

That’s helpful. I need to call them anyway. From now on, I’m filing as married but separately.

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@Skylar
Here’s a good article on the pros and cons of filing separately: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/file-taxes-jointly-separately-return.

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Make an account on IRS.gov and pull your transcripts. Your husband can do the same, and then you can file your returns. It’s better to take care of it than to keep stressing. You have time since e-filing doesn’t open until late January.

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@Soren
Thanks. I’ve always been on top of my taxes, so I wasn’t sure what to do if I messed up.

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You’re looking for W2s, not W4s.

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Reese said:
You’re looking for W2s, not W4s.

Whoops. I meant W2s, but I guess my fingers had other plans lol.

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Why don’t you just file your taxes separately?

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Bailey said:
Why don’t you just file your taxes separately?

I plan to now. I had no reason to doubt him when he said he’d handle it.

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Your boss can’t legally treat you poorly because of your disability. I recommend making an account with the SSA and reaching out to the IRS. Depending on your situation, there might also be state-level programs that can help.

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@Vail
It was a church, so they’re exempt from the ADA. He even made up a Facebook post he claimed I wrote, but he wouldn’t show me proof. I almost believed him until my therapist suggested he was lying. It was a part-time job to help with my mental health, but it made things worse. I’m familiar with getting disability statements, at least.

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@Skylar
Churches still have some legal obligations under ADA.

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Vail said:
@Skylar
Churches still have some legal obligations under ADA.

From what I’ve read, they don’t. I could try reporting him to his superiors, but no one takes mentally ill people seriously. He’d just call me bitter and crazy. HR wouldn’t even give me a copy of the supposed post he claimed I made.

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You should leave the country and not come back. Uncle Sam doesn’t play when it comes to taxes.

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Joss said:
You should leave the country and not come back. Uncle Sam doesn’t play when it comes to taxes.

This is terrible advice. The tax situation isn’t that bad and can be fixed.