Question

Can I take a photo of my last pay check?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
January 10, 2021
2 replies
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TurboTax Free Edition Online

Employee

NO. Only a W-2 that you receive from your employer can be entered on a tax return. The IRS and your state do not received paychecks or paystubs, the receive W-2's.

Employers have until 02/01/2021 to provide a W-2.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for entering a W-2 - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/entering-importing/help/how-do-i-import-or-enter-my-w-2/01/26253

See this TurboTax support FAQ for taking a picture of a W-2 - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/entering-importing/help/how-do-i-take-a-picture-of-my-w-2-in-turbotax-online/01/26732

The IRS is not accepting any type of 2020 tax return until late January 2021 so there is no need whatsoever to rush to file.

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xmasbaby0

Employee

You have time to wait for your W-2. E-filing right now will get you nowhere. The IRS will not be accepting 2020 returns until the end of January.

Please be careful about being in too much of a hurry to file your next tax return. Many tax forms are not available at the very beginning of the tax season, so you have to wait for your forms. The software still needs updates at the beginning of the tax season.

The IRS will not begin to accept the e-files until almost the end of January. So even if you e-file before that, your return just sits on the server. If you realize that you made a mistake or left something out—as many people do—you cannot change it.

Every year we see people who are in such a rush to file that they file incorrectly and incompletely. If you file too early and leave out a W-2 or a 1099, or forget to enter information, you will end up having to amend your tax return---and that takes months. Employers have until February1. 2021 to issue W-2's----and ALL of your 2020 W-2's have to be on the same tax return. Many of the 1099's and 1098's you need do not arrive until late January or sometime in February. If you are getting Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is going to hold your refund until the end of February no matter how early you file. There seems to be a greater chance of "early" returns being reviewed and those refunds are delayed, or early returns are more often subject to identity verification--which will also delay processing. Filing too early may just be a recipe for a delayed refund. It might go more smoothly for you if you wait until at least mid-February to file instead of e-filing during the first minute that you can do it.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-will-the-stimulus-package-impact-me/00/1393859

We know that the IRS is already revising the 2020 Form 1040 because of the 2nd stimulus changes to the tax laws. That means all tax preparation software programs will also have to be re-programmed and updated. Those changes could take until sometime in late January or even longer—we do not know yet. Do NOT be in a hurry to file your 2020 tax return until more is known. It is never a good idea to file too early; filing your 2020 return too soon may result in a lot of extra confusion that can be avoided if you wait and file a little later.

**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.**

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NCPERSON1

yes, you can take a photo of your last paycheck, but NO NO NO, you can not use it to complete you Tax Return.

YOU MUST WAIT FOR YOUR EMPLOYER TO GIVE IT TO YOU.

@xmasbaby0 - ah, where are the good old days of paper submissions where you had to attach your W-2 or your return was rejected???????