w2 questions/ withholdings reported what should I do?

Question

Ok my former boss reported that I paid $319.00, towards my federal tax. I grossed $11,421.89 I claim 2. I know that this # is wrong. I actually paid more then the $319.00 but have no proof,see we did not recieve paystubs. He paid us with a company account check which, when it clears goes to his bank.
My son also worked there and he claimed 0. I also know that he paid more then what exboss reported. Exboss reported that my son paid $191.24 towards his federal. My son grossed $2,626.00 for the year with 0 decutions the amount of $191.24 is wrong it should of been higher, he paid more into it. The fica and medicare is correct but I know both of us paid more into federal!! What can we do? We should be getting more back and former boss underreported!!
We live in florida and paystubs are not required. The only way to prove what we paid is to see the cancelled checks that go back to the boss,and how would we get them? any help would be greatly appericate

Answer 1

File for an extension if necessary. There is a legal cause of action if you need to sue, but that should not be necessary. However, if your boss will not cooperate, get ready to file for an extension on April 15th. I recommend a demand letter from an atty for the check stubs. My philosophy (I'm an atty) is you don't get anything if you don't ask for it. It should only cost $50-75 for a very good quality demand letter. If your boss refuses to comply, you can file a simple lawsuit with or without an atty and get the checkstubs through the discovery process. If you use an atty, you can recover your atty fees. You don't even have to go to Court on the lawsuit. You can get the check stubs, calculate your taxes and dismiss the lawsuit if you wish. This is a pain in the rear for you and your son, but it's not difficult to fix.

Answer 2

Should be quite easy. Every one uses the same formula to deduct taxes.

Now what you have to do is figure out the hours you worked, then take the ssn and medicare out and see what you get.

Now if any problems, Florida should have an Unemployment office of some sort to help you out. Tell them your problem and that if you can get a copy of the cancelled checks paid to you, so you can figure out the income tax.

Hopefully this year, like I tell my buddies. Don't play stupid. You want to work and you need to keep track of your money and then you wait till the last minute. Xerox the check, figure out what you made minus the fica and medicare and see what you made.

It won't be the first time a boss has tried this.

Answer 3

That sounds about right if you claim 2 exemptions on your W4. With a gross income of $11K, and two exemptions, your taxable income would be almost nothing...so actually, I'm surpirsed they took out as much as $319.

And yes, you would have had more than that withheld from your paychecks - but some of it was for social security tax, and medicare tax, and possible state and local tax, depending on where you live. Federal withholding is just one KIND of tax withheld from your paycheck.

And I'm not sure how seeing the cancelled checks would help. It would just show what you took home - the check itself would not show how the different withholding taxes were broken down.

But you can look up on the withholding chart - for your gross pay, and number of exemptions claims, and double-check that it's in the ballpark of what your W-2 says.

Oh - and your son's pay - he grossed $2626?...even with zero decuctions...depending on the size of his paychecks - the withholding tables are based on a estimate of your total income for the year based on the amount and frequency of the payments. If the table estimates his gross at less than $5K...I'm suprised it scheduled ANY federal withholding - as he won't actually owe any federal tax.