Truncated SS# will cause issues.

[Pacun]

Sorry, you will have to read a lot before I get to my point.

Let's say... when my back was wet, I went to look for a job and my employer ask me to write down my social security number and I wrote down 213-65-3234. I started working and I got a W-2 with SS# that I invented on the spot. If the year was 2016 or before no problem. I went to a tax preparer and he was able to apply for an ITIN and he is able to efile subsequent years by entering that SS# listed on my W-2 on the W-2 form of ATX and my ITIN on 1040.

Year 2017 comes and now my W-2 comes with social security ***-**-3234. I don't feel comfortable to call my employer and ask "can you tell me my social security number"?

In my case, I will have the old W-2 and no problem.

If I start working in 2017 and I invented that number, then when I am ready to prepare my taxes, I will not know the whole number. That will cause some issues to the IRS person who will assign an ITIN and to my preparer when he tries to efile on subsequent years.

How about when I am a US citizen and my social is 577-32-2333 and my employer makes a mistake and my W-2 is under 571-23-2333 but I cannot detect that issue because my W-2 reads ***-**-2333.

Just a thought.

 

[Catherine]

26 minutes ago, Pacun said:

my employer makes a mistake

Happened to a client of mine; employer had one digit wrong and the employee only caught it at year-end in the W-2; AND it was in the first three digits.  He would never have seen it if the full ssn had not been there.