Tax preparer did taxes utilizing last paystub; however W2 has my total wages as several hundred less. Amend?

After contacting my payroll dept., who informed me earlier last month that I could file with the last paystub since it "would all have the same wage information", I decided to go ahead and let the current tax preparation service just use my paystub info to file. I recently received the W2, which has my total wages as 28,884 as opposed to my final paycheck of 29,684. I'm aware it would have been in better interest to just wait for the W2, but should I have them send an amended return now? I did receive a refund check a couple days back, so they didn't exactly put it up for review or anything or contact me regarding it. But more than likely I will go ahead and amend, seeing as how it's less I may actually obtain a larger refund. I checked back today with the people that did it, and after amending, turns out the refund I got was actually less than what I could have gotten as they didn't report the additional bonus I received at year's end, but it was on my paystub. So all I was really doing was just shooting myself in the foot.

Public Comments

1. You'll have to amend your return. But there's another issue here. A tax preparer is not legally allowed to file from just a paystub without the W-2. So they should do the amendment for you without charging you, since they filed illegally unless they haven't really filed it yet, just prepared it - that's possible, ask them. If they haven't filed it yet, they can just make the change, then file it. And yet one more issue - quit taking tax advice from your payroll department.
2. They should amend the return at no cost to you. It is illegal to have filed the return without the W-2 before Feb 15th.
3. Have you already received your refund? If so then you can file the amended now.
4. Wow, your tax preparer should not have done that. A tax return cannot be prepared using a payroll stub, unless a substitute W-2 is prepared and that cannot be done until mid-February. Shame on your tax service - they also should have asked about pre-tax deductions -- probably 401K or pre-tax insurance. You will have to amend -- wait until you get your refunds though. Your tax preparer should do it for free since they goofed up.
5. The tax preparer filed your return illegally by doing it without your W-2. Now you MUST file an amended return. Since the preparer screwed up (royally!) he should correct this at no cost to you. If he balks at this, tell him that you'll be filing a complaint with the IRS about his illegal practices. That should wake him up quickly. If it was at one of the tax prep mills, speak to the manager or owner first as this clown needs to be brought to task on the rules. And given his level of incompetency, I would not want him doing the amended return either! Oh yeah, and no more tax advice from the trolls in Payroll! Whoever told you that is a Grade One Tax Idiot.