Boss conceals half of employee’s $30K salary from IRS, leaving worker to deal with tax bills on hidden earnings: ‘All of my coworkers have noticed the exact same issues’

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Etai Eshet • Editor
Jan 24, 2025 4:00 PM EST

One of the undeniably awesomest parts of adult life is dealing with finances. There's a unique delight that comes from tracking expenses, saving receipts, and trying to remember if that coffee run counts as a business expense. But the best of these are taxes the bureaucratic nightmare that can, hands down, make us put our hands up and surrender. 

Most of us are really just trying our best to keep our financial ships floating. And that is hard enough as it is. But as we all know, life's always there with its fun little pranks that feel like you just got hit by a defensive tackle.

In today's story life sent our hard-working employee a special soul, one of those innovative employers who look at this already complex financial soup and think, "You know what this needs? A touch of scam and a dash of theft" 

The victim of this creative accounting is a construction worker who thought he was signing up to build houses, not participate in their boss's audacious attempt to reinvent math.

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  • "My boss is stealing money from me and now I owe the IRS thousands"

    "Am I responsible no matter what?"
    via AndreyPopov

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • When your boss starts treating the payroll system like a magic trick, it might be time to become your own trickster and perform a disappearing act dubbed “next career move.”

  • I am a construction worker and have been working for a contractor as his employee for over a year now. After a full year I'm ready for a fat tax return, but when I looked at my W-2 I had noticed it says I only made $17k this year, which was way off...
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • Since I started working for him, he always paid us through cash app. I thought it was strange and questioned it countless times but his answer was always that
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • Paychex won't let him set up a direct deposit, it was too expensive or some other reason. After seeing my W-2, I look at his profile on Cash App and it says |
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • have received $30k from him in the last year. Never once did I get a cash bonus from him, all my pay was through cash up which is showing $13k in unreported income on my end.
    via Possible-Hyena-5196

  • And remember, the only person who should be making your money disappear is you.

    Cheezburger Image 10458651392
    via AndreyPopov

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I log into my Paychex app on my phone and looked at the 2024 pay stubs. I noticed the numbers didn't seem right. I would work a lot of 40 hour weeks and he never let us make more than 40
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • hours because he "couldn't afford overtime pay". Rarely worked less than 25 hours a week. It seemed like all of my 40 hour weeks were missing. Asking for a day off
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  • would be like pulling his teeth, yet there are multiple 1-3 week gaps in the pay stubs. I am missing months of reported income, yet always had the 20% tax taken out of my pay on every
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • single payment from him, but that money didn't go to the tax man. They didn't even know I worked those weeks because there are no paystubs and he never paid me cash in hand...
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • Cheezburger Image 10458651648
    via AndreyPopov

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Where my money that got "taxed" went to? I have no idea, probably his pockets because he was always broke and blowing his money and he steals money from his clients by over buying
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • materials for his next job where he would do the same. He has lied to his clients countless times. He steals from Home Depot. So why wouldn't he steal from his employees?
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • Not to mention, he signed me up for a 401k against my will. I declined the 401k plan yet a noticed on the Paychex app that for months I had money being taken out of my pay for a 401k plan that I never signed up for in fact I declined the offer.
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • I need to know what I have to do to avoid paying tax on $13k in unreported income. Is he responsible as my employer? Am I responsible no matter what?
    via Possible-Hyena-5196
  • What kind of legal action can I take against his illegal actions? Is what happened even illegal? What should I do about all of this?
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  • Note: All of my coworkers have noticed the exact same issues as | mentioned
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  • Mark_Michigan Your best bet is to be one of the first people to sue him rather than the last. A lawyer is going to be expensive, but its the only way you will get bl d out of this rock.
    via Mark_Michigan
  • Skeggy- Hey bud. Also in construction and HR. His payroll, time keeping, and everything is just wild.
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  • Do exactly what the top comment says. Contact your state department of labor and consult a lawyer.
    via Skeggy-
  • tanhauser_gates_ You need to learn to advocate for yourself before this point. The fishy methods should have been red flags over the year. Now you are facing an uphill battle to remedy this.
    via tanhauser_gates_
  • He is in a world of sh when you do take this to a lawyer, but you are also probably going after someone that doesn't have the money anymore.
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  • Start looking for a new job. Lesson learned going forward.
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  • generickayak I'd definitely make screenshots of your cashap $ and any other proof and bring to the IRS. I'm not sure how to make an
    via generickayak
  • fraud and tax evasion. He's I you over too for unemployment, taxes, social security and stayed taxes if ypu have any.
    via generickayak
  • ShoresideManage... Ohhhh definitely ran wrong by that guy... In multiple ways. Multiple... I can't even explain. I'm speechless
    via ShoresideManage...

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management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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