What if I’m not W-2? What if I’m 1099? Will I still receive a refund check?

If you’re a 1099 contractor or self-employed, it’s important to understand that not everyone receives a physical refund check through the 12-411 process — and that’s perfectly normal.

Refunds are only issued when taxes have been prepaid during the year, typically through withholdings (as with most W-2 employees) or estimated tax payments. If you haven’t prepaid taxes — as is common for many 1099 earners — then the IRS has nothing to return to you

So while you may not get the dopamine rush of a check in the mailbox, the benefit is still substantial:

You simply won’t owe the IRS anything.

Instead of having to write a check to the IRS for $10,000, $20,000, or more at tax time — which is what they’re expecting from you — the 12-411 process eliminates that obligation entirely. Your “refund” comes in the form of keeping your money in the first place.

Whether your income is W-2 or 1099, everyone benefits from this process — just in different ways:

• W-2 withholdings = refund check in the mail

• 1099 with no withholdings = no IRS payment required

So yes, everyone saves money, and everyone wins — whether the benefit shows up as a direct deposit or simply as the IRS never getting their hands on your income in the first place.