Employer paid me incorrectly before I was authorized to work, reversed it after year-end, W-2C shows $0 — how do I recover taxes I paid out of pocket?

Hoping someone can help me untangle this situation. I’m on a US work visa and started legally at my employer on January 1, 2026.

Here’s the timeline:

– Oct 25, 2025 — Employer accidentally paid me before I was legally authorized to work

– Jan 1, 2026 — Officially started work

– Jan 30, 2026 — Received a W-2 that incorrectly included the Oct wages

– Feb 20, 2026 — Did a payroll reversal and had to pay back the gross amount (which included ~$1000 in taxes that were withheld)

– March 1, 2026 — Received a W-2C showing $0 wages and $0 taxes withheld

My problem: I paid back the full gross amount, but I only ever received a fraction of it as a direct deposit (the net after tax). So I personally funded $1000 in taxes out of pocket to complete the reversal.

My questions:

1.  Is there a way to recover this $1000 so I’m not out of pocket?

Any help appreciated!