Missing, Lost or Never Received A W2? What You Can Do

As you prepare to file your taxes whether for the past or present you will need to have your W2 in order to accurately pay and file current or old taxes. The W2 is also called the “Wage and Tax Statement,” created by the IRS. Whatever year you are filing for, you need to make sure you have or received the W2 from your employer. For 2009 statements, Employers, by law, have until February 1st, 2010 which means you should be concerned if do not get it by mid February.

Here Are A Few Ways or Steps On How To Request Your W-2

1) Contact Your Employer

If you are looking for past W2s or W2s for 2008, you can contact your previous or current employer for your W2. Sometimes, if you change your address, it can get lost in the mail. If you need a W2 for an employer that is no longer in business, then you will need to read on. When requesting any W2 from an employer, make sure you ask how long they think it will take.

2) Contact the IRS Via Phone

If you cannot obtain your W-2 from your employer or previous employer, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. When you call the IRS make sure you have the following:

- Employers Name, Address, City, State, and Zip
- Your Social Security Number, City State, and Zip
- Estimation of wages earned, withheld, and how long you worked at that job

When trying to figure out your estimation, you can always look at your last pay stub or pay statement or even a mid-year statement to estimate.

3) Contact the IRS and Request W-2 Information Using Form 4506

Information you would get from a W-2 for the current year will not be available from the IRS until the year after the return has been filed. You can obtain the information you need from the IRS by filing out Form 4506 specifying your dates you want to get a computer print out with the info you need on it. Each year requested though is $57 dollars an be sure to send a check made out to the US Treasury for the total amount of if you want a transcript summary for free use Form 4506t

What To Do If You Need To File Now and Don't Have Your W-2?

Send Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Information Statement

When you submit Form 4852, make sure you submit your 1040 form because you still need to file your taxes even if you do not have your W-2. Just do the best job you can in estimating withholdings and earnings. If you expect a return, realize that it will take some time for the IRS to review the statement and verify the numbers are right. If you have multiple W-2's you will need a separate form for each.

The IRS may let you know of any discrepancies later once they review your estimation vs the actual data. However, if you realize discrepancies first (e.g. you received a W-2 after you completed this step) then you need use Form 1040X. This form is called Amending a US Individual Tax Return. It is best to work with a resolution firm as many taxpayers are susceptible to mistakes due to the complex code. We are a professional tax team with tax accountants who can help you with your situation if you face difficulties.

Here, you can read more details on Amending A Tax Return.

Everyone who earns income must file a tax return. It is not easy to file, estimate, or amend a tax return. If you need help, use the form below to take advantage of your no obligation consultation.

Tax Amount Owed: Select... $7,500 to $9,999 $10,000 to $14,999 $15,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $29,999 $30,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 $80,000 to $99,999 $100,000 + Federal or State: Select... Federal State Federal & State State: Select a state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming First Name: Last Name: Email: Zip Code: Primary Phone: ( ) - Secondary Phone: ( ) - Brief Description of Tax Problem:

Solutions and Related Pages

Filing Back Taxes
Understand the details of filing your tax return once you have found your W-2

Consequences of IRS Catching Non-Filers
Having unfiled returns is far worse than filing the returns and not paying. Will the IRS find you? What happens when they do.

IRS Phone Numbers List or Reference Guide
Find the right IRS phone number for your questions or problem

Find Out How Much IRS Taxes You Owe
Understand the different ways you can find out how much you owe the IRS.