Missing IRS Form W-2? Get a Replacement W-2 or Use Form 4852

Feb 25, 2011
Lena Gott

Learn How to Get IRS Tax Form W-2 from an Employer - Cohdra

It's tax time, and you need your W-2, but where is it? Learn what to do in case of a missing IRS Form W-2 so you can file federal income taxes on time.

When tax time rolls around, many Americans anxiously await their W-2s only to find out that they never arrive. This poses a problem because this is often the taxpayer's only documentation of prior year taxable income and taxes paid.

Missing Form W-2? How to Get W-2 Information for Tax Filing

Under federal law, an employer must send out Forms W-2 by February 1 each year. If you still haven’t received IRS Form W-2 by February, you should contact the responsible person or department at your place of employment. According to IRS Tax Tip 2011-28, W-2 forms are often not received because the employer doesn’t have the employee’s correct mailing address. So you want to be sure to rule this out as a possibility before taking any further action.

If you contact your employer and are still not able to obtain a W-2 by mid-February, you have other remedies. First of all, you can contact the IRS. Have a year-end pay stub handy so you can report your estimated annual wages and federal income tax withholding information to the IRS. You will also be asked to provide employment dates and personal identifying information.

Hoping to File a Federal Income Tax Return Soon? What to do if You Need a W-2 Form

Once you have contacted the IRS with the information above, file a federal income tax return or timely extension as usual and attach a Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, if necessary.

If, after filing your return, you receive the actual W-2 in the mail, file an amended tax return (Form 1040X) if the amounts you originally estimated differ from the amounts reported on the W-2.

Missing a W-2? Review the IRS Tax Tips Article or Official IRS YouTube Video

If you contact the IRS regarding a missing W-2, the IRS will send a letter to your employer. No employer wants the IRS on its tail regarding a missing W-2, so odds are your quest will end once your employer finds out you didn't receive it. The company should be able to issue a replacement W-2 (in case of a lost form) or an original one (in case it was somehow not issued in the first place).

For more information on missing W-2s, review the instructions for Form 1040 for the tax year in question. The IRS contact phone number and resources mentioned in this article are available in IRS Tax Tip 2011-28.

If you’d rather view an official IRS video on the subject, you can watch the Tax Tips: W-2 Missing? video on YouTube. In approximately a minute and a half, you can review everything discussed in this article.