What To Do If You’re Missing a W-2

Employers are required to give you your W-2 by January 31st. Here’s what to do if you don’t have it.

You should follow the four steps below if you’ve not received your W-2 from your employer.

1. Reach out to your employer.
Ask your employer the date as to when the W-2 was mailed. There is a chance it was returned to them. Most large companies are pretty good at complying with these so it’s likely there was an error. Even small business usually use some sort of payroll system that handles the sending of these. If it’s been mailed and enough time has gone by for you to have received it, ask your employer to resend your W-2.
2. Let the IRS Know.
If you don’t have your W-2 by February 14th, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. You’ll have to provide your name, address, city, state, zip code, Social Security number, phone number and also be prepared with the following info: Employer’s name, address, city, state, zip code and phone number. You’ll also need to have dates you were employed by them. Lastly, you’ll have to give an estimate of the wages you earned, how much federal income tax was withheld. You may be able to get a lot of this information from a most recent pay stub.
3. File your return.
You’ll still need to file a return prior to April 15th even without a W-2. Not having a W-2 is not a reason to not file.
4. File an amendment.
Once you’ve filed your taxes based on your estimated W-2 and then you receive your actual W-2 from your employer, you’ll need to file a 1040X if any info is different than what you estimated.

You can find intructions for Form 4852 and Form 1040X online at http://www.irs.gov or you can call 1-800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).