How to Get W-2s Without Dates of Employment
The IRS recommends that employees keep a record of their W-2s, which prove their income and deductions for the year. If you earned wages and had taxes withheld from your paychecks, your employer is supposed to give you a W-2 form by January 31. If you are missing W-2s, obtain free transcripts from the IRS by submitting Form 4506-T. However, you must have your employment year to do this. If you do not know the dates or year of employment, you can still obtain your W-2s.
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Instructions
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Contact your employers and request copies of your W-2s. Your employer must keep W-2s on file for at least four years; many employers keep them for a longer time.
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Call the IRS and request transcripts of your W-2s. The IRS has a record of all W-2s that each of your employer files for you. Knowing your dates of employment can speed up the request process. However, provided you give the representative sufficient identifying information, such as your name, Social Security number, address and your employer name, you do not have to know your employment dates to obtain W-2 transcripts.
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Contact your tax preparer for copies of your W-2s, if applicable.
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Tips & Warnings
Allow the IRS up to one or two weeks to send you W-2 transcripts.
Depending on your state, you can request W-2 copies from your state revenue agency.
If you need actual photocopies of your W-2s, fill out Form 4506 and send it to the IRS. You must include the employment year. At the time of publication, the agency charges $57 for each requested year. Processing can take up to 60 days.
