How to Obtain Old W-2s From Employers
The Internal Revenue Service requires that employers retain employment records for four years. Employment records include any state and federal payroll tax information and W-2 forms. If you wish to obtain old W-2 forms from any year within the last four, you may contact the employer to receive a copy. If your employer did not retain his records for the required period of time, you may contact the IRS for a wage and income transcript. The IRS retains your W-2 information for at least six years from the date of issuance.
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Instructions
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Verify the contact information for the employer. If you do not recall the phone number for the company, conduct an Internet search through a search engine or look for the company’s file on the Better Business Bureau website (bbb.org). The BBB lists contact information for any company that has a BBB file.
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Call the employer and request a copy of the W-2 from the year you need. Some employers keep old documents in storage, so you may have to allow the employer time to search for your W-2 before you’ll know if a copy is available. If this is the case, ask the employer when you can call back to check on the status of your request.
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Discuss a delivery method. If you wish to have the employer send a copy of your old W-2 to you, give the employer your current address. If you need the document more quickly, request to pick up the W-2 from the employer’s location when it is available.
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