How to Demand an Overdue W-2

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

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The deadline for sending W-2 forms for employers is January 31st of each year. Remember your boss can mail the form, which can take a week or two. If it's mid-February and you still haven't received the form, start inquiring about your overdue W-2.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Ask your boss or human resource department when the W-2 was mailed. Remain professional when making your request.

Step2

Call the company payroll office to make sure they have your current address on file. Be proactive and contact them in December to double check, especially if you had a change of address during the year in question.

Step3

Keep it light and friendly. If you're told it was mailed weeks ago, let the appropriate department know you haven't received it. Inquire about the procedure to obtain a replacement W-2.

Step4

Check online if you work for a large company. Some companies do make W-2s available online for employees. The U.S. Military also provides online W-2 forms.

Step5

Contact your local or state taxpayer advocate service, and ask them for help contacting your employer about the W-2 form. You can find local contacts at the IRS website.

Step6

Have your employer's name, address and phone number ready, and contact the IRS directly. The IRS can contact the employer for you if you haven't received your W-2 anytime after February 15.

Step7

Go to the IRS website to find a form you can use to recreate your W-2, and file that with your taxes instead. The IRS accepts Form 4852 as a last resort. Use your last check stub for December to recreate income information.

Tips & Warnings

Try direct contact with your employer or payroll department before contacting the IRS. An employer won't be extremely happy to get a call from the IRS if he hasn't already been informed of the problem by you.
Threatening to call the IRS is always an option you can use if you're W-2 is not received and it's April 1st.
While it would be nice to have your W-2s before the end of January, it's not always easy for employers. They technically have until February 15 to get them in your mail box.