How to Get a Missing W-2 Form

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By Analana -
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Missing W2 form

Your W-2 form, or wage and tax statement, has information that is vital for your tax preparation. Employers are required to mail W-2 forms to all employees by Jan 31st each year. Sometimes, however, the form gets lost in the mail, is sent to the wrong address or the employer does not mail it. If you don’t receive your W-2 form, there are some steps that you can take to get this important document.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

The first step is to contact the HR department or Payroll office of your employer. They should be more than happy to send you another copy of your W-2 form. Make sure that your employer has your correct address. If they haven’t mailed it, you may be able to pick it up in person. Some companies may also allow you to access it online. Your company may charge you fee to send you another copy of your W-2 form.
Step 2

If, for some reason, your employer refuses to send you your W-2 form, you can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Have a recent pay stub handy so that you can answer their questions. The IRS will send a notice to your employer letting them know you didn't receive your form and send you a form 4852. If your employer still does not send you a W-2 form, you can fill out form 4852 and use that in place of the W-2.
Step 3

If your employer has gone out of business, call the IRS. Make sure you have the employer’s name, last known address, employer ID number and your own employee information. Most of this can be found on a previous pay stub. The IRS will attempt to contact your previous employer and mail you a Form 4852. Use the information on your pay stub to fill out this form and submit it in place of your W-2 form when you file your taxes. You will need a separate form for each missing W-2 form. Your refund may be delayed while the IRS verifies the information you provided on Form 4852.

Comments

eliptica said

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on 2/26/2009 Thanks for the excellent information. I will be having to do this soon. Lol. It was nice to see you on the front page!

Willowsidhe said

on 2/26/2009 Thanks! This was very helpful, as my husband is having a hard time getting one of his W2's. 5*

katearquette said

on 2/26/2009 Very informative article! I had problems with getting a W2, and this helped me out, thanks 5* and a recommend!

lainabell said

on 2/26/2009 Thats some good info. But actually the IRS will not make your employer send another W2. The law only requires that they send one W2 to your last known address. If you don't receive it for any reason the law allows them to charge a fee to give you another copy. They are required to keep a copy for at least 5 years. And yes, its the same for 1099s except you don't need Form 4852 because with 1099s you don't submit a copy when you file your taxes.