How to Get Copies of Old W2 Forms
If you are going through a tax audit or need to compile past years' tax information for a loan, you likely have to produce copies of old W2 forms. W2 forms are the tax documents employers send out at the end of the calendar year that indicate how much money an employee earned and how much the employer paid in taxes for the employee during that calendar year.
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Instructions
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Ask the accountant or tax preparer for the years you need copies of your old W2s to send you these documents. Usually tax preparation firms hold onto W2s as part of the records they keep for you, and they can quickly make copies and send them to you.
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Visit your local IRS office and ask them for copies of your past W2s. You will have to show identification to prove who you are for security purposes, and sometimes this process takes a few days, if not longer. But your local IRS office can produce W2s that you supplied them in previous years. You may have to fill out a Form 4506-T (see Resources).
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Telephone the accounting office of the companies you worked at during the time from which you need your W2s. Your previous employers should be able to produce duplicate copies of these forms for you, as long as they have kept them around that long.
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Tips & Warnings
It is advised that you keep your tax records for at least 3 years. If you have done this, you may just have copies of old W2 forms at your disposal.
