If you did not receive your Form W-2, contact your employer to see if/when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it could have been sent back to your employer because of a wrong or old address. After contacting your employer, allow a decent amount of time for your employer to resend or to issue the W-2.
If you still do not receive your W-2 by February 15th, contact the IRS for assistance at 1-800-829-1040. When you call, have the following information:
- Employer's name, address, city, and state, including zip code
- Your name, address, city and state, including zip code, and Social Security number, and
- An estimation of the wages you earned, the federal tax withheld, and the timeframe you worked for that employer. The estimate should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave-and-earnings statement, if possible.
Misplaced your W-2?
If you misplaced your W-2, contact your employer. Your employer can replace the lost form with a “reissued statement.” Be aware that your employer is allowed to charge you a fee for providing you with a new W-2.
You still must file your tax return on time even if you do not receive your Form W-2. If you do not receive the missing information in time to file, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to the return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. There may be a delay in any refund while the information is verified by the IRS.
Where to enter Form 4852?
To enter Form 4852 within the program go to:
- Federal Section
- Income (Select My Forms)
- W-2 - Wages and tax statement
- Add/Edit your W-2
Make sure to check the box at the top of the screen that states that you are using a Substitute W-2. This form will then be created within the PDF of your returns.
What if I receive my W-2 or a W-2C after I have filed?
On occasion you may receive conflicting documents. You may receive a Form W-2 or W-2C (corrected form) after you filed your return using Form 4852, and the information differs from what you reported on your return. If this happens, you will have to amend your federal return by filing a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. You can learn more on amending your federal/state return, here.
Form 4852, Form 1040X, and instructions are available on the IRS website, IRS.gov or by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).