{"id":3566,"date":"2018-12-07T15:02:14","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T23:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/?p=3566"},"modified":"2025-04-07T18:57:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T01:57:17","slug":"how-to-get-a-copy-of-your-w-2-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/tax-form-w2","title":{"rendered":"You and Your Form W2: What It Says, Why You Need It, and Where You Can Get Last Year&#8217;s W2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How To Use Form W2 for Federal and State Income Tax Returns | Tax Info from IRS.com\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sXD4xjdXOwc\" width=\"820\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>How do you do that Form W2 voodoo you do so well?<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most important documents for filing your federal income taxes is the Wage and Tax Statement Form, also known as Internal Revenue Service W2 Form.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s the bread and butter of most taxpayer&#8217;s federal returns. Because, like most taxpayers, you earn your living from an employer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what happens if you have employer issues?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What exactly does the Form W2 Wage and Tax Statement say about you and your employer?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What if you&#8217;re missing employment tax records for a few years and need proof of income for some reason?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Exactly Is a W2 Form?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tax form W2 is a document that employers are required to send to employees and the IRS. It contains your wage and salary information, as well as the taxes withheld from your paychecks for Social Security-related reasons. These<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/withholding-tax-basics\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">withholding taxes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (also known as \u2018payroll withholding\u2019) are sent directly to the IRS by your employer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They act like a credit towards the income taxes that you must pay for the year. The W2 form also reports Social Security tax, a.k.a. the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, to the Social Security Administration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-12150 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"IRS form w2\" width=\"625\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-leeloothefirst-8962478-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Who Must File a W2 Form?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers are required to file Form W-2 for each employee. They must report the wages that are paid to each employee from whom:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Income, Social Security, or Medicare Tax was withheld; OR<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Income that tax would have been withheld (if the employee had claimed no more than one withholding allowance, or had not claimed exemption from withholding on their Form W-4)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, every employer who is engaged in a business that pays remuneration for services performed by an employee (including non-cash payments) must file a Form W2 for each employee \u2014 even if the employee is related to the employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to note that employers do not fill out w-2 forms for self-employed workers or contractors. These workers work for themselves, so they are responsible for making their own<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/what-estimated-tax-and-who-does-it-apply\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">estimated tax payments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are an employer who used the services of an independent contractor, you are responsible for filling out<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f1099nec.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">form 1099-NEC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to report the compensation paid to that contractor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>When are W2 forms due?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>The W2 Form is the responsibility of the employer. You just get paper copies.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Providing you with an up-to-date Form W-2 is an employer obligation, usually something the payroll provider or the team in charge of financial records at your company would do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers are required to complete a W-2 Form for each of their employees, and they must deliver it to each employee by January 31st of the calendar year. W2 Forms will report all the wages and taxes of the employees of that business for the prior calendar year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers must then file the W-2 Forms along with<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/what-is-tax-form-w3\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">W-3 forms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for each employee with the Social Security Administration (SSA) by the last day of February (if filing by paper mail) or the last day of March (if filing electronically). The SSA uses the information on these forms to calculate the Social Security benefits to which each worker is entitled.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What does the W-2 form tell you?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The W-2 form includes important information that you need to file personal tax returns. It reports:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">total wages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">federal, state, and local taxes withheld<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tips<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contributions to retirement plans, like a 401(k)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contributions to a health savings account<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of this information is displayed in the numbered boxes on the W-2 form. The W-2 form example and bullet points below show how to read a W-2 form:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/w2-sample.jpg\" alt=\"W-2 Form\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also see a full W-2 form example by<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/fw2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">clicking here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boxes A-F cover employer and employee identification information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 1 shows the total taxable compensation that the employee was paid throughout the year. This includes wages, tips, bonuses, and life insurance benefits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 2 shows the income taxes withheld from the employee\u2019s paychecks throughout the year. As noted, these withholdings work as a credit towards an employee\u2019s<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/2022-federal-income-tax-brackets-rates-standard-deductions\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">income taxes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you are an employee, you will be able to determine how much is withheld from your paycheck by completing<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/irs-tax-form-w-4-0\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a W-4 form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for your employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 3-6: Box 3 and 5 show the amount of wages that are subject to the Social Security and Medicare taxes. These figures may be different from the total taxable compensation listed in Box 1. Box 4 and 6 show how much money was withheld for each tax.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 7-8: Box 7 shows the amount of tip money an employee has reported to an employer. Box 8 shows any additional tip income the employer has allocated to an employee that wasn\u2019t reported in box 7.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 9 has been grayed out, as the benefit no longer exists.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 10 reports the total amount of dependent care expenses\/services (e.g., daycare facilities) that were paid for or provided by the employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 11 any amount of deferred compensation from an employer\u2019s non-qualified plan or nongovernmental pension plan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 12 shows any other types of compensations or reductions to an employee\u2019s taxable income. This includes things like contributions to a 401(k). Each item will have a code composed of a letter followed by a number.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 13 contains three checkboxes. An employer will check these boxes if 1) an employee worked as a statutory employee not subject to federal income tax withholding, 2) the employee participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401(k), or 3) the employee received sick pay through a third party, like an insurance policy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 14 gives an employer space to include any other tax information that didn\u2019t fit into the other boxes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 15 is the employer\u2019s state ID number.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box 16-20 reports the employee\u2019s total taxable income at the state and local level, as well as the amount of taxes withheld for each level of government.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find a more detailed explanation of each box<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/tax-form-w2-instructions\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are an employer, you\u2019ll notice that the W-2 form example above contains 6 copies of the form. This is because the form needs to be sent to several different government offices and the employee. For a full explanation of the purpose of each copy,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/tax-form-w2-instructions\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">click here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why You Need IRS Form W2<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re an employee, you need your W2 in order to file an accurate income tax return (Form 1040) with the IRS. When preparing your annual return, you will use your W2 form to report your earnings and any<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/withholding-tax-basics\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">taxes withheld<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from that income. If you had more than one employer during the year, you will use multiple W2 forms to complete your taxes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers are required to provide W2s to their employees by the end of January every year. (For example, you should receive your 2022 W-2 by January 31, 2023.) You may be given your W2 in person at work, or you might receive it by mail \u2013 in which case you should be on the lookout around this time. Remember that it is important to retain copies of your tax returns and any supporting documents.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Replace a Missing or Lost W-2<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I lost my Form W-2 What are my Options?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z8RSFEV6H4Y\" width=\"820\" height=\"640\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, don\u2019t panic! Many people go through this each year. If you don\u2019t have your W-2 by mid-February, here\u2019s what you can do:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Contact Your Employer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first course of action should be to ask your employer directly for a copy of your W-2 form \u2013 the human resources or payroll department usually handles this type of paperwork. If they can mail it to you, make sure they have the correct mailing address.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Contact the IRS<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s frustrating, you still have some options even if you don\u2019t get your W-2 from your employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you get no response from your employer by February 14, you can call the IRS for support (1-800-829-1040). The IRS will reach out to your employer on your behalf, which may help motivate them to respond. You\u2019ll need to provide information to the IRS when you call, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your name, street address, city, state, ZIP code, Social Security Number (SSN), and phone number<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your employer\u2019s name, address, and phone number<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dates you were employed<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An estimate of your wages and any federal income tax withheld for the year \u2013 this should be based on your last pay stub, or Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for federal employees, if you have it<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>File Your Tax Return On Time<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember that you have until April 15 to file your taxes (or request a tax extension) whether or not you receive your W-2. Therefore, you should still plan on filing and paying your taxes by the original due date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-12149 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"IRS form w2\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-thirdman-5060979-640x426.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>File a Substitute W2 (Form 4852)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve exhausted the above options and still haven\u2019t received your W2, you can use<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f4852.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You will need to estimate your income and federal tax withheld \u2013 as close to accurate as you can \u2013 and attach Form 4852 to your tax return. Keep in mind that there might be a delay in processing your<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/wheres-my-refund\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tax refund<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while the IRS verifies your information.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>File a Tax Extension<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t think you\u2019ll have your Form W2 by the filing deadline and you don\u2019t want to use a substitute form, you can apply for a tax extension to avoid IRS late fees and penalties. An extension will give you 6 extra months to file your return, however, it does not give you more time to pay your tax balance. You will need to file an extension application (Form 4868) and pay any tax due by the original deadline (April 15). You can easily<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/how-get-personal-tax-extension\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">request an extension online<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and pay your taxes at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>File an Amended Return (Form 1040X)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you decide to file your tax return using Form 4852 as a substitute and then you receive your actual Form W-2 after you\u2019ve filed, you will need to compare them. If the information on your actual W2 is different from what you reported with Form 4852, you will need to correct your return. You should do this by filing<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/articles\/what-is-tax-form-1040x\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Form 1040X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the IRS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Order a Transcript or Copy of Your Form W2<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you need a copy of your W-2 from the previous year? You can get a transcript of your reported income from the IRS, but an actual copy of your W-2 can only be obtained if you submitted it with a paper tax return (Form 1040).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Wage and Income Transcript<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This transcript shows the federal tax information that your employer reported to the Social Security Administration. It contains data from information returns that the IRS receives, including Forms W2, 1098, 1099, and 5498. It\u2019s available for up to 10 prior years, though current tax year data may not be ready until July. Want to see how much you made 10 years ago? Ask for a wage and income tax transcript. You can do it through the online portal<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/individuals\/get-transcript\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get Transcript tool<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the Internal Revenue Service. If you like postage and waiting, you can also submit Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Previous Employer Not Available? Ask the IRS for a Copy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can\u2019t get a copy of your W-2 from your previous employer? If you submitted an actual W-2 form on a paper return, you can get one from the IRS. Just ask for a copy of your entire return from the year you need, and the W-2 will be attached. Use<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f4506.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Form 4506 (Request for Copy of Tax Return)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but note the IRS charges for copies of tax returns. It&#8217;s $50 fee per personal tax return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/file-taxes-online\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e-file your taxes online<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or you didn\u2019t submit your W-2 with your 1040 paper return, you can request a transcript from the IRS. Otherwise, you will have to reach out to your employer or contact the SSA for a copy of your W-2 form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12148 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-1024x776.jpg\" alt=\"IRS form w2\" width=\"594\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-1024x776.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-768x582.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-1536x1163.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5900135-scaled-e1741987701264.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>IRS Form W2: FAQ\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b> 1. What should I do if I don\u2019t receive my W-2?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>If it&#8217;s past January 31 and you haven\u2019t received your W-2, first check your payroll portal or contact your employer. If you still don\u2019t get it, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1040, and they may help you get it.<\/p>\n<p><b> 2. What if there\u2019s a mistake on my W2?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>If you spot an error, notify your employer immediately. They\u2019ll need to issue a corrected W-2 (Form W-2c). Don\u2019t file your taxes until you have the corrected form.<\/p>\n<p><b> 3. Can I file my taxes without a W2?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>It\u2019s best to wait for your W2, but if you can\u2019t get it, you can estimate your wages and tax withholdings using Form 4852 as a substitute.<\/p>\n<p><b> 4. Why did I get multiple W-2s from the same employer?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>Sometimes, an employer issues more than one W-2 if you worked in multiple locations, had a name change, or had different types of income (like bonuses or tips). Make sure to use all of them when filing.<\/p>\n<p><b> 5. Where can I find my W-2 from past years?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>You can request copies from your employer or retrieve them from your online payroll system. If you need an old W-2 for tax purposes, you can also request a wage transcript from the IRS at IRS.gov.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sXD4xjdXOwc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">How To Use Form W2 for Federal and State Income Tax Returns | Tax Info from IRS.com<\/a>&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@taxinformation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Tax Info<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z8RSFEV6H4Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">I lost my Form W-2 What are my Options?<\/a>&#8221; &#8211;\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@JasonDKnott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Jason D. Knott<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff How do you do that Form W2 voodoo you do so well? One of the most important documents for filing your federal income taxes is the Wage and Tax Statement Form, also known as Internal Revenue Service W2 Form.\u00a0 It&#8217;s the bread and butter of most taxpayer&#8217;s federal returns. Because, like most taxpayers, you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,153,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tools-forms","category-tax-advice-videos","category-tax-forms"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3566"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12543,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566\/revisions\/12543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}