Can I use my wage and income transcript from IRS to file taxes if I lost my W2?

Yes, you can absolutely use your wage and income transcript to file your federal taxes! The transcript contains all the information that's reported to the IRS from your Form W-2, including wages, federal income tax withheld, and retirement contributions. However, you've identified the main issue correctly - the IRS wage and income transcript won't show state tax withholding information because the IRS doesn't collect state tax data. For that information, you have a few options: 1) Contact your employer's payroll department directly and request a replacement W-2, 2) Look at your final paystub from 2024 which should show year-to-date state withholding, or 3) Contact your state tax agency to see if they can provide that information.

I ran into this exact same problem last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a total lifesaver for me. I had my wage and income transcript but was confused about some entries on it and wasn't sure if I needed to enter everything. Their system analyzed my transcript and translated all that confusing IRS code into plain English so I could actually understand what I was filing. It helped me identify which parts of the transcript corresponded to which lines on my tax forms, and even flagged where I might be missing information I needed from other sources (like the state tax info you mentioned). Way easier than trying to decode it all myself!

Wanted to update about taxr.ai - I decided to try it despite my initial skepticism and it actually helped a ton! My transcript had some weird entries from a 1099 job I did last summer plus my regular W-2 info all mixed together. The site separated everything cleanly and explained exactly what each code meant and where it needed to go on my return. It also flagged that my state withholding wasn't on the transcript (just like everyone mentioned) and gave me a checklist of what additional info I needed to track down. Ended up saving me hours of confusing research and probably prevented some mistakes too. For anyone struggling with transcript confusion, it's definitely worth checking out.

If you're still trying to get a replacement W-2 from your employer and keep hitting voicemail hell, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that helped me actually get through to someone. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was trying to contact my old employer's HR department for weeks with no luck - emails ignored, voicemails never returned. Claimyr got me through to an actual human in their payroll department who was able to email me my W-2 within an hour. They work with the IRS too, which might help if you need to get more detailed transcript info.

OK I have to publicly admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. I tried it yesterday after being disconnected from the IRS for the 8th time this week. I was doing something else entirely when my phone rang about an hour later, and suddenly I was talking to an actual IRS representative! The agent confirmed that yes, I could use my wage and income transcript for federal taxes, but also told me I could request a W-2 reissue directly through them if my employer wasn't responding, which I didn't even know was an option. They also explained exactly how to handle the state tax withholding issue by contacting my state tax agency. Totally worth it after wasting days trying to get through on my own.

Another option is to check if you can access your w2 online. Many employers use systems like ADP, Workday, or UKG where your tax documents are stored electronically. Even if you left the company, you might still have access to their employee portal where you can download your W2. For the state tax withholding, your last paystub from December should have the YTD (year to date) state withholding amount which is typically what ends up on your W2. Just find the line that says "State Income Tax" or "State Withholding" and look at the YTD column.

Just want to throw in my 2 cents as someone who works in payroll - you legally have until Oct 15 to file if you request an extension, which gives you plenty of time to get a replacement W2. Your employer is REQUIRED BY LAW to provide a replacement. they can charge a nominal fee but they cannot refuse!!

I work as a tax preparer and want to add some clarity here - yes, you can definitely use your wage and income transcript for federal filing, but there are a few things to watch out for. The transcript shows Box 1 (wages), Box 2 (federal withholding), and other key W-2 info, but the format can be confusing since it uses codes instead of the familiar W-2 layout. One thing people often miss is that if you had multiple jobs or received any 1099 income, everything gets lumped together on the transcript. Make sure you're not double-counting anything. Also, the transcript won't show your employer's name clearly - it uses an EIN instead - so if you had multiple employers, you might need to cross-reference. For state taxes, definitely try the employee portal suggestion first. If that doesn't work and you can't reach HR, you can usually call your state's tax department directly - they're often much easier to reach than the IRS and can sometimes help you figure out your withholding based on your income and filing status for that state.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact same situation last year! You're absolutely right to be concerned about the state tax withholding - that was the biggest headache for me too. Here's what I ended up doing that worked really well: First, I used the wage and income transcript for all my federal tax info (worked perfectly). For the state withholding, I called my bank and requested copies of all my direct deposit statements from December 2023. Most banks can provide these pretty quickly, and they often show the net amount deposited, which helped me work backwards to figure out my state withholding when I compared it to my gross pay from the transcript. Also, if you're really stuck on the state withholding amount, you can estimate it and file, then amend your return later when you get the actual W2. The IRS is pretty understanding about situations like this, especially if you make a good faith effort to be accurate. Just keep documentation of your attempts to get the proper forms from your employer. One last tip - if your employer uses a payroll service like ADP or Paychex, try calling them directly. Sometimes they can help even when your company's HR department is unresponsive. Good luck getting this sorted before the deadline!

I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that might help with the transcript confusion - the IRS actually has a pretty detailed publication (Pub 5307) that explains how to read wage and income transcripts. It maps out exactly what each code means and which boxes on your W-2 they correspond to. What really helped me when I was in a similar situation was printing out both the transcript and this publication, then going line by line to make sure I understood what each entry meant before entering anything on my tax forms. The transcript codes can be really confusing (like "WH-FIT" for federal income tax withheld), but once you have the decoder it becomes much clearer. You can download Pub 5307 directly from the IRS website. It's only about 6 pages long but it saved me from making some costly mistakes when I was trying to file with just my transcript. Just thought this might be useful for anyone else dealing with transcript interpretation issues!

As someone who's dealt with this exact situation multiple times, I want to emphasize that you're definitely on the right track with the wage and income transcript - it's completely acceptable for federal filing and contains all the key information the IRS needs. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that if you're really pressed for time and can't get your state withholding information sorted out, you might want to consider filing your federal return first using the transcript data, then handling your state return separately once you track down that information. Many states have later deadlines than the federal April 15th deadline anyway. Also, for future reference, I'd highly recommend setting up an online account with your state's tax agency if they offer one. Many states now provide digital access to your withholding information similar to how the IRS provides transcripts. It's one of those things that seems obvious in hindsight but can really save you in situations like this. The main thing is don't panic - you have several good options here and the IRS understands that sometimes documents get lost. The transcript route is legitimate and widely used by tax professionals when clients are missing their W-2s.