Can a company delete an ex-employee's access to their ADP account?
I'm having a weird situation with my sister-in-law's taxes. She left her position at a marketing firm back in September, and now that tax season is approaching, she tried logging into her ADP account to see if her W-2 was ready. The strange thing is that her entire employment history with that company seems to have completely disappeared from her ADP portal. There's literally no trace that she ever worked there. When she tried to go through the account recovery process, ADP only shows her previous job at a restaurant she worked at until 2022. It's like her most recent employer has wiped her from their system entirely. I told her she should email HR about getting her W-2, and if she doesn't receive anything by mid-February, she should contact the IRS. But what I'm really confused about is whether a company can legally remove a former employee's access to their payroll information after they quit? Is this normal practice or something shady? Anyone dealt with this before?
39 comments


Giovanni Gallo
This happens more often than you'd think. Companies don't actually "delete" you from ADP completely (your payroll records still exist), but they can certainly disable your access to the employer's ADP portal after termination. Some companies do this immediately, others keep access open longer. Your sister-in-law is taking the right approach. She should contact her former employer's HR department directly to request her W-2. They're legally required to provide it by January 31st. If she doesn't receive it by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2, and they'll contact the employer on her behalf. In the meantime, she should gather her final pay stubs if she has them - they'll show her year-to-date tax withholdings, which will help if she needs to file without the W-2 initially.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•What happens if the company has gone out of business? My husband's former employer shut down operations and he can't reach anyone. Will the IRS still try to contact them if we report the missing W-2?
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Giovanni Gallo
•If the company has gone out of business, the IRS will still try to help, but it becomes more complicated. In that situation, your husband should still contact the IRS at the same number (800-829-1040). They may have information about the company's status that you don't have access to. If he has his last pay stub from December, that will have most of the information needed to file taxes, including wage and withholding information. The IRS can provide Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) that he can fill out using his final pay stub information to file his taxes.
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Dylan Wright
I went through something similar last year with my previous employer's ADP account when I needed my tax forms. I spent HOURS on the phone with the company's HR only to be given the runaround. Eventually I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it literally saved me so much stress. They have this document analysis feature that helped me review my pay stubs to identify exactly what information I needed for my return. What was super useful is that the tool organized all my income and deduction information in the format I needed for the substitute W-2 form. I uploaded my last pay stub from December and it extracted all the relevant tax info automatically. Might be worth checking out if your sister-in-law has her final pay stubs!
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NebulaKnight
•Does this work if you only have pay stubs from part of the year? I'm missing my last 3 months of stubs but have everything else.
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Sofia Ramirez
•How accurate is the info from pay stubs though? I always thought the W-2 sometimes had adjustments that weren't on the regular paychecks. Is there any risk of filing incorrect info?
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Dylan Wright
•Yes, it works with partial year pay stubs but you'll get the most accurate results if you have your final December pay stub since it typically shows year-to-date totals for all your tax withholdings. If you're missing the last 3 months, the tool can still help organize what you have, but you'd want to note the missing period. There's a good point about potential adjustments. Your final W-2 might include adjustments that aren't reflected on pay stubs, like taxable benefits or corrections. That's why it's still important to try getting the official W-2 first. But if that's impossible, using your last pay stub with year-to-date totals is the IRS-approved fallback option when you file Form 4852. The tool helps minimize errors by organizing everything systematically.
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Sofia Ramirez
Just wanted to update - I was skeptical about taxr.ai from my earlier question but ended up trying it for a similar W-2 issue (my employer messed up my address and I never received my form). The document analyzer feature was actually super helpful! I uploaded my last pay stub which had all my YTD info, and it pulled out everything I needed for the substitute W-2 form. The best part was being able to compare the numbers against my previous year's W-2 to make sure everything looked reasonable. It flagged that my federal withholding seemed high compared to my income, which helped me catch a reporting error on my part. Definitely less stressful than going back and forth with my old company's payroll department!
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Dmitry Popov
When I had issues getting my tax documents from a former employer, I wasted DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS for help. Every time I called, I either got disconnected or was told the wait time was 2+ hours. Super frustrating! Then someone recommended Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It's a service that basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an agent is about to answer. I was honestly skeptical, but I was desperate after my fifth failed attempt to reach someone. I got a call back in about 45 minutes, and the IRS agent walked me through exactly what I needed to do to handle my missing W-2 situation, including filing Form 4852.
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Ava Rodriguez
•Wait, how does this actually work? Does it just auto-dial the IRS all day until it gets through? Sounds too good to be true.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Yeah right. Nothing can fix the IRS phone system. I've been trying for 3 weeks to get through about my refund. This sounds like a scam to me.
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Dmitry Popov
•It's not auto-dialing all day. The service uses a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. When an agent is about to pick up, it calls you and connects the calls together. I don't know the exact tech behind it, but it's not just brute-forcing calls. I totally get the skepticism. I felt the same way. The IRS phone system is notoriously terrible. But what convinced me was desperation after wasting so many hours on hold only to get disconnected. I was filing late because of the missing W-2 and needed answers quickly. I can only share that it worked for me when nothing else did.
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Miguel Ortiz
Coming back to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it anyway. Huh. It actually worked? I got a call back in about 2 hours (still long but WAY better than my previous attempts). The IRS agent was super helpful about my missing W-2 issue. Turns out my former employer had filed for bankruptcy which is why I couldn't get my W-2, and the IRS already had a record of this. The agent walked me through filing Form 4852 and verified some of the information from their records. Feels good to finally have this handled after weeks of stress. Sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing!
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Zainab Khalil
Your sister-in-law might want to check if she can request her wage and income transcript directly from the IRS. You can get it online through the IRS website if you create an account, and it shows all the information employers reported about your income. The only downside is that it sometimes takes until May or June for the most recent year's information to be available.
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Amara Adeyemi
•Oh that's a really good suggestion, I hadn't thought about the wage transcript. Do you know if that would show state tax withholding too? That was another concern since she'll need to file state taxes as well.
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Zainab Khalil
•The IRS wage and income transcript unfortunately only shows federal information, not state withholding. That's one limitation to be aware of. It will show all her federal wages, federal income tax withheld, Medicare, and Social Security, but nothing related to state taxes. For state tax information, she would either need to get the actual W-2, use her final pay stub (which usually shows state withholding year-to-date totals), or contact the state tax agency directly to see if they have a similar transcript service. Some states do offer their own wage verification systems, though they vary widely in accessibility.
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QuantumQuest
just fyi if ur sis works for a big company they might use a totally different system for w2s vs regular paystubs. my company uses adp for paychecks but w2s come from some weird third party system i never heard of before. u might wanna ask if there's a separate login for tax docs!!
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Connor Murphy
•This is true! My company uses ADP for payroll but Workday for W-2s. It's super confusing. I panicked the first time I couldn't find my tax forms in ADP.
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Natasha Orlova
This is actually a really common issue that catches people off guard! Companies absolutely can and often do disable ex-employees' access to their ADP portals after termination - it's not shady, just standard practice for data security reasons. The employment records still exist in their system, but your personal access gets cut off. Your sister-in-law should definitely reach out to HR first. Most companies have a process for providing W-2s to former employees, and they're legally required to get it to her by January 31st. If she can't reach anyone or doesn't get the W-2 by mid-February, calling the IRS is the right next step. One thing that might help in the meantime - if she kept her final pay stub from December, that should have all her year-to-date totals for wages and tax withholdings. That information can be really useful as a backup if she needs to file Form 4852 (substitute W-2) while waiting for the official document.
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GalacticGladiator
•This is really helpful context! I didn't realize it was standard practice for companies to cut off ADP access after termination. That actually makes me feel better about the situation - I was worried the company was being deliberately difficult. She does have her final pay stub from December, so that's good to know it has the year-to-date totals she might need. I'll pass along the info about Form 4852 as a backup option. Thanks for explaining that this isn't as unusual as we thought!
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Mason Davis
This is definitely frustrating but unfortunately pretty standard. Most companies disable ADP access immediately or within a few days of termination for security reasons. The payroll data is still there in their system, but your login credentials get deactivated. The good news is that employers are legally required to provide W-2s by January 31st, so your sister-in-law should contact HR directly - preferably in writing (email) so there's a paper trail. If she doesn't receive it by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2. Also, make sure she checks if the company uses a different system for tax documents than they do for regular payroll. Some companies use ADP for paychecks but a completely different portal for W-2s and other tax forms. HR should be able to clarify this when she contacts them. If all else fails and she has her final December pay stub, that will have the year-to-date totals she needs to file Form 4852 (substitute W-2) with the IRS. Not ideal, but it's a legitimate backup option.
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Jamal Carter
•This is such great advice about checking if they use different systems for tax documents! I hadn't even thought about that possibility. It would be really frustrating to assume the worst when there might just be a separate W-2 portal she needs to access. The email paper trail suggestion is smart too - if she ends up needing to escalate to the IRS, having documentation that she tried to contact HR will probably help her case. Thanks for the thorough breakdown of all the options!
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Paolo Conti
This is actually more common than people realize! Companies routinely disable former employees' access to ADP portals after termination - it's a standard security practice, not necessarily anything malicious. The payroll records still exist in their systems, but individual login access gets cut off pretty quickly. Your sister-in-law should definitely start by contacting her former employer's HR department directly. They're legally obligated to provide her W-2 by January 31st. I'd recommend she reach out via email so there's a paper trail of her request. If she doesn't receive the W-2 by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report it missing. The IRS will then contact the employer on her behalf to get it sorted out. One important tip: make sure she asks HR if the company uses a different system for tax documents than regular payroll. Some companies use ADP for paychecks but have a completely separate portal for W-2s and other tax forms. This could explain why she can't find her employment history in the regular ADP system. As a backup, if she kept her final pay stub from December, that should contain all the year-to-date wage and withholding information she'd need to file Form 4852 (substitute W-2) if absolutely necessary.
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Sara Hellquiem
•This is really comprehensive advice! I'm definitely going to have her check about the separate tax document system first - that could save a lot of headache if it turns out there's just a different portal she needs to use. The email paper trail is a smart move too. If she does end up having to involve the IRS, having documented proof that she tried to work with HR directly will probably make that process smoother. Thanks for laying out all the steps so clearly - it makes this whole situation feel much more manageable!
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Oliver Zimmermann
This exact thing happened to me when I left my job at a tech startup last year! The ADP portal access disappeared within 24 hours of my last day, which totally caught me off guard since I was used to having access to everything. What I learned is that this is completely normal - companies disable ADP access immediately for security reasons, but your employment records are still in their system. The key is knowing who to contact at your old company. One thing that really helped me was reaching out to my former manager first, not just HR. They were able to connect me directly with the right person in payroll who got my W-2 sorted out within a week. Sometimes HR can be slow to respond, especially if it's a larger company, but managers often have direct contacts that can expedite things. Also, make sure your sister-in-law has her current address updated with the company if she's moved since leaving. A lot of missing W-2 issues are actually just mailing address problems. The company might have sent it to her old address on file. If she's still having trouble in a few weeks, she can also try contacting the company's main accounting department directly rather than going through HR - they often handle W-2 distribution and might be more responsive.
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Cole Roush
•That's a really good point about contacting the former manager directly! I hadn't thought about that approach, but it makes sense that they might have more direct connections to get things resolved quickly. HR departments can definitely be slow, especially at larger companies where you're just another ticket in their system. The address update reminder is crucial too - I bet a lot of people forget to update their address with former employers after they leave. That could easily explain why she hasn't received anything yet if they mailed it to her old place. I'll definitely pass along the tip about reaching out to the accounting department directly if HR doesn't respond promptly. Having multiple contact points could really speed up the process. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's helpful to hear from someone who actually went through this exact situation!
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Sunny Wang
This is definitely a frustrating situation, but it's actually quite normal! Companies routinely disable former employees' access to their ADP portals after termination - it's a standard security measure, not necessarily anything shady. Your employment records still exist in their system, but your personal login access gets revoked pretty quickly after you leave. Your sister-in-law is on the right track contacting HR directly. Companies are legally required to provide W-2s by January 31st, so she should reach out to them first - preferably via email to create a paper trail of her request. One thing worth checking: some companies use different systems for tax documents versus regular payroll. They might use ADP for paychecks but have a completely separate portal or vendor for W-2s and other tax forms. When she contacts HR, she should specifically ask if there's a different system she needs to access for tax documents. Also make sure her mailing address is current with the company - a lot of "missing" W-2s are actually just address issues where it got sent to an old location. If she doesn't receive her W-2 by mid-February, calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 is the right next step. They'll contact the employer directly on her behalf. And if she kept her final December pay stub, that has all the year-to-date totals she'd need for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) as a last resort.
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Jasmine Hancock
•This is really helpful advice! I hadn't considered that there might be a separate system for tax documents - that could explain everything. The address verification is a great point too, since she did move apartments a couple months after leaving the job. I'll have her email HR first thing Monday and specifically ask about both the address on file and whether they use a different portal for W-2s. Having that paper trail will definitely be useful if we need to escalate to the IRS later. Thanks for breaking down all the steps so clearly - it makes this whole situation feel much less overwhelming!
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Amina Diop
This is such a common issue that catches people off guard! Companies absolutely can disable your ADP access after termination - it's standard security practice, not anything malicious. Your payroll records still exist in their system, but your individual login gets deactivated pretty quickly. Your sister-in-law should definitely contact HR directly first, preferably by email to create a paper trail. They're legally required to provide her W-2 by January 31st. One thing to specifically ask about: does the company use a different system for tax documents than regular payroll? Some companies use ADP for paychecks but have a completely separate portal for W-2s. Also, make sure her current address is on file with them - a lot of "missing" W-2 issues are actually just mailing problems where it got sent to an old address. If she doesn't get her W-2 by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report it missing, and they'll contact the employer directly. As a backup, if she has her final December pay stub, that contains all the year-to-date totals needed for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) if absolutely necessary. This situation is frustrating but totally solvable - just need to work through the proper channels!
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Aisha Khan
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! I was getting really worried that something sketchy was going on with her former employer, but knowing this is standard practice makes me feel so much better about the whole situation. I'm definitely going to have her email HR first thing and ask specifically about whether they use a separate tax document system - that could solve everything right there. And you're absolutely right about the address issue - she did move after leaving that job, so that could easily explain why nothing showed up in the mail. Thanks for laying out the timeline so clearly too. It's good to know there's a clear escalation path with the IRS if needed, but hopefully it won't come to that. Really appreciate everyone's advice on this thread - you've all made this way less stressful!
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StarSailor
This is definitely a frustrating but very common situation! Companies routinely disable ADP access for former employees as a standard security measure - it's not shady at all, just normal practice. Your employment records still exist in their system, but your personal login access gets cut off pretty quickly after termination. Your sister-in-law is taking exactly the right approach. She should contact HR directly (preferably by email for a paper trail) since they're legally required to provide her W-2 by January 31st. One important thing to ask: does the company use a different system for tax documents versus regular payroll? Many companies use ADP for paychecks but have a completely separate portal or vendor for W-2s and other tax forms. Also, make sure her current mailing address is on file with them - a surprising number of "missing" W-2 cases are actually just address issues where the form got sent to an old location. If she doesn't receive her W-2 by mid-February, calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 is the perfect next step. They'll contact the employer directly on her behalf. And if she kept her final December pay stub, that will have all the year-to-date wage and withholding totals she'd need for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) as a backup option. This is totally solvable - just need to work through the proper channels systematically!
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AstroExplorer
•This is such a relief to read! I was honestly starting to panic thinking her former employer was trying to hide something or make it difficult for her on purpose. Knowing that disabling ADP access is just standard security practice makes this whole situation feel so much more normal and manageable. I love the systematic approach you've outlined - starting with HR via email, asking specifically about separate tax document systems, and verifying the address on file. Those are all really actionable steps that give us a clear path forward. And having the IRS option as a backup with a specific phone number and timeline takes away a lot of the uncertainty. The point about many companies using different vendors for W-2s versus regular payroll is something I never would have thought of, but it makes total sense from a business perspective. That could literally be the entire explanation right there. Thanks for helping turn what felt like a crisis into a straightforward problem-solving process!
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James Johnson
This is actually a really common scenario that happens to a lot of people! Companies can and do disable former employees' access to ADP portals after termination - it's standard security practice, not anything malicious. Your employment records are still in their system, but your individual login access gets revoked pretty quickly. Your sister-in-law should definitely start by contacting HR directly, preferably via email so there's a paper trail. They're legally obligated to provide her W-2 by January 31st. One key question to ask: does the company use a different system for tax documents than regular payroll? Some companies use ADP for paychecks but have a completely separate portal for W-2s and other tax forms. Also worth checking that her current address is on file with them - many "missing" W-2 situations are actually just mailing issues where it got sent to an old address. If she doesn't receive her W-2 by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report it missing, and they'll contact the employer directly. And if she kept her final December pay stub, that should have all the year-to-date totals she'd need for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) as a backup option if absolutely necessary. This is definitely solvable - just need to work through the proper steps!
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StarSurfer
•This is exactly the kind of clear, step-by-step guidance I was hoping to find! I had no idea that companies routinely disable ADP access after termination - I was genuinely worried something fishy was going on with her former employer. Knowing this is just standard security practice makes the whole situation feel so much less stressful. The separate tax document system question is brilliant - I never would have thought to ask about that, but it could literally solve the entire problem if they just use a different portal for W-2s. And you're absolutely right about the address verification - she did move a couple months after leaving that job, so that could easily explain why nothing arrived in the mail. I really appreciate you laying out the timeline and backup options so clearly. Having that IRS phone number and knowing about Form 4852 as a last resort makes me feel like we have a solid plan no matter what happens. Thanks for turning what felt like a crisis into a manageable step-by-step process!
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Simon White
This is definitely frustrating but totally normal! Companies routinely disable ADP access for former employees as a security measure - your sister-in-law's employment records still exist in their system, but her login credentials get deactivated after termination. She should start by emailing HR directly (keep that paper trail!) to request her W-2, which they're legally required to provide by January 31st. Two important things to ask: 1) Is her current address on file? Many "missing" W-2s are just mailing issues. 2) Do they use a different system for tax documents? Some companies use ADP for payroll but a separate portal for W-2s. If she doesn't get it by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2 - they'll contact the employer directly. As backup, if she has her final December pay stub, it should contain all the year-to-date totals needed for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) if necessary. This happens way more than people realize, so don't stress - just work through the proper channels and it'll get sorted out!
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Diego Flores
•Thanks for the reassurance! It's such a relief to know this is normal practice rather than something shady. I was getting really anxious about the whole situation, but your breakdown makes it feel totally manageable. The two-question approach is perfect - checking the address and asking about separate tax systems covers the most likely explanations right off the bat. I'm definitely going to have her send that email to HR first thing Monday morning. It's also good to know we have a clear timeline (mid-February) and backup plan (IRS contact + Form 4852) if needed. Having her December pay stub as a safety net makes me feel much better about the whole thing. Really appreciate everyone in this thread for turning what felt like a major problem into a straightforward process!
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Cynthia Love
This is such a common issue that happens to tons of people every year! Companies absolutely can and will disable your ADP portal access after you leave - it's actually required by most data security policies, not anything personal against former employees. Your employment records are still there in their systems, but your login gets shut off usually within 24-48 hours of termination. Your sister-in-law is definitely doing the right thing by planning to contact HR directly. They're legally obligated to get her that W-2 by January 31st. I'd recommend she email them (so there's documentation) and ask two specific questions: 1) Do they have her current mailing address on file? and 2) Do they use a different portal or system for tax documents than the regular ADP payroll system? That second question is really important - I've seen so many cases where people panic thinking their W-2 is missing, but it turns out the company just uses a completely different vendor or portal for tax forms. Worth checking before assuming the worst! If she doesn't hear back or receive anything by mid-February, that's when she should call the IRS at 800-829-1040. They'll reach out to the employer directly. And hopefully she kept that final December pay stub - it's got all the year-to-date info she'd need for a substitute W-2 form if it comes to that. Don't stress too much about this one - it's way more common than you'd think and almost always gets resolved once you know the right steps to take!
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Paolo Esposito
•This is incredibly helpful - thank you for such a thorough explanation! I had no idea that disabling ADP access was actually a data security requirement rather than just company policy. That completely changes how I was thinking about this situation. The two-question email approach is perfect. I'm definitely going to have her ask about both the address verification and whether they use a separate tax document system. It would be amazing if it's just a matter of logging into a different portal that we didn't know about. I really appreciate you emphasizing how common this is - it makes me feel so much less worried about the whole thing. Having that clear timeline (January 31st for the company, mid-February for IRS involvement) and knowing exactly what phone number to call takes away all the uncertainty. And you're right, she does still have her December pay stub, so we're covered even in the worst-case scenario. Thanks for turning what felt like a crisis into a straightforward checklist. This community is amazing for breaking down confusing situations like this!
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
This is definitely frustrating but completely normal! Companies routinely disable former employees' ADP access after termination - it's standard security practice, not anything shady. Your employment records still exist in their system, but personal login access gets revoked quickly. Your sister-in-law should email HR directly (keep that paper trail!) since they're legally required to provide her W-2 by January 31st. Two key things to ask: 1) Is her current address on file? Many "missing" W-2s are just mailing issues. 2) Do they use a separate system for tax documents? Some companies use ADP for payroll but a different portal entirely for W-2s. If she doesn't receive it by mid-February, she can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2 - they'll contact the employer directly. As backup, if she kept her final December pay stub, it contains all the year-to-date totals needed for Form 4852 (substitute W-2) if absolutely necessary. This happens way more often than people realize, so don't stress too much - just work through the proper channels and it'll get resolved!
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