Can't get my W2 from old employer and need EIN to file taxes - help!

You're in a common but frustrating situation. The good news is you have options for getting that EIN. First, check your last paystub from that employer - the EIN is often printed right on it. Also look at any tax documents from previous years if you worked there before. Sometimes the EIN appears on your health insurance documents or retirement plan statements too. If you can't find the EIN that way, try checking public records. Many states have business entity search websites where you can look up the company and find their EIN. You might also check your state's Secretary of State website or department of revenue. As a last resort, you can visit your local IRS office in person. Unlike the phone lines, you can make an appointment and they can look up the EIN for you much more efficiently. Remember, your employer is legally required to provide your W-2 by January 31. If you don't have it by mid-February, it's absolutely appropriate to proceed with Form 4852.

After dealing with a similar nightmare last year (my previous employer went out of business without sending W2s), I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it totally saved me. It's this AI tool that can analyze your pay stubs and bank deposits to recreate your missing W2 information, including helping identify the employer's EIN through their database. I uploaded my last paystub, answered a few questions about my employment, and it pulled together all the numbers I needed for the 4852 form, including the EIN that I couldn't track down. It also guides you through filing the substitute form correctly so the IRS doesn't flag it. Definitely worth checking out if you're still stuck without that employer info!

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here, and wow - it actually worked! I was super skeptical (especially about finding the EIN), but I uploaded my last two paystubs and the system identified my employer's EIN within minutes. The tool also helped me calculate all the withholding amounts correctly based on my pay history, which was really helpful since I was missing several months of stubs. It even generated a completed Form 4852 for me to print and sign! The best part was the peace of mind knowing the information was verified against official records. Already filed my taxes using the info it provided, and I'm actually getting a decent refund back.

I was in literally the exact same situation last year! After trying for WEEKS to reach the IRS, I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it was a complete game-changer. They have this system that basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an actual human agent is on the line. I was super skeptical at first (you can see a demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) but I was desperate. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 90 minutes instead of spending another day on hold, and the agent looked up my employer's EIN right there on the call. I was able to file my 4852 that same day. If you absolutely need to talk to the IRS to get that EIN, this is way better than wasting days on hold or repeatedly calling back.

I need to publicly eat my words here. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to reach the IRS about an identity verification issue that was holding up my refund, so I tried Claimyr despite my doubts. I got a call back in about 45 minutes, and sure enough, there was an actual IRS agent on the line. They resolved my issue in about 10 minutes. After wasting 6+ hours on hold over multiple days, it was almost shocking how easy it was. For anyone needing an EIN from a non-responsive employer, this is definitely the fastest way to get it from the IRS. The agent I spoke with pulled up the information immediately - apparently they can search by company name and address too, not just by EIN.

Another option that nobody's mentioned is checking the company's 1099s if you received any. I had a similar situation and found the EIN on a 1099-MISC from the previous year. Also worth asking any former coworkers if they received their W2s - they might be willing to share just the EIN portion with you. The EIN is not confidential information.

Will filing form 4852 delay your refund? My friend did this last year when her employer messed up her W2 and she said her refund took forever to process.

I've been through this exact situation and it's incredibly frustrating! One thing that worked for me was checking if your former employer is registered with your state's business licensing department - many states have online databases where you can search by company name and find their EIN listed in their registration documents. Also, if you paid into unemployment insurance while working there, your state's unemployment office might have the employer's EIN on file and could provide it to you. I called my state's workforce commission and they were able to look it up for me using just the company name and my employment dates. Don't let their negligence stress you out too much - the IRS understands that some employers are unresponsive, which is exactly why Form 4852 exists. Just document your attempts to contact them (save those emails and call logs) in case the IRS ever asks. You're doing everything right by being proactive about this!