Employer knows I moved out of state but won't send W-2 to new address

Oh boy, I've been down this road before! You actually have several options here. First, did you check if they made your W-2 available electronically? Many companies use ADP, Workday, etc. where you can download it yourself. If not, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 after February 28th (I always mark that date on my calendar with three exclamation points!!!) and they can send a "love letter" to your employer. The IRS takes this pretty seriously... which is good for you!

According to IRS Publication 1141, employers are required to furnish Form W-2 to employees no later than January 31 following the close of the tax year. If they've failed to do this, you can request Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) which allows you to file your return using your best estimate of wages and withholding based on final paystubs. This is considered a valid filing method when W-2s are unavailable.

I've dealt with this before. Few questions: • Did you check your old mailbox? Sometimes they ignore address updates • Have you contacted HR specifically or just general company contact? • Do you have access to your final paystub with YTD totals? • Have you checked the company's employee portal? • Did you try reaching out to payroll directly instead of HR?

I had exactly the same issue last year with a company that went through a merger. After waiting 47 days past the January 31 deadline and making 8 phone calls to HR, I finally called the IRS directly. Spent exactly 3 hours on hold before giving up. Then I tried Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an IRS agent in about 17 minutes. The agent sent an official notice to my employer, and I had my W-2 within 6 days. Saved me weeks of stress since I needed my refund for medical bills.

Have you considered the state tax implications here? Your employer might be confused about which state taxes apply to your situation. Did you work remotely after moving? Or was this purely a mailing address change after you left the company? The real solution depends on answering these questions, doesn't it? Your best approach is to contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 with your name, address, SSN, and employer details (including EIN if you have it). They'll send a formal request to your employer and provide you with Form 4852 to file if needed. Wouldn't it be better to have this resolved before the filing deadline rather than dealing with amendments later?

Contact IRS directly. Use Form 4852. File by deadline. Use last paystub for estimates. Keep all communication records. Document all contact attempts. Take screenshots of emails. This happened to me. IRS was helpful. Employer eventually sent W-2. Had to amend return. Minor inconvenience. Better than penalties.