Filing taxes by mail - can I attach photos of my W-2s instead of the actual W-2 forms?

You're in a tricky situation, but there are workable solutions. The IRS prefers original W-2s attached to your return when filing by paper, but they understand situations like yours happen. Since you're abroad and only have photos of your W-2s, print those images as clearly as possible and attach them to your return. Include a brief note explaining your situation - that you're working internationally, the originals were sent to your family, and you only have access to these copies. Also mention you've completed Form 4852 as a substitute. For mailing, a standard manila envelope works fine - no special envelope needed. Address it to the correct IRS processing center for your state (check the IRS website for the right address based on your home state). I'd recommend using a trackable shipping method since you're sending internationally. FedEx, UPS, or registered mail all work, just make sure you can confirm delivery. Remember to sign and date your return! That's the most common mistake when paper filing.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year when I was working in Singapore! I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much stress. You can upload your W-2 photos to their system, and it verifies all the data matches what you entered in your tax forms. I printed out their verification report showing that my W-2 photos contained the same information as what I reported on my Form 4852. The IRS accepted everything without any issues. The site also gives specific instructions for international filers who only have digital copies of their documents. Totally worth checking out before you mail everything!

Just wanted to follow up! I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I decided to give it a try for my situation (I'm working in Canada and only had photos of my documents). The verification tool was actually super helpful! It found that I had incorrectly entered my Medicare wages on my 4852 form - I was off by like $1,200 which could have caused issues. The verification report they generated looked really professional, and I attached it to my return along with the printed W-2 photos. I used FedEx to mail everything last month and just got confirmation that my return was received and is being processed. No questions or issues so far!

If you're having to mail your tax return and worried about whether it'll be processed correctly, you might want to consider using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually talk to a real IRS agent about your situation. I was in a similar position last year - had to file by mail with some unusual documentation - and was super stressed about doing it wrong. I tried calling the IRS directly for weeks but could never get through. Found Claimyr and they got me connected to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes! I explained my situation about not having original documents, and the agent confirmed that printed copies with an explanation note would be acceptable. They even have a demo video of how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Seriously made me feel 100x better about my filing situation to get confirmation directly from the IRS instead of just hoping I was doing it right.

I wanted to update on my experience. I was super skeptical about Claimyr but tried it anyway since I was desperate for answers about my tax situation with substitute W-2 forms. Holy crap, it actually worked! They got me through to an IRS representative in about 25 minutes (which is a miracle compared to the 3+ hours I spent trying on my own). The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to include with my substitute forms. They said printed photos of W-2s are acceptable as long as all information is clearly visible and I include Form 4852. They also gave me the exact mailing address for my specific situation. Seriously saved me so much anxiety wondering if I was doing things right. If you're filing from overseas, definitely worth getting direct confirmation from the IRS.

Something important nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you keep digital copies of EVERYTHING you send. I had a similar situation last year and my return got "lost" by the IRS. Having digital copies of all my forms including my W-2 photos saved me from having to start the whole process over again. Also, make sure you're mailing to the correct address. The IRS has different processing centers depending on which state you're filing from and whether you're including payment. Don't just use the general IRS address.

Has anyone here actually had problems filing with printed copies of W-2s instead of originals? I'm curious because I've been doing that for years (I always scan my W-2s and print copies to file) and never had an issue. I don't think the IRS actually cares as long as all the information is legible.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! I'm working in Japan and had to file by mail for the first time. One thing I learned that might help - when you print out the photos of your W-2s, make sure they're printed at full size and as high quality as possible. If the photos are blurry or the text is too small to read clearly, that could cause processing delays. Also, I'd suggest including a cover letter explaining your situation briefly - something like "I am currently working overseas and only have access to digital copies of my W-2 forms. I have completed Form 4852 as a substitute and am including printed copies of the original W-2 photographs for verification." Keep it simple and professional. One more tip - double-check that all the information from your W-2 photos matches exactly what you entered on Form 4852. Even small discrepancies in dollar amounts or employer info could trigger questions from the IRS. Good luck with your filing!