Filing taxes with missing W-2 from short-term job - what happens?
Hey everyone, I'm getting ready to file my taxes for the year and I'm in a bit of a situation. I have my W-2s from my primary employer where I've been working all year, but I also did a stint at another company for about a month and a half last summer, and I still haven't received the W-2 from them. I'm getting anxious about filing since I want to get my refund soon (I'm pretty sure I'm owed one based on my withholding). Would there be serious consequences if I just went ahead and filed with only the W-2 from my main job? Will the IRS flag it as incomplete? Do I need to wait for that second W-2 even though it was such a short period? Any advice would be super appreciated! I'm not sure if I should just wait longer or if there's some way to get around this.
18 comments
Join the conversation
Zoe Papanikolaou
You definitely need to include all income on your tax return, even from short-term jobs. The IRS will receive a copy of all your W-2s, so they'll know if you're missing one. Filing without including all your income could trigger an automated letter from the IRS about the discrepancy, and potentially lead to penalties and interest. By law, employers must send W-2s by January 31st. If you haven't received it yet, first try contacting your former employer's HR or payroll department. If that doesn't work, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing W-2. They'll contact the employer on your behalf and send you Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2), which you can use to file your taxes if you still don't receive the original. You can also use your final pay stub from that job to estimate the information needed for Form 4852, including wages earned and taxes withheld.
0 coins
Jamal Wilson
•What if I already filed without including that second job and I just got the W-2 for it now? Can I do some kind of amendment or am I in big trouble? My second job only paid me about $2200 total.
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
•If you've already filed without including the second job, you should file an amended return using Form 1040-X as soon as possible. You're not in "big trouble" - this happens fairly often, especially with short-term employment. Since the income was only $2200, the tax impact may be relatively small, but you still need to report it. Filing the amendment promptly shows good faith effort to correct the mistake, which can help minimize any potential penalties. The IRS typically allows you to amend returns within three years of the original filing date.
0 coins
Mei Lin
I had a similar situation last year and found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful! I was missing a W-2 from a job I had for just 2 months, and wasn't sure what to do. I uploaded my last paystub from that job to taxr.ai and it helped me figure out exactly what numbers to use on a substitute form. The site walks you through creating a Form 4852 (substitute W-2) with really clear instructions. Saved me from waiting another month for a W-2 that honestly never came.
0 coins
Liam Fitzgerald
•How accurate is it though? Like if my numbers are off a bit will I get in trouble with the IRS? My old job's HR is basically impossible to reach and I'm worried about making mistakes.
0 coins
Amara Nnamani
•Sounds interesting but what happens if the actual W-2 finally arrives and has different numbers than what you estimated? Do you have to file another amendment then?
0 coins
Mei Lin
•The accuracy is pretty good if you have your final pay stub since it shows your cumulative earnings and withholdings. The IRS understands you're making a good faith estimate based on the information available to you. If the actual W-2 arrives later with different numbers, yes, you'd need to file an amended return if there's a significant difference. But in my experience, the estimates from my last pay stub were within a few dollars of the actual W-2 amounts. Taxr.ai actually explains which boxes on your pay stub correspond to the W-2 fields, which helps ensure accuracy.
0 coins
Amara Nnamani
Just wanted to update everyone - I actually tried taxr.ai after posting my question here and wow, it really worked! I was skeptical at first (hence my question about amended returns), but I uploaded my final pay stub from the short job I had, and the system walked me through exactly which numbers went where on the substitute W-2 form. What I really appreciated was the explanation of how to handle the state tax portion too, which I hadn't even thought about. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes, and I was able to file my taxes without waiting. They even explained the process if my actual W-2 arrives with different numbers, but honestly, based on my pay stub, I'm confident the numbers are accurate. Huge relief to have this filed and not waiting around!
0 coins
Giovanni Mancini
If you're having trouble getting your W-2 and the IRS isn't being responsive when you call (which happens A LOT during tax season), I've had amazing results with Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent literally days trying to get through to the IRS about a missing W-2 issue similar to yours. After using Claimyr, I had an IRS agent on the phone within 45 minutes - you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. The agent I spoke with gave me all the info I needed about filing with a missing W-2 and started the process of contacting my employer. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected!
0 coins
NebulaNinja
•Wait, so is this like some kind of paid service just to talk to the IRS? Why would anyone pay for that when you can just call them yourself for free?
0 coins
Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•This sounds like a scam. How do they magically get through when nobody else can? The IRS phone lines have been swamped for years. I'm extremely skeptical that this actually works.
0 coins
Giovanni Mancini
•It's not about calling "for" you - it's about waiting in the queue for you. Have you tried calling the IRS lately? Average wait times are 2-3 hours during tax season, and many people get disconnected after waiting. The service works by using technology to stay in the queue and monitor for when a human agent is about to pick up. When that happens, they connect you immediately. It saved me literally hours of my life. I was skeptical too before trying it, especially since I'm pretty tech-savvy and thought I could just keep calling myself, but after my fifth disconnection, I was desperate.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Suwaidi
I need to eat my words and apologize to Profile 6. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still getting nowhere with the IRS on my own (6 attempts, longest wait was 2.5 hours before getting disconnected). In desperation, I tried Claimyr, and I'm shocked to say it actually worked exactly as described. Got the call back in about 35 minutes, and was speaking with an actual IRS agent who helped me with my missing W-2 situation. They started the employer contact process for me and confirmed I could use Form 4852 if needed. The agent also gave me the specific timeline I needed to wait before filing with the substitute form. For anyone as skeptical as I was - I get it, but sometimes the solutions that sound too good to be true actually work. Saved me from taking a day off work just to sit on hold.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
Another option: check your online account on the IRS website. They might already have your W-2 information in their system even if you haven't physically received it. I was able to see all my W-2 info there last year before my forms arrived in the mail. Just create an account at irs.gov if you don't have one.
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
•I just tried to create an account on the IRS site but it's asking for a credit card number or loan account number for verification, which I don't have since I'm pretty young. Is there another way to access this information?
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
•Yes, there are alternative verification methods if you don't have credit cards or loans. You can use information from a previous year's tax return instead. Look for the option that says something like "verify with a tax return" during the identity verification process. If that doesn't work, you can request an in-person appointment at a local IRS office where they can help you set up access. Or as mentioned above, calling the IRS directly (or using a service to help you get through) is another option to get your W-2 information.
0 coins
Sofia Morales
Don't forget that your employer legally has to provide your W-2 by January 31st. If they haven't, they're actually violating tax law. Maybe try emailing or calling them and mention this deadline - sometimes just letting them know you're aware of the legal requirement can light a fire under them!
0 coins
Dmitry Popov
•I did that last year with my former employer and they got super defensive and rude about it! But they did send my W-2 within 2 days after I mentioned the January 31st requirement lol. Sometimes you gotta be a bit assertive.
0 coins