Got no W-2 after company went bankrupt - how to get tax forms with no HR to contact?

You're definitely not the first person to face this problem! When a company goes bankrupt, getting your W-2 can be challenging but there are established ways to handle it. First, try reaching out to any former managers or executives through LinkedIn or other means - sometimes they can direct you to whoever is handling the bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy trustee or administrator should still be responsible for issuing W-2s. If that doesn't work, wait until after February 1st (when W-2s are due to be issued) and then contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. They'll need some information from you: your name, address, phone number, SSN, and whatever details you can provide about your former employer (company name, address, EIN if you have it). The IRS will send a letter to the company on your behalf. If they still don't get a response, you'll need to file your tax return using Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) where you'll estimate your wages and withholding as accurately as possible. Your bank statements showing direct deposits can be really helpful for this.

I went through something similar last year with a company that suddenly closed. After weeks of trying to track down former payroll people, I found https://taxr.ai really helpful. I uploaded my bank statements showing the direct deposits and they were able to help reconstruct my income and tax withholding information. Their system analyzed my deposit patterns and helped estimate what my W-2 would have shown. The document analysis they provided was super useful for filling out Form 4852 (the substitute W-2 form). Saved me tons of guesswork about my withholdings especially since I had no final paystub either.

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up using taxr.ai after seeing it recommended here. Worked way better than I expected! I uploaded my partial pay stubs and bank statements and their system gave me a really detailed breakdown of my estimated income and withholdings. The report they generated made it super easy to fill out Form 4852. I was worried about messing up the numbers, but they provided a confidence score for each calculation and explained their methodology. Really took the stress out of the situation. Their document analysis picked up things I wouldn't have noticed on my own!

When my previous employer went under in 2023, I spent WEEKS trying to reach the IRS for guidance. Constantly got busy signals or was put on hold for hours only to get disconnected. Super frustrating! Then I found https://claimyr.com which basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you back when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Literally saved me days of waiting on hold. The IRS agent I spoke with walked me through the whole process of filing Form 4852 and told me exactly what documentation to keep in case of questions later. Total game-changer when dealing with this mess.

Came back to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing W-2 situation, so I figured I'd try Claimyr anyway. Not gonna lie, I was shocked when I got a call back with an actual IRS agent on the line after about 2.5 hours (during which I was just going about my day). The agent confirmed I could use Form 4852 and even explained how to document my efforts to get the W-2 from my former employer. For anyone dealing with a bankrupt employer situation, definitely talk directly to the IRS. They deal with this stuff all the time and were surprisingly helpful once I actually got through to them.

Another option to consider - check if your state has a wage and hour division that might have records of your employment. Some states require employers to report wage and tax info quarterly, so they might have partial records at least. Also, if your company used a third-party payroll processor like ADP or Paychex, try contacting them directly. Sometimes they retain records even after a company goes under and can provide your wage information.

Tip from someone who worked in payroll: If you filed your tax return last year while working for this company, pull your transcript from the IRS website. The transcript will show the employer's EIN (tax ID number) which you'll need for Form 4852. Also check your bank statements for the entire year - add up all deposits from that employer to get your gross or net pay (depending on if they deposited net or gross). Look at a few paystubs from earlier in the year to calculate approximately what percentage was withheld for taxes, then apply that same percentage to your annual total.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my employer closed suddenly in December and I'm scrambling to figure out the W-2 issue too. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add that might help others: if your company had direct deposit, check if they used a third-party banking service. Sometimes these services keep records even after the company shuts down. I found out my company used Wisely (formerly Even) for payroll cards, and they were able to provide me with a detailed transaction history that showed all my deposits for the year. Also, don't forget to check if your company offered any benefits through external providers (health insurance, 401k, etc.). Sometimes these companies have wage information on file that can help you piece together your annual earnings. My 401k provider had quarterly contribution records that helped me verify my income calculations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - definitely going to try the taxr.ai option and possibly Claimyr if I need to talk to the IRS directly!