How do I file a 4852 when employer never sent W2?

Does using Form 4852 increase your chances of getting audited? I had a similar situation last year and was afraid to file without the actual W-2.

Thank you for explaining this! I didn't realize TurboTax had this option. I do have my final paystub which shows YTD earnings and withholdings, so that should help. One question though - will filing with a 4852 delay my refund? I'm counting on getting that money back pretty soon.

Filing a return with Form 4852 doesn't necessarily increase audit risk, but the IRS does review these forms more carefully. As long as you're using accurate information from your paystubs, you should be fine. It's much better than not reporting the income at all. Regarding your refund timing, it might delay things slightly - maybe an extra week or two compared to a standard return. The IRS does additional verification when 4852 forms are included, but it's not usually a significant delay. Having your paystub with YTD totals puts you in a much better position since you have documentation to back up your numbers.

How accurate is it though? My concern would be putting incorrect information on a tax form and then getting in trouble with the IRS later.

Does it actually fill out the 4852 for you or just help with the calculations? I'm wondering if it integrates with TurboTax somehow or if it's a separate process.

It's extremely accurate since it's using optical character recognition to pull information directly from your documents rather than relying on manual entry. I found it much less error-prone than trying to enter everything myself, especially for complicated pay stubs. The tool doesn't actually file the 4852 for you - it extracts and organizes all the information you need to enter into TurboTax or whatever tax software you're using. It basically gives you a clean report with all the numbers organized by tax form field, so you can confidently enter everything in the right places without making mistakes. They also keep records of what was extracted, which is helpful documentation if you ever need to verify information later.

Is this legit? Sounds kinda sketchy to have a service that somehow bypasses IRS hold times when millions of people can't get through. How exactly does it work?

I don't buy it. If there was really a way to skip the IRS phone queue, everyone would be using it. Sounds like just another scam trying to take advantage of desperate taxpayers. The IRS is backed up by MILLIONS of calls - there's no magic solution to skip the line.

It's completely legitimate - what they do is use technology to continually call and navigate the IRS phone system for you. Instead of you having to repeatedly call and wait on hold, their system does that part for you and then connects you once it reaches a representative. They don't have any special access or relationship with the IRS - they're just automating the painful calling process. The reason everyone doesn't use it is simply that most people don't know about it yet. It's a fairly new service that was created specifically because of how frustrating it is to reach the IRS by phone. And yes, the IRS is backed up with millions of calls - that's exactly why this service is valuable. Rather than you spending hours redialing and waiting, their system handles that part while you go about your day until there's actually someone ready to talk.

Does this work for state taxes too? My employer didn't send state W-2 either and I'm not sure if I need a separate form for that.

For state taxes, the process varies by state, but most states will accept the federal Form 4852 as support for your state tax return as well. You generally don't need to file a separate substitute form for state purposes. When you file your state return (whether through TurboTax or another method), you'll typically just enter the same W-2 information that you used on your federal return, including the amounts you calculated for state withholding from your paystubs. Make sure to keep copies of any documentation you have (paystubs, bank deposits, etc.) that support your numbers in case the state tax authority has questions.

Yeah good luck getting through on that IRS number lol. I tried calling them 12 times about a similar issue and either got disconnected or was told the wait time was "greater than 2 hours

You're right about the challenges with IRS phone lines. That's why I usually recommend trying early morning (right when they open) on Wednesdays or Thursdays, which tends to have slightly shorter wait times based on my experience. If you're unable to get through by phone, another option is visiting a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person, but you'll need to schedule an appointment first. You can find your nearest location on the IRS website. In-person assistance can sometimes be more efficient for these types of issues, though it does require taking time out of your day to visit the office.