How to Contact IRS for Missing W-2 from Defunct Employer
I can't seem to track down a W-2 from one of my employers for the 2023 tax year. The situation is frustrating because they went completely out of business sometime last year. All I have is their LLC name, the old business address (which is now empty), and their tax ID number. No phone contacts or email addresses for anyone who worked there. I tried calling the IRS for help, but when I follow all the automated prompts, I just get a recorded message telling me to "contact your employer" and if that doesn't work, to "call back after February for assistance." This recording seems outdated since it's already April, but I can't get past it to speak with anyone. Does anyone know another way to reach the IRS about this? I tried going through their online portal but don't see any option specifically for missing W-2 help - just transcript requests that need the information I'm trying to obtain in the first place. I looked at Form 4506-T which has an option for W-2 information, but it states that 2023 information (filed by employers in 2024) won't be available until 2025. I need this for my current tax filing! Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm stuck and running out of time before the deadline!
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Maggie Martinez
You're in a common but frustrating situation. When employers go out of business, getting your tax documents can be challenging, but there are several options available. First, the IRS should have your wage and income information if your employer filed it. You can request a Wage and Income Transcript directly from the IRS, which shows data from information returns like W-2s. While the automated phone system is giving you outdated information, you can request this transcript online through the IRS website by creating or logging into your account at IRS.gov. If you need the actual W-2 form rather than just the information, you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. You'll need to estimate your wages and withholding as accurately as possible using your final pay stub if you have it. The IRS Form 4506-T option you mentioned is for requesting older transcripts, which is why it mentions the 2025 availability date for 2023 forms.
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Zane Gray
•Thanks for your response. I did try getting a Wage and Income Transcript online, but when I logged into my IRS account, it said "information not available" for 2023 - maybe because it's still too early? I do have my last pay stub from December, but I'm worried about the accuracy since I had some benefit deductions that changed throughout the year. Would it be worth trying to visit a local IRS office in person? I've heard they take appointments now. Also, if I do file the Form 4852, will I get penalized if my estimates are off?
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Maggie Martinez
•Visiting a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center is absolutely worth trying. They take appointments now which can be scheduled by calling 844-545-5640. An in-person visit might help you get more personalized assistance with your situation. If you file Form 4852 with your best estimates based on your December pay stub, you won't be penalized as long as you make a good faith effort to report accurately. If you later receive information showing different amounts, you can always file an amended return with Form 1040-X. Just document how you calculated your estimates, keeping your final pay stub and any other relevant information in case of questions.
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Alejandro Castro
I went through something super similar last year when a startup I worked for suddenly shut down. After spending HOURS trying to reach someone at the IRS, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which literally saved my tax season. Instead of guessing at my W-2 info, I uploaded my last few paystubs to their system and it analyzed everything - including identifying all my year-to-date totals and tax withholdings. Their tool created a substitute W-2 with all the right calculations for deductions that had changed throughout the year (health insurance in my case kept changing). It was WAY more accurate than my own spreadsheet attempts! The best part was that they helped me complete Form 4852 correctly with exact instructions on what to put in each box. Saved me from having to amend my return later when actual numbers finally showed up in the IRS system.
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Monique Byrd
•This sounds helpful but I'm a bit suspicious of third-party tax services. Do they have access to actual IRS data or are they just doing calculations based on the paystubs? I'm worried about putting sensitive info into yet another system that might get hacked.
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Jackie Martinez
•How does this actually work with filing? Like do they submit the form directly to the IRS for you or do you still have to send it in yourself? And what happens if the IRS later says your numbers are wrong? I'm in a similar situation but with TWO missing W-2s and I'm getting desperate.
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Alejandro Castro
•They don't access IRS data directly - their system analyzes your paystubs using AI to extract and calculate the cumulative year-to-date information. This is actually more secure than you might think since they're just processing what you already have rather than connecting to government systems. They have bank-level encryption too. For filing, they provide you with the completed substitute W-2 information and Form 4852 that you can include with your tax return. You still file everything yourself (or through your preferred tax software/preparer). The calculations are based on your actual paystubs, so they're typically very accurate. If there are discrepancies later, you'd need to file an amended return, but that would be true regardless of how you estimated your W-2 information.
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Jackie Martinez
Just wanted to update everyone - I tried out taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it was legitimately helpful! I was skeptical at first (as you could probably tell from my question), but I uploaded my last three paystubs from the business that closed down. The tool extracted all my YTD totals correctly and even figured out the variable deductions that had been confusing me. It generated a substitute W-2 that looked professional, and walked me through filling out Form 4852 with all the right codes and numbers. I was able to file my taxes on time, and the best part? I just got my refund deposited yesterday! No delays, no issues. If anyone else is dealing with missing W-2s from employers you can't contact, definitely worth checking out!
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Lia Quinn
After wasting 3 whole days trying to get through to the IRS about a similar issue (different problem, same frustration with their phone system), I found out about Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). You guys have to check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, they navigate the IRS phone maze for you and call you back when they have an actual human IRS agent on the line. I was super skeptical but desperate enough to try anything at that point. I was honestly shocked when I got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS person ready to help me! The agent was able to pull up my wage information in their system (even though it wasn't showing in my online account yet) and gave me the exact W-2 information I needed over the phone. Saved me from having to estimate everything and potentially file an amended return later.
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Haley Stokes
•How does this even work? Are they using some kind of special access to the IRS phone system? Seems weird that they can get through when regular people can't.
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Asher Levin
•This sounds like complete BS honestly. I've heard the IRS phone wait times are minimum 2+ hours these days. There's no way they're getting through in 45 minutes unless they have some shady inside connection. Doubt this is legit.
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Lia Quinn
•They don't have special access - they use technology to navigate the phone system and wait on hold so you don't have to. It's like having someone wait in a physical line for you. They use automated systems to continuously call and navigate the IRS phone tree until they get through to the queue for a representative. The timing varies based on call volume. My experience was 45 minutes, but their site mentions it can take longer during peak times. It's definitely legitimate - there's nothing shady happening. They're just taking the frustrating part (waiting on hold for hours) out of the equation. They don't have any inside connection or access to your tax information - they're literally just connecting you with an IRS agent once they get through the hold queue.
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Asher Levin
Alright, I need to eat crow here. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr anyway because I was desperate to resolve a similar W-2 issue before the filing deadline. I was SHOCKED when I actually got a call back with an IRS agent on the line in about an hour and twenty minutes. The agent was able to access my wage information even though it wasn't showing up in my online account yet. She gave me all the details I needed from my missing W-2, including the exact federal withholding amount that I wasn't sure about. Just filed my return yesterday using the correct information. For anyone struggling with the IRS phone system and running out of time before the deadline, this service is legit. Still can't believe it worked but I'm relieved to have this tax headache resolved!
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Serene Snow
Has anyone tried just using the numbers from their last paystub and filling out the substitute W-2 form (Form 4852)? I'm in this exact situation - my employer shut down their whole operation in November and literally no one is responding to emails. My tax guy says I can use my last paystub to fill in all the numbers, but I'm worried about accuracy since some of my deductions were weird toward the end (they started taking out different health insurance amounts when they were having financial problems).
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Issac Nightingale
•I did this last year when my W-2 never showed up. Used my December paystub and filled out Form 4852. It worked fine but I had to file a paper return which took FOREVER to process. Got my refund like 5 months later. Also make sure your YTD (year to date) numbers are actually for the full year. My paystub reset the YTD fields in July for some weird reason so I had to add two numbers together. Check if you have an earlier paystub to compare.
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Serene Snow
•Thanks for the info. I do have all my paystubs thankfully, so I can check the YTD totals. Did you just attach the 4852 form to your regular return? And did the IRS ever question any of your numbers or was it all accepted as submitted?
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Romeo Barrett
For anyone dealing with this issue in the future - the IRS usually gets W-2 information from employers by late March even if the business closed. The transcript might not be immediately available online, but an IRS rep can often see it in their system before you can. Also worth knowing that if you absolutely can't get the info and must estimate, make your best guess using your final paystub and file on time. If you find out later that your numbers were wrong, you can always file an amended return. Better to file on time with estimates than miss the deadline completely!
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Marina Hendrix
•Quick question - if I end up filing with Form 4852 and estimated numbers, and later the actual W-2 data shows up in the IRS system with slightly different amounts, will I definitely need to amend? Or is there some threshold where small differences don't matter?
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