How to File Past Years Taxes (2020-2022) Without W-2s from Bankrupt Employer

You're actually in a pretty common situation, and the good news is that those IRS transcripts have all the information you need to file those past returns! What you need is the "Wage and Income Transcript" for each year, which shows all your reported income, including W-2 information. You can use the exact income and withholding numbers from these transcripts in place of your missing W-2s. Tax preparation software will ask for this information just as if you were entering it from the actual W-2 form. For DIY filing, you'll need to use tax software that supports prior year returns - not all of them do. TaxAct and TurboTax both offer this service for previous years. You'll have to print and mail these returns though, as electronic filing is typically only available for the current and previous calendar year. One thing to note: the transcripts won't have your state tax withholding info, so if you have state taxes, you might need to estimate based on your federal withholding or check your bank deposits from that period.

After struggling with missing tax documents from a company that went under, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was seriously game-changing for my situation. I had IRS transcripts but was confused about how to translate all those codes and numbers into an actual tax return. Their system analyzed my wage and income transcripts from the IRS and automatically extracted all the information needed to file my returns. It organized everything exactly how it would appear on a W-2, making it super simple to enter into tax software. Saved me hours of trying to decode those cryptic IRS documents!

I wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my missing W-2 situation. I was completely stuck with those confusing IRS transcripts until I uploaded them to the site. It immediately identified all the relevant income and withholding information and organized it exactly like a W-2 would be formatted. The translation from IRS codes to actual tax form fields was spot on! I was able to use the information to complete my 2019-2021 returns using TaxAct for prior years like someone suggested. Just printed and mailed them in last week. Such a relief to finally have this resolved after stressing about it for months.

If you're struggling to get someone at the IRS to help with transcript questions, I highly recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about some issues with my transcripts and kept hitting that "call volume too high" message. I was super frustrated until I found their service. They basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you when an agent is about to be available. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got connected, the IRS agent helped me understand exactly which transcript fields corresponded to which W-2 boxes, which made filing my back taxes so much easier.

Just wanted to follow up after trying Claimyr for my IRS call. I was SUPER skeptical that anything could actually help get through to the IRS, but I was desperate after weeks of failed attempts. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. Got the callback in about 45 minutes, and then was connected to an actual IRS agent who helped me understand exactly how to use my transcripts for filing back taxes. They explained which codes on the transcript match up with which boxes on the W-2, and confirmed I could use this information to file my 2018-2020 returns. For anyone struggling to get IRS help with transcript questions, this service is legit. Can't believe I wasted so much time before trying it.

One option nobody mentioned yet - you could also try contacting the Social Security Administration for wage information. They sometimes have records that can help when a company has gone out of business. Their website has a "Request for Social Security Statement" that shows your earnings history. Another thing to consider is if you have your final pay stub from each year. Those often have year-to-date totals that would match your W-2 information. Might be worth checking old emails or bank statements to piece together the information.

Has anyone used FreeTaxUSA for prior year returns? I'm in the same boat for 2021 (company closed during pandemic) and wondering if their prior year filing is any good?