How to file unfiled taxes from 2021-2022 with missing W2's & one employer out of business?

I've been going through a really tough patch these last few years and honestly, taxes were the last thing on my mind. I just couldn't handle dealing with them on top of everything else, so I never filed my 2021 or 2022 returns. Pretty sure I don't owe anything and should actually get a small refund. The problem is I can't find my W2's from those years anywhere, and to make matters worse, one of my employers completely went out of business during that time. I'm finally getting back on my feet and want to fix this tax situation. How do I go about filing these late returns, and more importantly, how can I get copies of those W2's when one company doesn't even exist anymore? Has anyone dealt with this before? Thanks in advance for any help! 😊

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18 comments

Mateo Hernandez

•8M

You can absolutely still file those returns and get your W2 information! The best way to get your missing W2s is to request a Wage and Income Transcript directly from the IRS. This transcript shows all income reported to the IRS under your Social Security number, including W2s, 1099s, etc. There are three ways to get this: 1) Create an account on IRS.gov and download the transcripts immediately 2) Call the IRS at 800-908-9946 to request them by mail 3) Complete and mail Form 4506-T to request the transcripts Even though one employer went out of business, their W2 information would still be in the IRS system if they properly reported your wages. Once you have your transcripts, you can use that information to complete your tax returns. For filing the late returns, you'll need to use the specific tax forms for those years (2021 and 2022). You can't use the current year forms. These can be downloaded from the IRS website's prior year forms section.

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Mateo Hernandez

•8M

You'll need to create an account on IRS.gov which requires some verification steps. They use ID.me for identity verification, which might ask for a photo ID and possibly a video selfie to confirm your identity. It's pretty secure. If you create the online account, you can access and download the transcripts immediately. If you request by mail, it typically takes 5-10 business days for the transcripts to arrive. The form 4506-T option might take a bit longer, usually 2-3 weeks. Since you're dealing with prior years, the online option is definitely faster if you're comfortable with the verification process.

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Aisha Khan

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year and struggled with getting accurate W2 info until someone recommended taxr.ai to me. It's this online tool that can analyze your wage documents and tax transcripts to help piece together your tax situation. https://taxr.ai actually helped me figure out exactly what I needed to report for a job I had where the company restructured and the W2 info was confusing. You just upload whatever tax documents you have (even incomplete ones), and it helps identify what's missing and what you need. In my case, I had some old paystubs but no W2s, and it helped me reconstruct what I needed to report. Might be worth checking out since you're dealing with missing documents and a defunct employer.

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Aisha Khan

•8M

If there's any discrepancy, you're still ultimately responsible for what you file, but the tool helps minimize errors by analyzing what you have and comparing it to what you should have. It's more about organization and verification than guessing. It doesn't directly connect to IRS systems - you need to get your own transcripts first (like from the method the first commenter mentioned). What makes it different from basic calculators is that it can read and interpret tax documents, pulling out the relevant numbers and showing you what's missing or what might be inconsistent. It's more like having a second set of eyes check your work before filing.

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Yuki Ito

•8M

I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but I finally tried it for a similar situation with my 2020 returns that I filed late. I had a bunch of scattered 1099s and missing W2s from when I worked multiple jobs. After getting my wage transcript from the IRS, I uploaded it to https://taxr.ai and it organized everything perfectly - showed me exactly what income had been reported under my SSN that I needed to account for. The best part was it found a 1099-MISC I had completely forgotten about from a small freelance job. If I hadn't included that, I definitely would've gotten a letter from the IRS later. Saved me from potential headaches and possibly penalties! For unfiled returns with missing documents, it was exactly what I needed.

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Carmen Lopez

•8M

If you're still struggling to reach the IRS for those transcripts, I highly recommend using Claimyr. The IRS phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE to get through - I spent literally days trying to talk to someone about missing W2s from an employer that went bankrupt. With https://claimyr.com they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to get my wage transcripts sorted out in one call instead of endless redials and hold times. They got me through to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes when I had previously spent hours getting nowhere.

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Carmen Lopez

•8M

It's actually really simple. They use a system that waits in the IRS phone queue for you, and when they detect an agent is about to pick up, they call your phone and connect you directly to that agent. You don't miss your place in line, and you don't have to sit listening to hold music for hours. I understand the skepticism, but they don't actually need your tax information. They're just connecting the call - you speak directly with the IRS agent yourself and provide your personal information only to the official IRS representative. They're just solving the "impossible to get through" problem that the IRS phone lines have had for years. The service has been featured in legitimate news sources too.

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Andre Dupont

•8M

I need to apologize for calling Claimyr a scam. After getting nowhere with the IRS for WEEKS trying to get my wage transcripts, I was desperate and decided to try it. It actually worked perfectly! I got connected to an IRS agent in about an hour, and they helped me get all my missing W2 information. The agent I spoke with was even able to help me with a specific situation where my former employer had reported my wages under a slightly misspelled name, which was causing issues. I've now filed both my late returns and am expecting refunds for both years. Definitely saved me from what was becoming a huge headache.

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Zoe Papanikolaou

•8M

Something else to consider - make sure you're using the correct tax forms for 2021 and 2022, not the current year forms. The tax laws change slightly each year, and using the wrong year's forms can cause your return to be rejected. You can download prior year forms directly from the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/prior-year Also, even though you're likely getting a refund, be aware that there's a 3-year deadline to claim refunds. For 2021 taxes, you have until April 2025 to file and still get your refund. Just don't wait too long!

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Zoe Papanikolaou

•8M

Good news - the IRS generally doesn't charge penalties if they owe YOU money. Penalties and interest typically only apply when you owe them. So if you're confident you'll be getting refunds, you should be fine penalty-wise. That said, filing sooner rather than later is always better. Besides the refund deadline I mentioned, having unfiled returns can sometimes cause issues with other government programs or financial applications like mortgages. Some people also find that their refund was larger than expected, which is a nice surprise!

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