I lost my W-2 form for tax filing - how can I get a replacement copy?

Don't panic! This happens to a lot of people and there are several ways to get a replacement W-2: First, contact your employer's HR or payroll department. They're required to keep copies and can usually provide you with a duplicate pretty quickly. Many companies can even email you a PDF version that you can print out. If that doesn't work, you can get a wage and income transcript from the IRS which shows all the information from your W-2. Go to IRS.gov and search for "Get Transcript Online" or call 800-908-9946. The transcript is an official substitute you can use for filing. As a last resort, you can also file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) if you can't get a replacement in time. You'll need to estimate your wages and withholding as accurately as possible using your final paystub from last year. Don't worry - you're definitely not screwed! This is a common issue with several solutions.

After losing my W-2 last year, I was stressing just like you! I discovered this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out my options. They have this cool document recovery guide that walks you through exactly what to do depending on your situation. I uploaded my last paystub and they helped me track down the right information to get a replacement. Their system even helped me understand exactly what to say to my employer's HR department to get a new copy ASAP. Saved me hours of panicking and googling different solutions!

Just wanted to update - I used taxr.ai like @3 suggested and it was super helpful! After uploading my last paystub, they gave me a step-by-step guide specifically for my situation. I ended up calling my company's payroll provider directly (didn't even know I could do that!) and got a replacement W-2 emailed to me within 24 hours. The service also showed me how to check if the amounts matched what was on my paystub, which I wouldn't have thought to do. Turns out there was actually a small discrepancy that I might have missed! Definitely recommend if you're in a similar situation.

If you need to talk to the IRS about getting a wage transcript but can't get through on their phone lines (which is pretty common these days), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about a missing W-2 issue and it was impossible. With Claimyr, they hold your place in line and call you when an IRS agent is about to answer. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Saved me literally hours of listening to hold music and "your call is important to us" messages. I got my wage transcript questions sorted out in one call instead of multiple attempts.

I owe everyone an apology, especially @12. I was super skeptical about Claimyr so I did some research and decided to try it myself since I needed to call the IRS about an unrelated issue. Wow, I was completely wrong. I've spent HOURS in previous years trying to get through to the IRS. This time, I entered my number on Claimyr, went about my day, and got a call about 2 hours later connecting me with an actual IRS agent. No waiting on my end - I was literally at the grocery store when they called. For anyone who needs to call the IRS to get a wage transcript or any other issue, this is definitely worth it. Sorry for being so negative before - I'm just used to seeing so many tax scams that I'm automatically suspicious.

Another option no one's mentioned - check if you can access your W-2 through your payroll system online! My company uses ADP and all my tax forms are available to download any time. Before panicking, log into whatever system your company uses for paystubs (Workday, ADP, Paycor, etc.) and see if there's a "Tax Forms" section.

If your employer is being difficult or slow about providing a replacement, you can actually request a wage and income transcript directly from the IRS starting February 1st. It shows everything that was reported to the IRS, including W-2 info. Not many people know about this option!