Lost W2 form, former employer refuses to give me a copy. Now the state IRS is telling me I need to send them a W2 - what are my options?
I'm in a complete nightmare situation with my taxes right now. I left my job at a small marketing agency last October, and now I can't get my hands on my W2 form. When I realized it never came in the mail, I contacted my former boss who basically brushed me off saying I need to go through their payroll company (ADP). So I called ADP and spoke with their customer service who told me that my former employer needs to grant me access to view my W2 online. I texted my ex-boss this information three weeks ago and he's completely ghosting me. Meanwhile, I've received a notice from my state tax department saying they need a copy of my W2 to process my return. I really need this resolved ASAP because I'm counting on my refund to cover some unexpected medical bills. Is there anything I can do to get my W2 without depending on my uncooperative ex-employer? Can I report them somehow? I've tried being patient but I'm getting really frustrated and worried about possible penalties.
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Amina Bah
You definitely have options here! This is unfortunately a common issue, but you don't need to rely on your uncooperative former employer. First, you can request a wage and income transcript directly from the IRS, which contains all the information that would be on your W2. You can get this online through the IRS website by creating an account at irs.gov, or by submitting Form 4506-T. The transcript is free and shows all the information reported to the IRS, including your W2 data. For the state tax issue, once you have the wage transcript from the IRS, you can use that information to complete your state return. Most state tax departments will accept this as substitute documentation when you explain the situation. As for your former employer, they are legally required to provide your W2 by January 31st. Since they've failed to do this, you can actually report them to the IRS by calling 800-829-1040. The IRS will attempt to contact the employer and may impose penalties on them for non-compliance.
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Oliver Becker
•If I get the wage transcript from the IRS, will it come in time? My state is saying I need to respond within 30 days or they might adjust my return and I'm scared I'll get a smaller refund. Also, does the wage transcript look exactly like a W2 or is it different?
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Amina Bah
•You can get an online wage transcript immediately if you set up an account on the IRS website, so there's no waiting period for mail delivery. This is your fastest option to meet that 30-day deadline from your state. The wage transcript doesn't look exactly like a W2 - it's an IRS document that contains all the information that would be on your W2 (wages, federal tax withheld, etc.). States regularly accept these transcripts when taxpayers can't get their W2s. Just include a brief explanation with your state response that you were unable to obtain your W2 despite multiple attempts, and you're providing the official IRS wage transcript instead.
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Natasha Petrova
I went through this exact nightmare last year with a restaurant that closed down! After weeks of stress, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a total game-changer. They have this document analyzer tool that can help you create a substitute W2 using your final paystub information. I uploaded my last paystub and it extracted all the info I needed to file without the actual W2. The best part was that it generated a completed substitute Form 4852 (which is the IRS form for missing W2s) that I could print and file. Saved me hours of research and calculations. They also have tax experts that can answer questions about your specific situation.
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Javier Hernandez
•Does this actually work for state tax returns too? My issue is specifically with the state tax department and I'm not sure if they'll accept a substitute form generated online.
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Emma Davis
•How did you verify the numbers were accurate? I'm hesitant to use some random online tool when it comes to my taxes. No offense, but this sounds too good to be true.
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Natasha Petrova
•Yes, it absolutely works for state returns too! The substitute W2 information is valid for both federal and state filings. In my case, I had to include a brief explanation letter with my state return, but they processed it without any issues. As for accuracy, I was initially skeptical too, but all the calculations matched what I had worked out based on my paystubs. The tool is actually pretty transparent - it shows you exactly how it's calculating each number and you can compare it to your paystub information. The substitute form it generates follows the official IRS guidelines for Form 4852, so it's completely legitimate.
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Emma Davis
I was really skeptical about trying an online service for something as important as tax documentation, but after struggling with my own W2 situation, I gave taxr.ai a try. It was surprisingly legit! I uploaded my final paystub and it automatically filled out the substitute W2 form (Form 4852) with all the right information. What I didn't expect was how helpful their documentation explanation was - they provided a clear letter explaining why I was using a substitute form that I included with my state return. The state accepted it without any issues and I got my full refund. Definitely worth checking out if you're still waiting for your unresponsive employer to get back to you.
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LunarLegend
If you've already tried contacting your employer multiple times and they're ignoring you, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation where I needed to talk to the IRS about missing tax documents, but kept hitting that "call volumes are too high" message for WEEKS. Claimyr basically holds your place in line with the IRS so you can actually talk to a human. I was skeptical but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I got through to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent was able to verify my employment information and start the process of getting my wage transcript expedited.
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Malik Jackson
•Wait how does this even work? Do they just call and wait on hold for you? I don't understand how a third party service can get me to the front of the IRS phone line when millions of people are trying to call.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Yeah right. The IRS is a disaster and NO service can magically get you through. I've been calling for three weeks straight during this tax season. This sounds like a complete scam to take advantage of desperate people.
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LunarLegend
•They don't get you to the "front" of the line - they use an automated system that calls the IRS and navigates the initial menu options, then holds your place in the queue. When an agent is about to pick up, you get a call so you can speak directly with the IRS representative. It's basically technology that waits on hold so you don't have to. It's definitely not a scam. The service doesn't interact with the IRS on your behalf or collect any sensitive tax information. They just solve the problem of not being able to get through the phone system. The IRS has no idea you used a service - they just think you've been waiting on hold the whole time.
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Isabella Oliveira
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried Claimyr after posting that skeptical comment and I actually got through to the IRS in about 35 minutes. I've literally been trying for weeks on my own with no success. The IRS agent was able to confirm that they could send me a wage transcript and also explained how I could report my former employer for not providing my W2. They also told me about Form 4852 (substitute for W2) that I could file with my return. The agent sent me the transcript by mail and via email (through their secure system). I was able to forward this to my state tax department and they accepted it as proof of my income and withholding. Kinda shocked this actually worked!
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Ravi Patel
Have you checked your online account with the payroll company directly? Sometimes you can still access your W2 even after you've left the company. I was able to log into ADP six months after leaving my job and still download my tax forms without needing employer approval.
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Paolo Marino
•I tried that first thing, but it seems my employer set up their ADP account differently. When I log in, I can only see paystubs up until I left, but no tax documents. The ADP rep specifically told me the employer has to grant access to those. I even have my last paystub, but I'm not confident in calculating all the tax amounts correctly from that alone.
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Ravi Patel
•That's frustrating! In that case, I'd definitely go with getting the wage transcript from the IRS like others suggested. One more thing - if you have your last paystub of the year, it often has your year-to-date totals which are usually pretty close to what appears on your W2. You could use that as a starting point while waiting for the official transcript. Just make sure to attach a note explaining the situation when you send documents to your state. Most tax agencies deal with this kind of employer non-compliance regularly and have procedures for it.
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Freya Andersen
FYI - your former employer is breaking the law. Employers are required to provide W2s by January 31st, and they must respond to requests for replacement W2s in a reasonable timeframe. You can actually file a complaint with your state's labor department as well as with the IRS.
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Omar Zaki
•This is exactly what I did when my former employer wouldn't give me my W2. Filed complaints with both the state labor department and the IRS. Got my W2 mysteriously emailed to me about a week later. Amazing how they suddenly "found" it after ignoring me for months!
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