Lost W2 from Former Employer - How to Get a Copy for Filing?

Trying to get a W2 from a former employer is like trying to get water from a stone sometimes. I've been in this exact situation before and it's nerve-wracking. You've got a few options: 1. Call your former employer's HR/payroll department directly. Sometimes they're helpful, sometimes they're not. 2. Check if you can access an employee portal you might still have login credentials for. Many companies keep W2s there for years. 3. Request a wage and income transcript from the IRS. It has all the W2 information, but might take some time to get this late in the season. I'm a bit worried for you since we're getting close to the deadline. If all else fails, you might need to file an extension while you track down the document.

I was in the same boat last month! Lost my W2 from a job I left in November. I was going crazy trying to get through to their HR department (they never answered!) and was about to pay $35 for a tax preparer to help me get a replacement when a friend told me about https://taxr.ai It helped me understand exactly what info I needed from the missing W2 and showed me how to use my last paystub to fill in most of the info. Saved me from having to pay for professional help, which was nice because I'm trying to keep costs down this tax season! 😂

Just to be clear - your former employer is legally required to provide your W2 by January 31st. If they haven't, you should contact them directly first. If they're unresponsive, you can contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 with your personal info, employer details, and employment dates. The IRS will then contact the employer for you. This process takes time though, so start immediately.

If you need to reach the IRS (which you prob will), don't waste days trying to get thru their phone system. I spent literally 4 hrs on hold last week and got disconnected twice. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got connected to an IRS agent in like 20 mins. They can help you request a wage transcript that shows all your W2 info. Saved me so much time and frustration tbh. The IRS can mail you a transcript or sometimes provide the info right over the phone.

I'm somewhat concerned about all these third-party services people are suggesting. Your employer is legally obligated to provide your W2, and the IRS has free services to help. Maybe try the official channels first before paying for something that might not be necessary?

I understand the skepticism, but having been through this exact situation twice, let me walk you through why people end up using these services: Step 1: Contact former employer (often takes 3-5 business days to get a response, if at all) Step 2: Try to call IRS directly (current hold times are 1.5-3 hours, with frequent disconnections) Step 3: Request wage transcript online (requires prior year AGI or account setup with ID verification) Step 4: Wait for transcript by mail (can take 5-10 business days) With the April 15th deadline approaching, many people simply don't have time for this process to play out. That's why alternatives become attractive - it's about time constraints, not avoiding official channels.

I successfully resolved this exact situation last February using the IRS Get Transcript service. You can request a Wage and Income Transcript which shows all reported W-2 information from employers. The online retrieval system requires multi-factor authentication, but once verified, you can immediately download your transcript. It contains all the data fields from your W-2 (federal income tax withheld, Social Security wages, Medicare wages, etc.) that you need for accurate filing. Just be aware that some state tax information might not be included, so you may need to estimate those portions based on your federal withholding percentages.

Just a heads-up for everyone - if you're planning to get a Wage and Income transcript from the IRS, be aware that employers have until January 31st to submit W2 information, and then it takes the IRS until mid-to-late February to process everything. As of March 26th, most 2023 W2 information should be in their system, but if you worked for a company that requested an extension or filed late, it might not show up yet. If you're in a rush, calling the former employer directly is usually fastest - just be super polite and have your current mailing address ready.