Missing my W-2 form - can I still file my tax return without it?

You definitely can still file your tax return without the original W-2 form! This is actually a common situation. The IRS provides a few options for people in your position. Your first step should be to request a wage and income transcript directly from the IRS. This will show all the information that was reported to the IRS, including your W-2 data. You can request this online through the IRS website, by mail using Form 4506-T, or by calling the IRS. The transcript is free and will show everything that was reported on your W-2. If you can't get the transcript for some reason, try contacting your former employer's HR department or payroll provider. Even with new management, they should have records or be able to direct you to the company that handled their payroll. As a last resort, you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. You'll need to estimate your wages and withholding as accurately as possible based on your final paystubs or bank statements.

After struggling with a similar situation (lost W-2 from a job I had in 2022), I found this service called taxr.ai that was really helpful. I uploaded some of my bank statements showing my deposits, and their system was able to analyze everything and help me reconstruct what my tax situation was. The thing that surprised me was how their system could look at my deposit patterns and help estimate what was likely withheld based on my income level. I was able to use that info with the Form 4852 that the previous person mentioned. Check it out at https://taxr.ai if you're having trouble getting your transcript or reaching your old employer. It saved me hours of stress trying to figure out all those numbers on my own.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. It was exactly what I needed for my missing W-2 situation! Uploaded my bank statements for those 3 years I mentioned, and it organized everything by year and employer based on the deposit patterns. The system flagged which deposits were likely paychecks versus other transfers. What really helped was the withholding calculator feature that showed me the estimated tax breakdown based on my income level during those years. Used that info to file Form 4852 for each year, and my returns have been accepted without any issues. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the same boat.

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS for your wage transcript (which is honestly the best option), I'd recommend trying Claimyr to get past those ridiculous hold times. I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS to help with my missing W-2 situation. With Claimyr, I got through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have this system that waits on hold for you and calls you back when an agent picks up. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it's pretty straightforward. Their website is https://claimyr.com if you want to check it out. The IRS agent was able to look up all my W-2 information and tell me exactly what was reported. Way easier than trying to guess the numbers or track down my old employer who wasn't returning my calls.

I was totally skeptical about Claimyr (as you can see from my comment above), but after another failed attempt to reach the IRS on my own (2+ hours on hold before getting disconnected), I decided to give it a shot. Not gonna lie, it worked exactly as advertised. Their system handled the whole wait time, and I got a call back when an actual IRS person was on the line. The agent pulled up my missing W-2 information in minutes, and I wrote down everything I needed for my return. I've been beating my head against the wall for weeks trying to get this information, so I'm actually kind of annoyed I didn't try this sooner. Would have saved me a ton of frustration and wasted time.

Another option nobody mentioned yet - check your last paystub from that job if you still have it. The last paystub of the year usually has the year-to-date totals for all your earnings and withholdings, which is basically the same info that's on your W-2. I lost my W-2 a few years back but found my last December paystub in an old email, and it had everything I needed. Just make sure it's the final paystub that shows the complete year.

Has anyone tried just calling the SSA instead of the IRS? They have all the W-2 info too and sometimes their phone lines aren't as busy. Worked for me last year when I couldn't get my W-2 from a company that went out of business.