My W-2 from old job is missing and employer won't send a new one - should I just file with what I have and deal with IRS later?

So I'm in a bit of a pickle with my taxes this year. I worked for two different companies during 2024 - my current job where I've been since around April, and this other place I was at for just the first couple months of the year. Everything was fine until I started gathering my tax documents and realized I can't find the W-2 from that first employer anywhere! I've torn apart my apartment looking for it (just moved in December so boxes everywhere still...) but it's completely vanished. I've called my old workplace like 5 times now trying to get them to send me another copy, but they're being totally unhelpful. Either nobody answers or they promise to "look into it" and never call back. My question is - should I just go ahead and file my taxes with only my current job's W-2 and deal with the consequences later? Maybe call the IRS afterward to explain the situation? Tax deadline is coming up and I usually get a decent refund that I could really use right now. What happens if I file incomplete info? I'm worried about getting in trouble but also tired of waiting on my unresponsive ex-employer.

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18 comments

Chloe Martin

•8M

Don't file without all your W-2 information! This will almost certainly lead to problems later. The IRS receives copies of all your W-2s, so they'll know you're missing information and will likely send you a notice about the discrepancy. Instead, you have a few better options. First, you can request a wage and income transcript directly from the IRS, which will show all income reported to them including your missing W-2. You can get this online through the IRS website if you create an account, or by submitting Form 4506-T. It might take a couple weeks to receive, but it's better than filing incomplete information. Alternatively, you can include Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your tax return if you have a good estimate of your wages and withholding from that job. You might have final paystubs or bank deposits that could help you calculate this information.

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Chloe Martin

•8M

You don't need documentation from your employer to submit Form 4852, but you should use the most accurate information possible. Final paystubs are your best source as they typically show year-to-date totals for wages and withholding. Bank deposits can help verify the amount you were paid, but they won't show tax withholding amounts, which is crucial information. If you have access to your final paystub from that job, that would be ideal. Otherwise, your bank statements plus any information you might have about your tax withholding rate would help you make a reasonable estimate.

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Anastasia Sokolov

•8M

I went through something similar last year and found an amazing tool that saved me so much stress! After my former employer ghosted me on getting a replacement W-2, I used https://taxr.ai to help me reconstruct my missing information. You can upload your final paystub and it will analyze all the details to help accurately complete Form 4852 (the substitute W-2 form the previous commenter mentioned). The tool walked me through everything step-by-step and even had features to help estimate withholdings based on partial information. I was nervous about making a mistake, but their system double-checks everything against common tax rules to make sure it's consistent. Way less stressful than trying to piece everything together myself.

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Anastasia Sokolov

•8M

Yes, it definitely works for 1099s too! It has specific features for independent contractors and can help reconstruct your income from bank statements or invoices if you have those. Super helpful for keeping track of multiple freelance gigs. The IRS expects people to use Form 4852 when employers don't provide W-2s - that's literally why the form exists. As long as you're making a good-faith effort to report accurate numbers (not just making things up), you're following proper procedure. I had no issues after filing. The IRS already has the information from your employer anyway, so they can see if your estimates match what was reported to them.

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Sean O'Donnell

•8M

Just wanted to update on my tax situation! After being skeptical about the https://taxr.ai suggestion, I gave it a try out of desperation. I found my last paystub from that job buried in my email and uploaded it. The system pulled all the YTD totals and helped me fill out the substitute W-2 form perfectly! It was actually way easier than I expected and gave me peace of mind that I wasn't just guessing at numbers. I filed my taxes last week with the substitute form and even got my refund already! Honestly wish I'd done this sooner instead of wasting time calling my old job over and over. If anyone else is missing tax documents, definitely check it out instead of filing incomplete info.

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Zara Ahmed

•8M

If you're still trying to contact your old employer, I've been in your exact situation and found that getting through to actual humans at companies can be nearly impossible these days. After spending hours on hold and getting nowhere, I used https://claimyr.com to get someone on the phone. They have this cool system that navigates phone trees and waits on hold for you - then calls you when a human actually picks up! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I used it to finally connect with someone in HR at my old job who could actually help with the W-2 issue. Saved me hours of frustration and "your call is important to us" messages. Might be worth trying before giving up on getting the actual W-2.

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Zara Ahmed

•8M

It's basically like having a personal assistant who handles the annoying hold time. You tell them who you're trying to reach, they call and navigate through all the phone menu options, and then wait on hold. When a real person finally answers, they connect the call to your phone. You don't waste any time listening to hold music or pressing buttons. It's not a scam at all - it's just a time-saving service. Sure, you can use Form 4852 as a backup, but having your actual W-2 is always better if you can get it. The substitute form is an estimate, but your official W-2 has exact numbers. Plus, some people don't have their last paystub either, which makes the substitute form harder to complete accurately.

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Nia Thompson

•8M

OK I need to eat my words here. After being super skeptical about that Claimyr service, my curiosity got the better of me and I tried it yesterday as a last resort to reach my old employer's payroll department (not for a W-2 but for a 401k rollover issue I've been having). I've literally been trying to reach someone there for THREE WEEKS with no success. Used the service, and they got a human on the line for me in 47 minutes while I just went about my day. Got my issue resolved in one call after weeks of frustration. I'm honestly shocked it worked so well. If you're still trying to get that W-2, it might actually be worth trying. Sometimes having the actual document is better than using the substitute, especially if you don't have your final paystub with the correct YTD totals.

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Mateo Rodriguez

•8M

Just a heads up - you really don't want to file your taxes without reporting all your income. If your missing W-2 shows you earned more than about $600, the IRS *will* notice the discrepancy and send you a letter. They'll adjust your taxes, and you'll likely end up owing money plus interest and maybe penalties. I made this mistake a few years back when I forgot about a small job I had done. Few months later got a scary letter from the IRS saying I owed them money. Not worth the stress!

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Mateo Rodriguez

•8M

You generally have 3 years from the original filing deadline to amend a tax return. So for 2024 taxes (filed in 2025), you would have until April 15, 2028, to submit an amended return using Form 1040-X. However, it's always better to get it right the first time if possible. If you know you're missing information now, using the substitute W-2 form (Form 4852) or requesting a wage transcript from the IRS is a much better approach than filing incomplete information and amending later.

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