My previous employer Walgreens didn't file anything for my federal taxes - what steps do I take now?

8 This happens more often than you'd think! Based on what you're describing, Walgreens likely failed to file your W-2 with the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is then shared with the IRS. Here's what you should do: First, contact Walgreens' HR department or payroll immediately. Request that they issue your W-2 and file it properly with the SSA. Be persistent - you might need to escalate this to higher management if the initial contact doesn't help. Second, if you have your final paystubs from Walgreens, these will be extremely valuable. They show what was withheld from your checks and provide evidence that you were indeed paying taxes. Third, if Walgreens doesn't resolve this within a reasonable timeframe (I'd say 2-3 weeks), you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your tax return. This allows you to report your income and withholding based on your paystubs when an employer fails to provide a W-2. You should also file a complaint with the IRS about Walgreens not providing your W-2 by calling 800-829-1040. The IRS will then contact Walgreens on your behalf.

14 I went through an almost identical situation with a previous employer! After weeks of going back and forth with HR and getting nowhere, I finally used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help sort through my paystubs and create the documentation I needed. It saved me so much stress because the tool analyzed my pay stubs, identified all the withholdings, and helped me properly document everything for the substitute W-2 form. The best part was that it guided me through exactly what to submit to the IRS and gave me a clear record for my files. I uploaded my last paystub and it basically did all the calculations and paperwork preparation for me. Much easier than trying to manually figure out year-to-date totals and tax withholdings myself!

19 Just wanted to update everyone - I ended up using taxr.ai like you suggested and it was seriously a lifesaver! I was initially super skeptical (as you could probably tell from my question), but after fighting with Walgreens HR for two weeks and getting nowhere, I decided to give it a try. The tool actually guided me through extracting all the relevant tax information from my paystubs and helped me prepare a perfectly formatted Form 4852. I submitted everything last week, and I just got notification that my refund is being processed! What really impressed me was how it explained each step and what information the IRS needed. Much better than the generic advice I was getting from Walgreens, which was basically just "we'll look into it" with no follow-up. Thanks for the recommendation!

5 I had a similar issue with a different employer last year. After getting nowhere with their HR department for weeks, I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual IRS agent to resolve the issue. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Was honestly shocked that it worked - I had spent HOURS trying to reach someone at the IRS before that. The agent I spoke with was able to put a note on my account about the missing W-2 from the employer and gave me specific instructions on how to proceed. They also sent an official notice to my former employer about their failure to file. Instead of waiting in phone queues forever, I got connected in about 15 minutes and had actual next steps to take. Completely changed my approach to dealing with the IRS.

3 I can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried Claimyr after posting that skeptical comment, and it actually worked exactly as described. After my third attempt waiting on hold with the IRS and getting nowhere (and missing half a day of work in the process), I figured it was worth a shot. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes, and they were incredibly helpful. They confirmed that Walgreens hadn't submitted any W-2 documentation for me and immediately sent them an official notice. The agent also put detailed notes on my account about the situation and gave me a direct reference number for follow-up. The agent walked me through completing Form 4852 based on my paystubs and told me exactly how to submit it. They said this would allow my return to be processed without further delays. Wish I had done this weeks ago instead of stressing and waiting!

17 Check your last pay stub from Walgreens! This happened to me with a different employer, and I was able to use my final pay stub (which had year-to-date totals) to fill out the substitute W-2 form. Your last pay stub should show all federal income tax withheld for the year up to that point. Also, keep documentation of all your attempts to contact Walgreens about this. If they're being difficult, you might want to report them to your state's labor department too, not just the IRS. Many states have penalties for employers who don't provide W-2s.

22 Has anyone tried just getting a wage and income transcript directly from the IRS? Sometimes they have your income info from other sources even if the W-2 wasn't properly filed.

This is unfortunately becoming more common with larger employers. I had a similar situation with a retail chain a few years back. Here's what worked for me: 1. **Document everything** - Keep records of all your paystubs, any communication attempts with Walgreens, and when you contacted the IRS. This creates a paper trail. 2. **Try multiple channels with Walgreens** - Don't just call HR. Try emailing their corporate payroll department, and if that doesn't work, reach out through their corporate website contact form. Sometimes different departments are more responsive. 3. **Set a deadline** - Give Walgreens a reasonable timeframe (like 10 business days) to provide your W-2, then move to the next step if they don't respond. 4. **File Form SS-8** with the Social Security Administration if you believe you were misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee. This sometimes happens with employers trying to avoid their tax obligations. The key is being persistent but methodical. Large corporations like Walgreens have procedures for this, but sometimes you need to escalate to get someone who actually knows what they're doing. Don't let them brush you off with "we'll look into it" - ask for specific timelines and follow-up dates. Your refund will definitely be delayed, but the IRS understands this isn't your fault. Stay on top of it and you'll get it resolved!