Need help: Former employer hasn't given me access to digital paystubs & W2s from last 3 years

You definitely have options here! Unfortunately, this happens more than you'd think with smaller companies. First, for your W2, if you don't receive it by February 15, you can actually contact the IRS directly. Call them at 800-829-1040, and they can start a formal complaint process against your employer. They'll need some basic info like your employer's name, address, phone number, and your dates of employment. For your past paystubs, ADP actually has a separate service called "MyADP" that's specifically for former employees. Try registering at https://my.adp.com instead of the regular app. You'll need your Social Security number and might need an email that was associated with your employment. If that doesn't work, send a formal written request (email AND certified mail) to both your former boss and his wife/HR person specifically requesting all pay documents for the past 3 years. Cite your state's labor laws regarding access to personnel records - most states require employers to provide these within 30 days of request. As a last resort, you can also request your wage and income transcript directly from the IRS for free. It won't have all the pay stub details, but it will show all W2 income reported.

After dealing with similar issues with a previous employer, I discovered taxr.ai which literally saved me during last year's tax season. When my former company wouldn't provide proper documentation, I uploaded what little I had (my final paystub and some bank statements showing deposits) to https://taxr.ai and their system helped reconstruct my tax information. The tool analyzed my partial documents and bank statements to estimate my total earnings, tax withholdings, and even helped identify potential deductions I was missing. It gave me enough information to file accurately without having to wait for my unresponsive ex-employer to get their act together. It's specifically designed for situations like yours where you don't have complete documentation but need to file taxes accurately. Might be worth checking out while you're waiting for the official documents to show up.

I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I first read about it here, but I was desperate after my previous employer's payroll system had a major data breach and they couldn't provide any of my documents. Honestly, I was shocked at how well it worked. I uploaded my bank statements showing direct deposits and one random paystub I had saved from the middle of the year. The system identified my payment pattern and calculated everything pretty accurately. When my W2 finally showed up three months late, the numbers were almost identical to what taxr.ai had estimated. The difference was less than $100 on my total income and the tax withholding was exact. Definitely saved me from having to file an extension while I waited for my employer to get their act together.

If you need to talk directly to the IRS about this issue, use Claimyr before you waste hours on hold. I had a similar W2 problem last year and needed to file a complaint against my employer, but couldn't get through to anyone at the IRS. I tried calling the IRS directly and waited 2+ hours before giving up. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you back when an agent is about to answer. I was honestly shocked when it worked. They got me connected to an actual IRS representative who helped me file a complaint against my employer for not providing my W2. The IRS then contacted my employer, and magically my W2 appeared a week later. Funny how that works!

I feel like a complete idiot for doubting that Claimyr service mentioned above. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about missing W2s from two employers, so I figured I'd try it anyway. It actually worked exactly as described. Their system called the IRS, went through all the annoying menu options, and then just waited on hold for me. I went about my day, and about 1 hour and 40 minutes later, I got a call saying an agent was about to pick up, and then I was connected directly to an IRS representative! The agent was super helpful, took down the information about both employers, and started the process of getting my missing documents. They also gave me the option to file with substitute information if I needed to meet the deadline. I don't usually follow up after being wrong, but in this case I felt I should set the record straight. This service literally saved me hours of frustration.

Have you tried contacting the ADP support directly? I had a similar issue and learned that ADP can sometimes help former employees access their info even without employer involvement. Call their main support line and specifically ask for the "former employee services" department. There's also an email: adp.formeremployees@adp.com that sometimes works. Also, if you filed taxes in previous years using those W2s, you can actually request copies of your previously filed returns from the IRS which would include the W2 information. That might help you recreate the information for previous years.

I think you should file a complaint with your state's labor department too. In most states, employers are legally required to provide access to payroll records even after employment ends. The fact that you can't reach HR is a separate violation in many states. I went through this exact nightmare scenario and my state labor board was actually super helpful. They contacted my former employer and suddenly my "impossible to solve" problem was fixed within a week.

Document everything you've tried so far - save those emails with your boss, screenshots of the ADP login issues, dates of when you requested help, etc. This paper trail will be crucial if you need to escalate to state labor authorities or the IRS. Also, since your boss keeps claiming he "can't do anything," that's simply not true. ADP's employer admin portal absolutely allows them to resend registration codes, reset employee access, or even generate new invitation links. I manage payroll for a small business and have done this for former employees multiple times. One more thing - if this company is still operating and has other employees, try reaching out to a current coworker you trust. Sometimes they can put in a word with the boss/HR or even forward your request directly to whoever actually handles the ADP admin duties (it might not even be the boss himself). The fact that HR is the boss's wife with no direct contact method is definitely problematic from a business practices standpoint, even if not strictly illegal depending on company size and your state's laws.

I went through something very similar last year with a small company that kept giving me the runaround on accessing my ADP records. Here's what finally worked for me: First, send one final formal written request via certified mail to both your former boss AND his wife (if you can find her name/address). Include language like "This is my final request for access to my payroll records as required under [your state] labor law. Failure to provide access within 30 days may result in filing complaints with appropriate state and federal agencies." Second, while you're waiting, definitely file complaints with both your state's Department of Labor AND the IRS. For the IRS, you can call the business tax line at 800-829-4933 and report that your employer isn't providing required tax documents. They take this seriously and will contact your employer directly. Third, document EVERYTHING - save those useless activation links he sent, screenshot the ADP error messages, keep records of every time you asked for help. This creates a clear pattern of non-compliance. The nuclear option (which worked for me) was threatening to file a complaint with the Department of Labor for wage and hour violations. Even if you were paid correctly, employers get very nervous about ANY DOL investigation because they often uncover other issues. My former employer suddenly "found a way" to fix my ADP access within 48 hours of that threat. Don't let them wear you down - you have legal rights to these documents!

Just want to add another potential resource that helped me in a similar situation - contact your state's attorney general's office. Many states have consumer protection divisions that handle employer-employee disputes, and they often have more teeth than the Department of Labor when it comes to getting quick responses. I had a former employer who was similarly unresponsive about providing W2s and payroll records. After filing a complaint with my state AG's consumer protection unit, they sent an official letter to my employer within a week. The company called me within 3 days of receiving that letter to resolve the issue. The nice thing about the AG route is that they often handle these complaints for free, and employers tend to take them very seriously because they can lead to broader investigations into business practices. You can usually file these complaints online through your state's AG website. Just search for "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint" and you should find the right form. Include all the documentation others have mentioned - the failed attempts to get help, screenshots of ADP errors, and any correspondence with your former employer. Between the IRS complaint, state labor board, and AG office, you're creating pressure from multiple angles that will be very difficult for them to ignore.

I went through almost this exact same situation two years ago with a small family-run business that used ADP. The "HR is the boss's wife" setup is unfortunately pretty common with smaller companies, and you're right that it creates all kinds of problems for accessing your rights as an employee. Here's what I learned: ADP has a specific escalation process for situations where the employer is unresponsive. If you call their main line and specifically ask to speak with their "Employee Access Resolution Team," they can sometimes bypass the normal employer authorization requirements, especially if you can demonstrate that your employer is being unresponsive to reasonable requests. You'll need to provide them with evidence of your attempts to get help from your employer - save those emails and document the dates you asked for help. ADP keeps logs of when employers access their admin portal, so they can actually see if your boss is actively ignoring requests or genuinely having technical issues. Also, I'd strongly recommend sending one final email to both your boss AND his wife (if you can find her email address) with a very professional but firm tone. Something like: "This is my final request for access to my payroll records as required by law. If I don't receive a resolution within 10 business days, I will be filing complaints with the appropriate state and federal agencies." Then follow through if they don't respond. The key is creating a paper trail that shows you tried to resolve this reasonably before escalating to government agencies. Good luck!