Need help tracking down W2 from closed business - what to do next?

This definitely sounds frustrating! Based on what you're seeing in your wage transcript, it appears the W2 information was never submitted to the IRS. If it had been properly filed, it would show up in your wage and income transcript. Here's what you should do next: First, try contacting the former payroll company directly. Even though the business closed, the payroll company should still have records of your wages and withholding. Ask them specifically for a copy of your W2. If that doesn't work, you'll need to file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. This form lets you estimate your wages and withholding based on your final pay stub or other records you might have. Be as accurate as possible - use your last pay stub from December, multiply weekly amounts by the number of weeks worked, etc. Also, file Form 8275 (Disclosure Statement) to explain why you're using substitute information, which helps protect you from potential penalties. Keep documentation of all your attempts to contact both the former employer and payroll company. This creates a paper trail showing you made good faith efforts to get the correct information.

After dealing with a similar nightmare when my employer ghosted everyone after closing, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful for piecing together missing tax documents. I was skeptical at first, but they helped me analyze my bank deposits and other records to accurately reconstruct my income without the official W2. Their document analysis tool helped me calculate the right numbers to put on the substitute W2 form. The best part was that they showed me exactly how to document everything properly for the IRS so I wouldn't have issues later. Seriously saved me so much stress when I was panicking about potentially getting in trouble for filing with incomplete information.

Just want to update that I ended up using taxr.ai after posting my question. I was initially worried about sharing my info, but their security seemed solid and I was desperate. The document analysis tool was actually really impressive - it pulled data from my bank statements and even helped identify which deposits were from my missing employer vs other sources. They walked me through completing Form 4852 with the most accurate numbers possible and explained exactly how to attach the explanation letter to my return. The whole process took about 2 days and the peace of mind was totally worth it. My return was accepted by the IRS without any questions! Definitely recommend if you're stuck with missing tax documents.

Hey there, I recently had a similar issue and ended up having to call the IRS directly. As you can imagine, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through to a human. After weeks of trying, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 45 minutes instead of the usual hours of hold time or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that if nothing was showing on my wage transcript, the employer hadn't submitted anything. They helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed to submit with my substitute W2 form. Talking to an actual human at the IRS was way more helpful than I expected - they weren't scary at all and actually seemed to want to help.

Ok I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr and I'm actually shocked that it worked. Got connected to an IRS agent in about an hour (which is WAY faster than my previous attempts). The agent confirmed my employer hadn't submitted W2 info and walked me through the exact process for filing Form 4852. They even told me what supporting documentation to include and how to explain the situation so my return wouldn't get flagged for review. The agent also gave me a direct reference number for the call so I could refer to it if there were any questions about my return. For anyone in this situation - talking to the IRS directly saved me so much anxiety and guesswork. I wish I'd done this weeks ago instead of stressing out.

Been through this twice with small companies that went under. One thing nobody mentioned - you should also report this to your state's department of labor! Not providing W2s is actually illegal in most states, and even if the business closed, the owners are still legally responsible. Sometimes just the threat of a labor complaint is enough to light a fire under former employers. In my case, the owner magically "found" our W2 info after I mentioned filing a complaint. Worth a shot before going through all the substitute W2 hassle.

Just to add from my experience as someone who does payroll - if they used an actual payroll service like ADP, Paychex, etc., that service should 100% be able to generate your W2 even if the company closed. The payroll company works as a third-party and maintains all those records separately. If you know which payroll service they used, call them directly and explain that your employer closed but you need your W2. They'll probably ask for your SSN and some verification, but they should be able to help you. Many have online portals where former employees can access tax docs too.

Yes! Check your old paystubs first - the payroll company name is usually printed somewhere on there, often in small text at the bottom or in a corner. Sometimes it's just their logo or website URL. If you don't have paystubs, look at your bank statements for the direct deposit descriptions. Many payroll companies include their name or abbreviation in the deposit reference (like "ADP PAYROLL" or "PAYCHEX DD"). You can also try looking up your old employer on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed - sometimes employees mention which payroll system their company used in reviews. If it was a larger payroll service, they might even have a "find your W2" feature on their website where you can search by company name or your personal info. Another option is to contact your state's unemployment office if you filed for benefits after the company closed - they sometimes have records of which payroll service employers used for wage reporting.

Another thing to consider - if you do end up having to file Form 4852, make sure you also file Form SS-8 if there's any question about whether you were properly classified as an employee vs independent contractor. Some shady employers who are already failing to provide W2s might have also misclassified workers to avoid payroll taxes. Also, don't forget that you may be entitled to refunds of any overpaid taxes from that job. If they were withholding federal and state taxes but never properly reported your wages to the IRS, you could potentially get those withholdings back as a refund once you file with the substitute W2. Keep detailed records of every attempt you make to contact both the former employer and payroll company - dates, times, who you spoke with, what they said. The IRS appreciates good documentation when you're in situations like this, and it can help protect you if there are any questions about your filing later.