Need my old W-2 from 2022 but former employer won't help - how to get it for mortgage?

You have a few options to get your 2022 W-2 without relying on your former employer: 1. Request a Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS. This contains all the information from your W-2 and is actually what most mortgage lenders will accept as an alternative. You can request this online through the IRS website by creating an account at irs.gov and using the "Get Transcript" service. The transcript shows all the same information as your W-2. 2. If you filed your taxes for 2022, check with your tax preparer or the tax software you used - they likely have a copy of all your tax documents including W-2s. 3. If you have your final paystub from 2022, that often contains year-to-date information that covers what's on your W-2, and some lenders will accept this as an alternative. The Wage and Income Transcript is probably your fastest and easiest solution given your employer isn't cooperating.

I had the exact same problem last year trying to get W-2s from a company that went out of business. I spent weeks getting nowhere until someone told me about taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was honestly a lifesaver. I uploaded my tax return from 2022 and some other documents I had, and their system helped me figure out all my options for replacing the missing W-2. It also helped me understand exactly what information my mortgage lender actually needed vs what they were asking for (turns out they didn't specifically need the W-2 itself). The analysis showed me I could use my last paystub combined with my tax transcript, and explained exactly how to request everything properly. Saved me so much time and stress!

Just wanted to update - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it worked perfectly for my situation! I was trying to get copies of my 2021 and 2022 tax docs for a student loan application. The system analyzed what I needed and showed me that for my specific lender, I could actually use the Account Transcript instead of the Wage and Income Transcript, which was available immediately online. It also showed me how to properly download and save the PDFs in the format my lender needed. The step-by-step guidance on navigating the IRS website saved me so much time - I had my documents within 20 minutes instead of waiting days or weeks. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck like I was!

For anyone dealing with the nightmare of trying to call the IRS - after 23 attempts over 2 weeks trying to get my W-2 issue resolved, I finally found a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a human at the IRS in under 45 minutes. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls you when an actual person picks up. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super desperate because my mortgage closing was getting delayed specifically because of missing this 2022 W-2. The IRS agent I finally spoke to was able to verify my information and expedite sending me the Wage and Income Transcript I needed.

I need to eat my words and apologize for being so skeptical. After nothing worked for weeks trying to reach the IRS about my missing W-2, I broke down and tried Claimyr yesterday out of desperation. I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 35 minutes, which is INSANE considering I had wasted hours upon hours trying to reach someone before. The agent told me exactly how to get my Wage and Income Transcript and even stayed on the line while I created an account on the IRS website to make sure I was doing it right. Just submitted all the paperwork to my mortgage lender this morning with the transcript instead of the W-2, and they've already confirmed it's sufficient. Can't believe I wasted 3 weeks when I could have solved this in a day!

For the future, keep all your important tax documents in a folder or scan them. I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago. Now I immediately scan every tax document and save it to a password-protected folder that's backed up to the cloud.

If you filed your 2022 taxes with TurboTax, H&R Block, or most other tax software, you can literally just log back into your account and download a copy of your W-2. I had the same problem and completely forgot I could do this until my sister reminded me!

I work in mortgage lending and we accept the IRS Wage and Income Transcript in place of W-2s ALL THE TIME. It's actually preferred because it comes directly from the IRS and we know it hasn't been altered. Just make sure when you download it that you get the official PDF version and not just the web view.

Also want to mention that if you're having trouble with the IRS online identity verification process (which can be tricky), you can request transcripts by mail using Form 4506-T. It takes longer (usually 5-10 business days) but it's a reliable backup option if the online system isn't working for you. Just make sure to check the box for "Wage and Income Transcript" on the form, not just "Tax Return Transcript" - they're different documents and your mortgage lender specifically needs the wage information. You can download Form 4506-T directly from the IRS website and mail it to the address listed in the instructions. Given that your mortgage broker is getting impatient, I'd try the online transcript option first since it's immediate, but it's good to know you have this backup if needed!