TurboTax already found my W2 - is this normal before receiving it in mail?

This is actually pretty normal! TurboTax and other major tax filing services have partnerships with many large employers and payroll providers that allow them to access W2 information electronically as soon as it's submitted to the IRS. This is part of their "Import W2" feature. Your previous employer has likely already filed your W2 with the IRS (they're required to do this by January 31), and TurboTax is able to access this information through their database connections. It's completely legitimate and actually a really helpful feature since you don't have to manually enter all that information. That said, it's always a good practice to verify the imported information against your actual W2 when you receive it. Occasionally there might be discrepancies or the wrong W2 might be imported (though this is rare). Just double-check the numbers when your paper W2 arrives, but there's no need to delay filing if everything else looks correct.

I went through this same stress last year! I was super skeptical when TurboTax had my W2 info before I got it in the mail. I ended up checking out this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me understand what was happening with my tax documents. Basically, companies submit your W2 electronically to the Social Security Administration by January 31, and TurboTax can access this information through their partnerships with employers and payroll processors. The taxr.ai service explained exactly how my information was being accessed and confirmed everything was legit. They have this cool document verification feature that compares your digital W2 data against what's on file with the IRS. I was moving between states too (Texas to Washington), and they helped me verify both state tax situations. Gave me total peace of mind that everything was correct before I submitted.

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was actually super helpful! I was worried about my multi-state W2 situation just like the original poster, and they confirmed that TurboTax had imported my correct info. They also caught a mistake with my state tax allocation that would have cost me about $340. The service showed me exactly what percentage of my income was properly allocated to each state based on my residency dates, which I didn't realize I had entered incorrectly in TurboTax. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with a multi-state return!

If you're still waiting on your W2 and stressed about the filing deadline, I totally recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly. I was in the same boat last year - moved states, waiting on W2s, and total confusion. I called the IRS like 8 times and kept getting the "due to high call volume" message and hung up on. Then I found Claimyr and they got me through to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my W2 information had been filed electronically and matched what TurboTax was showing. They also helped me figure out how to handle the multi-state situation correctly. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they hold your place in the IRS phone queue so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. Life-changing if you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS!

Ok I have to eat my words. After being so skeptical I decided to try Claimyr anyway out of desperation because I really needed to talk to the IRS about my W2 situation. It actually worked! I got a call back in about 30 minutes and talked to a real IRS agent who confirmed my electronic W2 was already in their system and matched what TurboTax was showing me. The agent also explained that employers have to submit W2s electronically to the SSA by January 31, but they have until February 28 to mail paper copies to employees - which explains why TurboTax often has the info before you get your paper copy. I've been filing wrong for years apparently! The agent also helped me understand how to correctly handle my multi-state situation since I moved mid-year too. Seriously surprising that it actually worked after years of never being able to get through.

If you're rlly concerned, just compare what turbotax has with ur actual w2 when it arrives? I do that every year and they've always matched 100%. The electronic version is what matters to the IRS anyway, the paper is just for your records basically. Also, make sure ull check that state tax was withheld properly when u moved. I moved CA to TX last year and my employer messed up and kept withholding CA tax even tho I wasnt living there anymore. Had to file for a refund from CA for those months. Multistate returns are a pain!!!

FYI - employers must make W2s electronically available by January 31 but have until Feb 28 to MAIL them. Your W2 was probably available on your employer's HR portal way before you got the paper copy. TurboTax partners with ADP, Paycom, etc so they can pull W2s electronically as soon as they're available!