When Do W2s Appear in IRS Online Account? "Information Return Documents Unavailable" Despite Employer Claiming Submission

Just checked my IRS account and it shows 'Information Return Documents Unavailable' with a message saying "There are no information return documents at this time." I'm really concerned about this since I'm waiting for these documents to file my taxes. When I look at my account, I see this exact message: "Information Return Documents Unavailable There are no information return documents at this time. Information returns are filed and required to be reported to the IRS by employers, financial institutions, government agencies, and other payers. They provide information that can help you file your taxes. Information returns for the current tax year will be made available in your online account as the IRS receives them, although you may receive them earlier (or later) from the issuer. Information on this page is updated on a weekly basis. Report all your income on your tax return where required, even income not shown on this page." There's even a link at the bottom that says "For more information visit our FAQs" and a "Disclaimer Notice" at the very bottom. I'm worried because I need my W2s and other tax documents to file my return. My employer said they submitted everything already, but nothing is showing up in my IRS account. Is this normal? When should I expect to see these documents appear in my account? I know tax season is approaching and I don't want to miss any deadlines. Should I just wait another week since it says the information is updated weekly? Or should I contact my employer to confirm they actually submitted everything correctly?

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12 comments

Nia Thompson

The IRS portal is showing a standard temporary unavailability message for your information returns, which is expected at this point in the tax season. The OCR text shows three key pieces of information: first, that information returns are required submissions from employers and financial institutions; second, that documents will appear in your online account as they're processed by the IRS; and third, that the system updates weekly. This timing is particularly relevant since employers legally have until January 31st to submit W2s to the IRS. Even after submission, there's typically a processing delay of 2-3 weeks before documents appear in your online account. Important to note is the IRS's explicit reminder that you must report all income regardless of what shows in their system - this protects you from any potential filing oversights. The "Information Return Documents Unavailable" message is their standard placeholder until they begin processing 2023 tax year documents. You should start seeing your documents populate in the system starting early February, though some may appear later depending on when your employers and financial institutions submit them. If you've already received physical or electronic copies of your W2s and other tax documents directly from your employers or financial institutions, you can proceed with filing your taxes without waiting for them to appear in the IRS system.

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