Where can I get my missing W2's for this year's tax filing?

Would the wage and income transcript from the IRS website show up right away? Or is there a delay between when employers submit W2 info and when it appears in the system? I'm in a similar situation but need to file like ASAP.

There's typically a delay of a few weeks between when employers submit W2 information and when it appears in the IRS system. If your employers just recently submitted their information, it might not be available in the transcript yet. If you need to file immediately and can't wait, you can use Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) as a replacement. You'll need to estimate your wages and withholding as accurately as possible - your final pay stub of the year is really helpful for this if you have it.

Does taxr.ai actually help you fill out the substitute form or does it just tell you which numbers to use? I have my final paystub but I'm confused about how to translate that into the W2 format.

I'm a bit skeptical about using AI for tax stuff. How accurate is it really? Wouldn't want to mess up my taxes and get audited because some computer misinterpreted my paystub data.

It actually helps you understand where each number from your paystub needs to go on the substitute form. It identifies things like your gross wages, federal income tax withheld, social security and Medicare taxes, and explains which box each amount belongs in on Form 4852. Super helpful when you're trying to figure out the different withholding categories. The accuracy has been excellent in my experience. It's not just randomly guessing - it's analyzing the structure of your paystub and identifying specific tax-related fields. I was concerned about that too, but you still review everything before submitting to the IRS, so you can double-check the numbers. It just eliminates the confusion of trying to figure out which numbers go where.

How does this even work? Are they somehow jumping the phone queue or something? The IRS phone line seems literally impossible to get through on.

This sounds like BS honestly. I've been calling the IRS for WEEKS and can't get through. How could some random service magically get you to the front of the line? Sounds like a scam to me.

They use an automated system that keeps dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree for you until they get a human, then they call you and connect you. It's basically doing all the redial work for you so you don't have to waste your whole day. I had the exact same reaction when I first heard about it! I was super skeptical too. But it actually works - they're not doing anything shady, just automating the tedious process of getting through the phone maze. I was connected to a real IRS agent who pulled up my tax records and confirmed which W2s had been filed under my SSN. Saved me days of frustration.

Do you know if you can still access those systems if you no longer work for the company? I left my job last August but never set up the payroll portal while I worked there.

You can usually still access them even if you no longer work there. The accounts stay active for tax purposes. If you never set up the portal, you might need to register for the first time - you'll typically need your SSN, DOB, and sometimes a company code (you can call the payroll company's support line to get this). If it's ADP specifically, go to their website and look for "First Time User" registration. Similar process with other payroll services. They'll verify your identity and then you should be able to access all your tax documents!

I tried that with H&R Block's software but it only worked for my current employer. Couldn't pull any data from my previous jobs. Might depend on which payroll system the company uses.