Where can I locate my missing W2s from previous years??

You're actually in a better position than you might think! There are several ways to find your missing W2s: 1) Contact your former employers' HR departments. They're required to keep these records and can provide copies of your W2s. 2) Get them directly from the IRS by requesting a "Wage and Income Transcript." This shows all information reported to the IRS including your W2s. You can get this online at IRS.gov by creating an account, or by submitting Form 4506-T. 3) If you used any tax preparation service in the past (even for earlier years), they might have your W2 information in their system. 4) Check your email - some employers send electronic W2s or provide access through employee portals. Don't panic about penalties yet. While you should file as soon as possible, if you're OWED refunds, there's generally no penalty for filing late. If you OWE money, penalties accumulate, but getting into compliance is the important first step.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year trying to file 3 years of back taxes. I spent HOURS on hold with previous employers and the IRS with no luck. Then I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much time and stress. They have this tool that can pull your tax documents from previous years including all your W2s. I uploaded some basic identity verification stuff and within a day, they had retrieved ALL my missing W2s and 1099s from the past 4 years. I was able to file everything and even got some decent refunds! Seriously, saved me from what was becoming a complete nightmare. The interface was super easy to use too.

I wanted to update after my skeptical question about taxr.ai - I actually tried it and I'm shocked at how well it worked. I was missing W2s from 2021-2023 and had the same concerns about privacy, but the verification process was legit and secure. Within 24 hours, I had access to ALL my missing tax documents including some 1099-K forms I didn't even know existed from a brief stint doing TaskRabbit. The interface made it super simple to download everything I needed. Just filed all my back taxes last weekend and it was way less painful than I expected! Really grateful I found this service instead of spending weeks tracking down former employers.

If you're trying to get actual help from the IRS directly, good luck getting through their phone lines! I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about my missing W2s. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold FOR YOU, then calls you when an actual human agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to verify which tax years I needed to file and the agent walked me through requesting all my income transcripts. Saved me literally days of hold time and frustration. I was super skeptical that anything could actually get through to the IRS but it worked perfectly.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway out of desperation - and wow. It actually worked exactly as described. I set up the call around 10am, and at 11:23am I got a call connecting me to a real live IRS agent. The agent was super helpful and pulled up all my tax information from the last 4 years including every W2 and 1099 on file. They even helped me set up a payment plan for what I owed. I've spent MONTHS trying to get through to the IRS with no success. Cannot believe I wasted so much time on hold when this service existed. If you're trying to sort out years of unfiled taxes like me, this is absolutely worth it.

Another option nobody mentioned - check your old email accounts for electronic W2s! Many employers switched to electronic delivery in recent years. I found 3 years of W2s just sitting in an old gmail account I rarely check. Search for "W2" or the employer name + "tax document" and you might get lucky!

Just want to share that your state's Department of Revenue may also have your W2 information! I couldn't get my federal transcript because of identity verification issues, but my state had all my W2 info for the past 5 years that I could download immediately after creating an account on their website. This worked for me in Minnesota, but worth checking for your state too!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! Here's what worked for me after trying everything: First, definitely try the IRS Wage and Income Transcript like others mentioned - but be prepared for their identity verification to be a pain. I had to mail in Form 4506-T because their online system kept rejecting me. For the gig work (Uber, DoorDash, etc.), those companies are actually pretty good about keeping records. Log into your driver accounts if you still can - a lot of them have tax document sections where you can download old 1099s. One thing that saved me time: if you worked somewhere that used ADP, Paychex, or other big payroll companies, try creating an account directly with them. Many of my old W2s were available there even when the actual employers were unhelpful. Don't stress too much about penalties if you're getting refunds - you won't owe anything extra for filing late. If you do owe money, the IRS is usually willing to work with you on payment plans, especially if you're making a good faith effort to get compliant. The hardest part is just getting started, but once you have all your documents, filing multiple years isn't as bad as it seems. You've got this!