Where do I mail Form 4852 when employer won't send W2?

The Form 4852 should be attached to your tax return when you file. It's not something you mail separately. You'll include it with your 1040 when you submit your return. If you're filing by mail, you'll send it to the IRS service center for your state. The addresses are available on the IRS website under "Where to File." The exact address depends on whether you're enclosing a payment and which state you live in. If you're e-filing, the tax software should have options to include Form 4852 as an attachment, and you'll just need to enter all the information from your completed form into the program. Remember to allow extra time for processing when using Form 4852 since the IRS will need to verify the information you've provided.

After struggling with a similar situation last year (employer went out of business and never sent W-2s), I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure out exactly what to do with Form 4852. They have this document analyzer tool that reviews your form before you submit it to make sure everything looks right. I was super confused about what to put in Box 7 and Box 8 since my pay stubs didn't break things down the same way as the W-2 would have. The tool pointed out a calculation error I made that could have caused problems. It also gave me the exact instructions for my state on where to mail everything. Seriously saved me hours of stress!

Just wanted to update on my situation - I ended up trying taxr.ai that was mentioned earlier and it was seriously helpful. My issue was somewhat different (missing 1099 rather than W-2), but the document analyzer walked me through exactly what I needed to do for my substitute form. The best part was it showed me what parts of my form might trigger IRS questions and helped me add the right documentation to avoid delays. Also gave me the correct mailing address for my state (which was different than what I thought!). I filed three weeks ago and already got my refund, which I wasn't expecting with a substitute form situation. Definitely recommend if you're stuck like I was!

If you're still having trouble with your employer, you should try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation where my former employer wouldn't respond about my W-2, and I needed to talk to someone at the IRS about it. I spent DAYS trying to get through on the IRS phone lines - literally called 15+ times and never got past the automated system. Then I found Claimyr which basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c An IRS agent helped me file a complaint against my employer and gave me personalized advice about filling out the 4852 properly. They even told me some tips for making sure my return wouldn't get delayed in processing. Seriously saved me so much frustration.

I need to eat my words about being skeptical. After struggling with this W-2 situation for weeks, I finally tried Claimyr this morning in desperation. Within 50 minutes, I got a call connecting me to an actual IRS human being. The agent told me exactly where to mail my Form 4852 for my state (turns out it depends on where you live) and confirmed I was filling it out correctly. She also noted that my employer could face penalties for not providing my W-2, which was satisfying to hear. What shocked me was how much more helpful the agent was than any information I found online. She even gave me a direct reference number for my case so I can follow up if needed. I've been stressing about this for weeks, and now I feel completely confident about what I'm doing.

Just an additional tip from someone who had to file Form 4852 last year - make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING. I made copies of all my pay stubs, my completed 4852, and kept a log of all my attempts to contact my employer (dates, who I spoke with, etc). When the IRS did contact me with questions (about 6 weeks after filing), having that documentation made the process super smooth. Also, if you're expecting a refund, be prepared for it to take longer than usual. Mine took about 10 weeks instead of the typical 3 weeks.

has anyone had issues after filing w form 4852? my friend did this 2 years ago and said the irs sent him a letter asking for more info later and it was a whole thing.

I went through this exact same situation last year and it was incredibly stressful! One thing that really helped me was contacting the IRS directly to report my employer for not providing my W-2. You can call the IRS business phone line and file a complaint - they actually have procedures in place for this. When I called, they told me that employers are required to provide W-2s by January 31st, and if they don't, they can face penalties. The IRS agent I spoke with said that sometimes just having the IRS contact the employer directly gets results faster than anything else. Also, make sure when you're calculating your income for Form 4852 that you're being conservative rather than aggressive with the numbers. If you're unsure about something, it's better to slightly underestimate than overestimate. The IRS can work with you if your numbers are a bit low, but if they're too high it can create bigger problems. Keep all your documentation organized - pay stubs, any emails or texts with your employer, everything. You'll be glad you have it all in one place if the IRS has questions later.

I went through something very similar last year with a former employer who just stopped responding to my calls and emails about my W-2. What finally worked for me was sending a certified letter with return receipt requested - something about getting that official mail seemed to get their attention when phone calls didn't. In the letter, I included the specific deadline dates and mentioned that I would need to file Form 4852 if they didn't comply. I also copied their HR department and accounting department if they were separate. The certified mail cost like $8 but was totally worth it because I got my W-2 within a week of them receiving it. If that doesn't work, definitely go the Form 4852 route like others have mentioned. Just make sure you're being super accurate with your pay stub calculations - I used a simple spreadsheet to add up all my gross pay, federal withholding, state withholding, etc. from each pay stub to double-check my math before filling out the form. The whole situation is frustrating but you're definitely not stuck - there are options to get your taxes filed on time!

I've been dealing with a similar W-2 situation and wanted to share what I learned from calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. They told me that if your employer has been unresponsive for more than a few weeks, you should definitely file a complaint with the IRS first before going straight to Form 4852. The key thing is timing - you need to contact the IRS about the missing W-2 by February 14th to give them enough time to reach out to your employer before the filing deadline. After that date, they recommend just proceeding with Form 4852 since there won't be enough time for the complaint process to work. When you do file the complaint, make sure to have your employer's EIN (employer identification number) ready - you can usually find this on old pay stubs. The IRS representative said having that number speeds up the process significantly. Also, one thing I didn't see mentioned yet - if you received any year-end pay stub or final paycheck stub, those sometimes have cumulative totals that can be really helpful for filling out Form 4852 accurately. Check if your employer provided anything like that, even if they didn't send the actual W-2. Hope this helps and you get it resolved soon! The whole situation is so stressful but you have good options to get your taxes filed on time.