Where to get W2's for 2025 tax filing if employer hasn't sent them?

You've actually got several options for getting your missing W2! By law, employers must provide W2s to employees by January 31st, so they're already late. First, try one more time to contact your former employer, but this time send a formal email or certified letter requesting it. Be sure to include your current address if they don't have it. If they still don't respond, you can contact the IRS directly. Call them at 800-829-1040 with your personal info, employment dates, and an estimate of wages/withholding from your final pay stub if you have it. If you still can't get your W2 by the filing deadline, you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. This form allows you to estimate your income and withholding as accurately as possible. Just be aware that filing with Form 4852 might delay processing of your return.

I went through something similar last year with a construction company that kept "forgetting" to send my W2. After waiting forever and getting nowhere, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that was a total lifesaver. They analyzed my pay stubs and helped me figure out all the exact numbers I needed for filing without my W2. They have this cool feature where you just upload your last pay stub and it extracts all the YTD tax info so you can file even without the official W2. It saved me from having to file that substitute form and potentially delaying my refund. The site also gave me step-by-step instructions for reporting my employer to the IRS for not sending the W2 on time.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here, and wow, it actually worked perfectly! My employer ghosted me completely about my W2, but I had most of my pay stubs. The site analyzed them and generated all the numbers I needed for my return. What surprised me was how it caught some deductions I didn't even realize were being taken out of my checks! I ended up filing with the information from taxr.ai three weeks ago and my refund was just deposited yesterday - full amount, no delays or questions from the IRS. They also gave me a template to report my employer for not sending the W2, which felt pretty satisfying to submit. Definitely recommend if anyone else is stuck in W2 limbo like I was.

If you're still having trouble getting your W2 after trying everything else, one option people overlook is getting through to the IRS directly to have them contact your employer. But we all know getting someone on the phone at the IRS is basically impossible these days. I discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a human at the IRS in about 15 minutes when I had a similar W2 problem last year. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and holds your place in line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Once I got through to an agent, they sent a formal notice to my employer and magically my W2 appeared in my mailbox a week later. It's crazy how quickly companies respond when the IRS contacts them directly!

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After struggling for TWO WEEKS trying to reach the IRS about my missing W2 situation, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I honestly expected it to be a waste of money or not work at all. I'm still shocked, but I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent took my information and said they would send a formal notice to my employer. Three days later I got an email from HR with my W2 attached and a vague apology about "system issues." Funny how those system issues got fixed as soon as the IRS reached out! Sorry for being so negative before. When you've dealt with tax frustrations for weeks, it's hard to believe anything can help, but this actually did.

Another option nobody mentioned is checking if your W2 is available online. A lot of employers use payroll services like ADP, Paychex, or Gusto that let you access your tax documents online even after you leave the company. Try logging into the payroll portal you used when you worked there, or ask a current employee which service they use. Also, if you filed with them last year, sometimes tax preparation services like H&R Block or TurboTax will have your previous W2 information saved in your account that might help with the estimates.

Just a heads up that if it gets too close to the filing deadline and you still don't have your W2, you can always file for an extension using Form 4868. This gives you until October to file your actual return, though you still need to pay any estimated taxes you might owe by the regular deadline. The extension doesn't solve the missing W2 problem, but it gives you more time to get it sorted out without penalty. I had to do this two years ago and eventually got my W2 in June when my old boss finally got around to sending them.