Where to get W2's for 2025 tax filing if my employer hasn't sent them?
So I'm freaking out a bit because I need to file my taxes soon and haven't received my W2 form yet. I worked for two different companies last year - one from January to June, and then switched to my current job in July. My current employer already sent my W2, but I'm still waiting on the one from my previous job. I've tried calling their HR department three times but keep getting voicemail. Their office is about 45 minutes away so I'd rather not drive there if I don't have to. Tax deadline is approaching and I'm getting nervous! Do employers have a legal deadline to provide W2's? And if they don't send it, where else can I get a copy? Would the IRS have it on file somewhere? Any help appreciated!
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Ella Russell
Your former employer is legally required to provide your W-2 by January 31. Since that date has passed, you have several options to get your W-2. First, send a formal email to your previous employer's HR department and payroll department (if separate). Be specific about your request and include your full name, employment dates, and mailing address. If you have your last pay stub from them, that'll help because it shows your earnings and withholdings for that job. If you still don't receive it within a week, you can contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 for assistance. They'll contact the employer on your behalf. You'll need to provide the IRS with your personal info, employer's name, address, phone number, and your employment dates. As a last resort, you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. This is basically a form where you estimate your wages and withholdings based on your final pay stubs or other records you have.
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Mohammed Khan
•Thanks for the advice! Do I need to wait until some specific date to contact the IRS about this? Also, if I file with Form 4852 and then later get my W2 and the numbers are different, what happens?
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Ella Russell
•You don't need to wait for any specific date to contact the IRS since January 31 has already passed - you can call them right away if your employer isn't responding. If you file using Form 4852 and later receive your W-2 with different numbers, you would need to file an amended return using Form 1040X to correct the information. This is why it's best to try all other options first before resorting to the substitute form, as amending can be a bit of a hassle.
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Gavin King
After struggling with a similar issue last year, I found an amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me track down my missing tax documents. I had worked for a company that went out of business and couldn't get my W2 anywhere. The taxr.ai system connected with IRS records and was able to pull my wage and tax information directly! It saved me from having to estimate everything on that substitute form. Their document retrieval feature literally pulled my wage and tax transcript when I couldn't get it anywhere else.
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Nathan Kim
•Does this really work? Can it actually get W2 information from previous years too? I'm missing a W2 from 2023 that I need for a loan application.
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Eleanor Foster
•I'm a bit skeptical about giving access to my tax info to some random website. How secure is this? And do they charge a fortune for something you could probably do yourself on the IRS website?
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Gavin King
•Yes, it absolutely works for previous years! I was able to retrieve information from two years prior when I needed documentation for a mortgage application. The system connects directly to IRS records and can pull historical wage and tax information. Their security is top-notch with bank-level encryption. And it's actually more streamlined than trying to navigate the IRS website yourself. The IRS site often has long wait times, verification issues, and complicated navigation. Taxr.ai simplifies the whole process and their document retrieval tool saves hours of frustration.
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Nathan Kim
Just wanted to update - I tried taxr.ai after asking about it and WOW it actually worked! I was really doubtful but they were able to pull my missing W2 information directly from IRS records in minutes. Saved me from having to contact my old employer who I really didn't want to talk to again. The wage and tax transcript had everything I needed for my loan application. Thanks for suggesting this!
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Lucas Turner
If you're still trying to reach the IRS about your missing W2, good luck getting through! I tried calling them 17 times last week about a similar issue and couldn't get past the automated system. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates all the IRS phone menus and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is ready. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Once I talked to the agent, they confirmed they could send me a wage and income transcript with all my W2 information.
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Kai Rivera
•How does this actually work? Do they just call the IRS for you or something? I don't understand how they can get through when nobody else can.
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Anna Stewart
•This sounds like complete BS to me. If it was that easy to get through to the IRS, everyone would be doing it. You're probably just trying to scam people into paying for some useless service.
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Lucas Turner
•They don't call the IRS for you - they use technology to navigate the phone system and hold your place in line. When the system detects that you're about to speak with a live agent, it calls you and connects you directly to the agent. It saves you from having to listen to hold music for hours. I completely understand the skepticism! I felt the same way before trying it. But after wasting entire afternoons on hold with the IRS, I was desperate enough to try it. The technology is basically just automating the hold process so you don't have to stay on the phone. Their system knows how to navigate all the phone tree options and waits in the queue for you.
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Anna Stewart
I need to publicly eat my words here. After calling out that Claimyr thing as BS, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing W2 situation, so I tried it anyway. Not gonna lie, it actually worked. Their system called me back in about 35 minutes and connected me with an IRS agent who confirmed they could mail me a wage and income transcript with all my W2 info. Saved me from having to drive to my ex-employer's office, which I was seriously dreading. Never been so happy to be wrong about something.
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Layla Sanders
Another option is to check if your previous employer used an online payroll system like ADP, Paychex, or Workday. Many companies use these services and they often allow former employees to access their W2s online even after leaving the company. I was able to get mine through ADP's website even though I'd left the job 8 months earlier. Worth checking if this applies to your situation.
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Morgan Washington
•Do you know if these accounts expire? I think my old job used ADP but I never set up an account while I worked there. Is it too late now?
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Layla Sanders
•Your ability to create an account shouldn't expire, but you might need some specific information to verify your identity and set it up now. You'll typically need your Social Security number, an employee ID if you had one, and possibly information from your last pay stub. Even if you never created an account while employed there, most payroll systems allow you to register after the fact. Just go to the payroll provider's website (like ADP.com) and look for options like "first time user" or "create account." If you run into trouble, you might need to contact the payroll provider's customer service for help with verification.
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Kaylee Cook
has anyone tried getting their w2 info through the irs "get transcript" online? i heard you can get wage & income transcripts that show all your w2 info there but when i tried to set up an account it wanted a credit card number or loan account number for verification and i don't have either of those things? super annoying.
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Oliver Alexander
•The IRS "Get Transcript" tool is actually really useful if you can get through the verification. They've made it harder to verify your identity because of security concerns. If you don't have a credit card or loan, try the "Get Transcript by Mail" option. It's slower (takes 5-10 business days) but has fewer verification requirements. You'll just need your SSN, date of birth, and mailing address from your last tax return.
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Elijah Brown
I went through this exact same situation last year! Here's what worked for me: First, try sending a certified letter to your previous employer's HR department requesting your W-2. This creates a paper trail and shows you made a formal request. Include your full name, SSN, employment dates, and current mailing address. If that doesn't work within 2 weeks, definitely call the IRS at 800-829-1040. They can contact your employer directly and will also send you a wage and income transcript that has all the same information as your W-2. The transcript is actually accepted by most tax software and preparers. One tip: if you have your final paystub from that job, it should show your year-to-date earnings and withholdings, which is basically all the info that would be on your W-2. Many tax preparers can work with that if you're in a real time crunch. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think, and there are definitely ways to get the info you need before the deadline!
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Freya Ross
•This is really helpful advice! I'm curious about the certified letter approach - does that actually put more pressure on employers to respond? I've been hesitant to go that route because I don't want to burn bridges with my former company, but at this point I'm running out of time. Also, when you say the wage and income transcript is accepted by tax software, does that mean I can just upload it directly like I would a regular W-2?
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