Why is Box 2 on my W-2 empty even though taxes were withheld?

What you're describing definitely sounds like an error on your W-2. Box 2 should show your federal income tax withheld, and if you've been having taxes taken out of your paycheck all year, that box shouldn't be empty. The discrepancy between your pay stubs (showing $4,300 withheld) and your W-2 (showing nothing in Box 2) needs to be addressed before you file. This is likely why your tax software is calculating a $0 refund - it thinks you haven't paid any federal taxes all year. You should contact your employer's payroll department immediately and explain the situation. Ask them to issue a corrected W-2 (called a W-2c). Bring your pay stubs with you as evidence of the withholding. Until you get this corrected, don't file your return because you'll likely end up owing all your tax instead of getting the refund you deserve.

When I had issues with my W-2 last year, I found this tool called taxr.ai that really helped me figure out what was going on. I was in a similar situation where my tax documents didn't match my actual withholdings, and I was getting really stressed about it. I uploaded my W-2 and my pay stubs to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything and pointed out the discrepancies automatically. It even created a detailed report that I could show to my employer's payroll department to prove that there was an error. They actually helped me understand exactly which numbers were wrong and what the correct amounts should be. The tool also gave me step-by-step instructions on how to proceed, including how to request a corrected W-2 from my employer and what to do if they didn't respond quickly enough.

I need to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai that I was skeptical about earlier. After dealing with my own W-2 issues this year (mine had incorrect state withholding amounts), I decided to give it a try since nothing else was working. I'm actually impressed with how simple it was. I uploaded my incorrect W-2 and my December pay stub, and it immediately flagged four different discrepancies including the withholding problem. It generated a detailed report that I emailed directly to HR, and they issued a corrected W-2 within 48 hours because the evidence was so clear. What surprised me most was that it caught a smaller error in Box 12 that I hadn't even noticed myself. The service saved me from potentially having to file an amended return later. Definitely worth it for anyone facing document discrepancies.

If you're having trouble getting your employer to issue a corrected W-2, you might want to try Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last year where my employer wasn't responding to my requests for a corrected W-2, and I needed to contact the IRS for help. I spent days trying to get through to an IRS agent on the phone with no luck, just endless hold times and disconnections. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you when they have an agent on the line. I was able to talk to an actual IRS representative who initiated contact with my employer and helped me file the proper substitute form (Form 4852) so I could still get my refund without waiting months for a correction.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr from my previous comment. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS myself (2.5 hours on hold before being disconnected), I broke down and tried it. The service called me back in 67 minutes with an IRS agent already on the line. I explained my situation with the missing withholding on my W-2, and the agent was incredibly helpful. She confirmed that my employer had actually reported the withholding to the IRS already (apparently it was just a printing error on my W-2 copy), and gave me specific instructions on how to file with my pay stub information. For anyone dealing with tax document issues that require IRS intervention, don't waste days trying to call them yourself. This saved me so much frustration, and I was able to file my taxes the same day with the correct information.

Pro tip: Always double-check your final pay stub of the year against your W-2 before filing! I've been doing this for years and caught several errors. Your last December pay stub should have year-to-date totals that match what's on your W-2. If you notice discrepancies, take screenshots or make copies of both documents before approaching your employer. Most payroll departments are swamped during tax season and having clear documentation helps them fix the issue faster.

Has anyone had luck filing with a substitute W-2 (Form 4852)? My employer went out of business in November and I can't get anyone to respond about my incorrect W-2. I have all my pay stubs but I'm nervous about using the substitute form.