How to Get Your W-2 Employee Information if It’s Late

It’s past January 31 and you want to know how to get w2 from previous employer. Waiting for this can be tiring and you can experience later delays with your refund without this. So how can you get it expedited to you so you can file your taxes?

How to get w2 from previous employer

Step 1

Check with your company payroll department. Sometimes things get lost in the mail or sent to the wrong address. You can also check with them to see if your w2 is available online.

Step 2

After going through your payroll company, you may need to contact the IRS if your employer is still being noncompliant. Contacting the IRS to let them know the employer neglected to send over your W2 Form can help increase the rate of you getting it to your home. Calling 1-800-829-1040 will direct you to any operator who will ask you for your Employee Identification Number (“EIN”), located on the bottom of your last pay stub or previous W-2 form (if you still worked for them).

While this number isn’t required, it will help the IRS better locate your information and the employers’ information. After getting the necessary information, the IRS will send out a notification to your employer, requesting them to send you a W-2 Form. In addition, the IRS will send you a form 4852 in case your employer doesn’t give it to you before the deadline for tax season.

Step 3

It’s required by the IRS that you file your taxes or request an extension by the end of tax season (usually found online during the beginning of tax season). If you’ve done both of the above steps and still haven’t been given your W-2 Form by your employer, you will need to use the form 4852 the IRS agent sent to you. When filling out this form, use the last pay stub for that pay year to fill in the information. This document will ask you for necessary information like 401k contributions, local taxes withheld, and federal taxes withheld. Send this form and any other W-2’s for the tax year to the IRS.

Step 4

After filing out the form 4852, if you get your W2 and the information differs from what you put on your 4852 (whether it’s affecting what you owe them or what they owe you), you will be required to file a 1040X amended tax return. The IRS usually provides information on their website for this.

Filling out your personal income taxes comes as a personal responsibility that is taken seriously by the government. Keeping up on your taxes and taking these steps ensures no tax fraud claims will be allocated against you. Source: Nationaltaxreports.com