Income Tax Questions: What If You Don't Get Your W-2 Form? What if You Lose Your W-2 Form?

It’s tax time and many Americans are waiting on their income tax refunds. But some taxpayers are still waiting to file because of lost or missing W-2 forms. If you are asking either of these questions, the IRS has answers:

What if I lost my W-2 form?
What if my work never sent me a W-2 form?
What if my W-2 form is wrong?
What if my employer sent a corrected W-2 form?

If you earned income as an employee in 2016, your employer is required to give you a Form W-2, also known as a Wage and Tax Statement. In almost all cases, the W-2 should have been given to you by January 31. This form shows the wages you received for the last year, as well as the amount withheld for federal and state taxes, as well as for Medicare and Social Security. The form also often includes information about health insurance and other benefits.

If you only worked for one employer during the year, and you didn’t have any additional income from investments or special situations, your W-2 form is one of the most important of the tax documents you need to fill out your tax return and get a refund (if you are owed a refund). It also has your Social Security Number on it, so you need to keep it safe and secure.

It’s now late February, so if you haven’t received your W-2 form, it’s time to take some action. Here’s what you need to do:

Contact your employer. If you still work for the same company, ask your boss, payroll clerk or human resources department. If you haven’t received a W-2 from a former job (that you worked for during the last year), you need to contact them and make sure they have your current address. They may also allow you to pick it up, if that is convenient, but they need to mail it.
Contact the IRS. If you’ve tried contacting your employer or former employer, but still haven’t gotten your W-2, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1040. Be prepared to give the IRS the following information
- Your name, address, Social Security number and phone number;
- Your employer’s name, address and phone number;
- The dates you worked for the employer; and
- An estimate of the amount of wages you were paid and federal income tax withheld in 2013. If possible, you can use your final pay stub to figure these amounts.
File on time. Even if, for some reason, you haven’t received you W-2 or other forms, you are required to file your tax return by April 17 this year (for 2017, it is two days later because the 15th falls on a Saturday). For missing W-2 forms, you can use Form 4852 to estimate your wages and withheld taxes. Or you can request an extension of time to file. A tax professional can help with either an extension or preparing your taxes using the substitute wage estimation form.

If you request an extension, they are automatically approved for 6 months (until October 15), but you have to file an official request on Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Your tax pro can do this for you, or you can do it online using IRS Free File. You MUST file this request before April 17.

Corrected W-2 Forms and Amended Tax Returns

If your work sent you a new W-2 form with corrected information, and you already filed your taxes, you need to file an Amended Tax Return. This new W-2 form could affect your tax return in several ways, including increasing or decreasing your tax refund, or increasing or decreasing the amount of tax you owe. So it’s extremely important that you file an amended tax return if you receive a corrected W-2 form. A tax pro can also help with this, or you can use most tax software to do it.