Need a copy of form W-2, but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered with three options, your employer, the IRS, and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The quest begins….
Background
Your employer is not required to file the W-2 with the IRS until Jan 31st. If it is before that date, your W-2 might not be ready yet and you won’t be able to get a copy.
Employer
The first stop on our quest is your employer. The best way to get a copy of form W-2 is to ask your employer or payroll department for duplicate copy of form W-2. You can check to see if your employer has an online portal that you can download your w-2 from. If it is past the January 31st deadline and your employer refuses to respond to your request, you can contact the Internal Revenue Service at 800-TAX-1040. The IRS will contact your employer or payer and request the missing form. Here’s more info: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/oc-havent-received-your-w-2.pdf
IRS
Next stop, get a “wage and income transcript” through the IRS. This can be done online here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. It will take about 15 minutes to create an ID.me account with the IRS by proving your identity. If you already have an account just go the link above to access your transcript. You can also fill out and mail form 4506-T and mail it to the IRS. It will take about 6 weeks to process. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf You can also call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946 to request it over the phone.
Social Security Administration
Last stop on our W-2 quest, the SSA. The final way to get a copy of form W-2 is from the SSA: click here to access it: https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02501
Any and all the above way will get you the information you need to file your tax return.
Happy filing.
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