I am missing a w-2 from a company at which I only made $900. We have everything else in order and are in desperate need for our tax return. The company said we would not receive our w-2 for another 21

[bluedeb · Accepted solution]

There a couple things you can do.  One is you can file your return, then when you get your missing W-2 you can amend your return to file the W-2.  The thing about that is the IRS gets copies of all W-2's so they might send you a letter asking for the missing information before they finish processing your return.  Also, amended returns must be mailed & they can take up to 16 weeks to be processed.

The other thing you can do, is follow the steps below:

What if it's February but I still don't have my W-2?

If it's early in the month, sit tight. Employers have until January 31 to mail out W-2s, which means your W-2 should arrive any day now.

While you're waiting, here's some things you can do:

• Ask your employer when they mailed out their W-2s.
• Did your employer mail your W-2 to an old address? If so, ask them to re-send it to the new one.
• See if you can import your W-2.

If you haven't received your W-2 by February 14, it's time to take action:

1. Grab your last 2019 pay stub and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
2. The IRS will ask you for some info before following up with your employer.
3. After notifying the IRS, you can either continue waiting for your W-2 or paper-file your return using Form 4852 and your last pay stub.

[Zyiahp896773-]

May 07, 2021
My ex-employer ( Liftgatetrans) is not returning my calls or emails and I only have one w-2 form from Instafuel. I don’t want to missed the 05/17 dead line to file. Please advise. Thank you.

[BillM223]

You can try to get a Wage & Income Transcript to see if the IRS has the copy that your employer should have sent to the IRS.

First, file an extension (form 4868). Although you still owe any tax due on May 17th (***June 15th in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma), at least you have bought yourself some time to find your W-2 and do your return. This avoids a failure to file penalty. Please see this TurboTax FAQ on how to file an extension.

NOTE: filing an extension doesn't mean you HAVE to wait to file, it just means that you won't be hit with a non-filing penalty if you miss the due date.

One option to get a copy of your W-2 is to ask your employer. But you've tried that.

If you can’t get a copy from your employer, you can try to get the data from the copy of the W-2 that your employer sent to the IRS months ago. You may be able to get it online, if you know some answers to questions from your credit report (this is how the IRS identifies you).

Ask for the Wage and Income Transcript for the year ending 12/31/2020 at Get Transcript.

If that doesn't work, you can file a 4852 (substitute W-2) through TurboTax.

For background, see this IRS page on form 4852.

You will be able to generate a 4852 as a substitute W-2. Please see the following instructions:

If you can't get your W-2 before the tax deadline, you can still file using Form 4852 (also known as a substitute W-2).

Note: If you use a substitute W-2, be sure to keep a copy for your records, just like you would a W-2.

Here's how to fill out Form 4852:

1. Visit the W-2 area of TurboTax and choose "Work on my W-2 now."
2. Enter the employer ID Number (EIN) if you know it. Leave it blank if you don't.
3. When we ask for your W-2 info, enter all the info that should be on your W-2 if you had actually received it. You can use your pay stubs to estimate your earnings and total taxes paid (federal, state and local). Because you don't have your actual W-2, you just need to use the best information you have available (pay stubs, bank statements, etc.) to fill out as much of the Form as possible. 
4. After you're done filling out your W-2 info, you will get to "Do any of these uncommon situations apply to this W-2?" Select the checkbox "Substitute form -- I didn't receive a W-2 from my employer and need to complete a substitute form."
5. Then we will ask you to confirm you want to complete form 4852. Select Yes if you are ready.
6. Next write out an explanation of how you figured out your wages and taxes paid (i.e. I used my last pay stub or my most recent bank statement).
7. Then describe the steps you took when you tried to get your W-2 from your employer, like I called my employer on (insert date).

So you fill out the W-2 by hand (using the correct SSN) and then you make sure to check the box on step 4 above.

[Zyiahp896773-]

I was let go from my last job ( Arnold oils) not meeting there the organization expectations. I’m thought I was going to be penalized by not knowing what to do in this matter of not having all the paper work needed. Thanks tax expert. God Bless you.