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Can I use my last paystub if I don't have my W-2 yet?
We can't guarantee your taxes will be accurate if you try to file without your W-2. There's important info on your W-2 that may not be on your final paystub. AND the IRS will not process any return until they can verify your data entries with the form the employer sends in ... it they do not match exactly the IRS will put your return on hold until they can verify the info ... last year many people put on "hold" took months to process.
Your employer is required to send W-2s by January 31. If you haven't received your W-2 by February 14, we have some suggestions.
If it's still early, we applaud you for thinking about your taxes this early! You can use TurboTax to get a head start with the info you already know and get an estimate of your refund.
Related Information:
IS FILING BEFORE THE IRS STARTS PROCESSING RETURNS REALLY WISE ???
Although TurboTax will allow you to e-filed some returns as early as 1/2 they are NOT sent to the IRS. TurboTax stores those early filed returns until the IRS opens for business and pulls the returns for processing (Currently the start date is 1/27/20 but subject to change) ... only then will you get an e-mail telling you if the return was accepted or rejected by the IRS.
Only the simplest returns can be transmitted to TurboTax early. Some forms will not be finalized until Jan 25 and some later than that.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1908854-forms-availability-table-for-turbotax-federal-products-exc...
Why does TurboTax allow early filing? Because their competitors do - It is a marketing ploy to capture market share.
Filing early with TurboTax before the IRS opens is a really BAD IDEA for many reasons...
1) If you discover something that is wrong on your return, receive a W-2 that is different, receive some other tax document that was not on the return that you filed then there is NOTHING that you can do about it other than wait to see if the IRS accepts or rejects the return after they open. If rejected you can correct and file again, but if accepted then the only remedy is to amend which can take 4 months to process.
2) You must remember to check back after the IRS opens (or check for an e-mail) to confirm that the IRS has accepted or rejected the return. If rejected, then it was never filed at all and must be corrected and re-filed. Every year many taxpayers that file early, forget to check back and only discover months later that they never actually filed because if was rejected by the IRS but they had forgotten about checking back after filing with TurboTax.
3) While the IRS does conduct some pre-opening tests and does accept some returns early (ONLY for TESTING purposes), they will not actually process those until after the official opening date. There is a reason to test and that is to discover any problems with it's systems. A couple of years ago a test went bad and several thousand "test" returns were lost. The IRS was able to recover those but it delayed refunds for some by months.
There is no real advantage to file before the IRS opens but there are several disadvantages to do so.
Taxpayers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit may experience a refund hold. According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue these refunds before mid-February. The IRS expects the first EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by the first week of March, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date.
WMR on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC/ACTC refund filers by February 22. So EITC /ACTC filers will not see an update to their refund status for several days after Feb. 15.
The IRS, tax preparers and tax software will not have additional information on refund dates, so Where’s My Refund? remains the best way to check the status of a refund. Where’s My Refund? is only updated once daily, usually overnight, so you don’t need to check the status more often.
Why is my refund being held?
If you claim the EITC or ACTC on your tax return, the IRS cannot issue your refund before mid-February. The law requires the IRS to hold the entire refund — even the portion not associated with the EITC or ACTC. Like previous years, some tax refunds may be held if there are questions about the tax return or the IRS needs more information.
When will I get my refund?
The IRS expects the first EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by the first week of March, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date.
Why does it take so long for the funds to show up in my account?
It takes additional time for refunds to be processed after leaving the IRS, and for financial institutions to accept and deposit them to bank accounts and products like debit cards. Also, many financial institutions do not process payments on weekends or holidays, which can affect when refunds reach taxpayers. For EITC and ACTC filers, the three-day holiday weekend involving President’s Day affects their refund timing.
How do I check the status of my refund?
WMR on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC/ACTC refund filers by February 22. So EITC /ACTC filers will not see an update to their refund status for several days after Feb. 15.
