You should only use the pay stub to file your taxes as your last resort.
Option 1- Contact your employer to get another copy of your W2.
Option 2- Request an online Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS. This will have all the federal information but no state withholding information.
Option 3 - Contact the Internal Revenue Service at 800-TAX-1040. The IRS will contact your employer or payer and request the missing form. Before you call, make sure you have the following information ready:
- Your name, address, Social Security number and phone number
- Your employer’s name, address and phone number
- The dates you worked for the employer
- An estimate of your wages and federal income tax withheld (you can use your final pay stub to get these amounts)
If you are able to get a Form W2 then you will enter the form information in the Federal "Income" "Job/W2" topic and the applicable information will flow to your CA state return.
Option 4 - After you have tried the other 3 options above and they failed. You can file with a substitute W2. In the W2 topic under the "Income" tab, you will fill in everything you know about your employer (address, ID number) and then use your pay stub to fill in wages and withholding information. Leave any information you don't know blank. You will get errors and need to clear to error messages to move on. If the information is unknown/blank you will not be able to efile; you will need to print/mail in your return.
Once the form information is entered you will arrive at a follow question for special situations. Select "Didn't receive W2" (which also automatically selects the "Non-standard W2" option. You will then be asked to explain your efforts to obtain your W2 and how you determined your withholding.
[edited 3/24/2022 5:13am PDT]
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