How do I get an employer ID if I don't have a w-2 and cannot get in contact with the employer?

[llamas1970]

I worked for Canes but cannot get ahold of them.  Can I get this info from the IRS?

[xmasbaby0]

The IRS does not have your W-2, nor do they have your employer ID.   And...even if you find that number, it is too late to import a 2023 W-2.   You need information from the actual W-2 in order to import the rest of the data.   

TurboTax does not have your W-2.   W-2’s come from employers.  There is not a federal or national website that provides W-2’s. 

  Some employers allow you to import the W-2 through the software, but for security reasons you still need information from the actual W-2 to import it. Some employers have payroll sites that will have your W-2. You might need to phone, drop in, email and/or snail mail an old employer to make sure they know where to send your W-2.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2561916-how-can-i-get-a-copy-of-my-w-2

If you cannot contact the employer-----

You can get a wage and income transcript from the IRS:  It will not show the actual W-2, 1099’s, etc, but will show the income information the IRS received.  It will not, however, show your state information. It will only show the federal information.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Pay Social Security $126 per tax year for your W-2’s.:

https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-02501

[VolvoGirl]

Did they pay you as an employee and take taxes out of your pay?  Or if they didn’t take any taxes out like Social Security and Medicare they may have paid you as a independent contractor and not in a W2.

[Opus 17]

The IRS does have an electronic record of your W-2, if one was issued.  Check your Wage and Income transcript here.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Also, be aware that not all employers make their W-2s available for direct download into Turbotax, only some do.  Your W-2 should be mailed to you by January 31 after the close of the year, unless you consented to electronic delivery, and you can type in your details from the printed or electronic copy even if you can't download it.  You are ultimately responsible for obtaining and keeping your important tax documents.