How do I use the wage and income transcript ?

[WendyN2]

No, unfortunately, if this former employer is no longer in business, you would not be able to get one directly from them. If you recall the payroll processing company they used (if they used one - for ex - PayChexs or ADP) you could definitely contact them and get the information from them after verifying your identity. Your IRS transcript, however, would have all of the necessary information for filing a return for that year if that is what you are attempting to do.

[tomsk01]

Can you give me the # need for this form?  We filed, but you call and we can never connect and therefore I cannot get my 2020 taxes done.  I got from the IRS an Account transcript, but need the income wage transcript.  Everytime I go and set up profile it says I can't.  Please help

[DoninGA]

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@tomsk01 wrote:

Can you give me the # need for this form?  We filed, but you call and we can never connect and therefore I cannot get my 2020 taxes done.  I got from the IRS an Account transcript, but need the income wage transcript.  Everytime I go and set up profile it says I can't.  Please help

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If you cannot obtain the W-2 from your employer, then for a fee you can get a complete copy of a W-2 from the Social Security Administration - https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02501

You can get a free Wage and Income transcript from the IRS - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

For a fee of $43 you can get a complete federal tax return to include copies of W-2's, if you mailed the tax return and included a paper W-2, from the IRS by completing Form 4506 - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

See this IRS Tax Topic - http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc159.html

[Chanebang]

did not get w2's

[JohnB5677]

What To Do If You Haven't Receive

• Step 1: Check online.  Many employers now issue Form W-2 electronically to employees. But that doesn't mean they'll always email the form to you, as it isn't particularly secure. Instead, they'll email you a link to an online portal where you can download the form yourself.
• Step 2: Ask your employer.  If your online search leaves you empty-handed, contact your employer's payroll or human resources department to ask when and how they issued your W-2. If they mailed it to an old or incorrect address, the post office may have returned it to the employer.
• Step 3: Contact the IRS.  What happens if your employer truly never issued your W-2? Perhaps they went out of business or aren’t responding to your request for a W-2? In that case, it's time to try contacting the IRS. Find a local IRS office 

Be ready to provide the following information:

• Your name, address, Social Security number, and phone number
• The employer's name, address, phone number, and Tax ID if you have it
• The dates you worked for the employer
• An estimate of your wages and federal income tax withheld (you can usually find this information on your last pay stub for the tax year)

[Dmatthews2018]

MY TRANSCRIPT DOES NOT DISPLAY MY FULL EIN NUMBER

[MarilynG]

If you don't have a copy of your W-2 (and can't obtain one from your employer online), you can paper-file with a Substitute W-2. 

If you are reporting 1099-Misc income and only see the last four digits of the EIN, you can report this income as 'Other Income Not Reported on a W-2 or 1099-Misc'. 

Go to Deductions & Credits and scroll all the way down the topic listing to Less Common Income > Miscellaneous Income 1099-A, 1099-C to get there. 

You could then mail your return with a copy of the Wage/Income Transcript attached. 

@Dmatthews2018

[jane92]

I have a question about the wage and income transcript, kinda stupid. Is it listed my date? Like earliest jobs to later jobs in the year? 
I had about 5 jobs and don’t understand what order they’re in because I can’t remember my last job. I worked at two fast food places that are the same restaurant but each had different “owners”. Would it just be the last job on the transcript?

[jane92]

Would you happen to know if the transcript is in order from date? I’m trying to see which employer I had last (same restaurants different owners) I’m not sure which one is the last I worked for and I need the info for a different document. Thank you for any help 🙂 

[DianeW777]

No.  When income documents such as W-2s are submitted to the IRS, there are no dates of work associated with the forms.  For this reason a Wage and & Income Transcript, or any other types of transcripts, will not show you the dates you worked.  

The best advice would be to contact the employer(s) to check the dates you worked. 

[bmac4]

For clarification, if I am doing an old tax return using an IRS wage and income statement that includes full employer ein, name and address, do I also need to submit form 4852 for substitute W2? Or can I just complete the tax return and paper file with a copy of the IRS transcript?

[DianeW777]

Yes, you can complete the tax return for a prior year with the IRS W-2 transcript. Keep in mind that the IRS does not store state information so that will not be present on the transcript.  You may need to file a Form 4852 with your state if you have information that provides the state withholding information, if applicable.

You should send a copy of the IRS transcripts with your tax return when you mail it to the IRS.

• Can I e-file a tax return for an earlier tax year?

@bmac4 

[ransley1218]

How can I get 2022 w-2's for my Daughter in Law that were lost. Her 2022 taxes werent filed.

Thanks

[TomK2023]

If she can't get a copy from her former employer, please see TurboTax Expert BMcCalpin's excellent explanation to a similar post here:

"The Wage & Income transcript reports only "data from information returns we receive such as Forms W-2, 1099, 1098 and Form 5498, IRA Contribution Information." (see https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-return-transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them). That is, the Wage and Income Transcript does not show your tax return, but the income forms that were copied to the IRS. This is often used to build a prior year tax return for taxpayers who did not file in a previous year, and who have misplaced their tax documents.

Using the Wage & Income Transcript, you can see the information that was reported on each W-2, 1099, and the other forms. If you are creating a prior year return from scratch, then you can look at the Transcript as the source of information to enter in place of the paper forms.

***
 

However, depending on what you need a transcript for, you may find the Tax Transcript more useful. Please see the following discussion.
 

You can see a sample IRS tax transcript at this link - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/New_Tax_Return_Transcript.pdf

The items that can be on a return are listed by description rather than by line number. For example, in the following transcript of a 2017 tax return (see below at ***),
 

• Income refers to the income section on page 1 of the 1040 (see https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2017.pdf)
• WAGES, SALARIES, TIPS, ETC refers to line 7
• TAXABLE INTEREST INCOME refers to line 8a
• TAX-EXEMPT INTEREST refers to line 8b
• and so on.

***Part of sample tax transcript at the IRS website***
 

Income
WAGES, SALARIES, TIPS, ETC: $13,000.00
TAXABLE INTEREST INCOME: SCH B: $0.00
TAX-EXEMPT INTEREST: $0.00
ORDINARY DIVIDEND INCOME: SCH B: $0.00
QUALIFIED DIVIDENDS: $0.00
REFUNDS OF STATE/LOCAL TAXES: $0.00

ALIMONY RECEIVED: $0.00 BUSINESS INCOME OR LOSS (Schedule C): $2,500.00 BUSINESS INCOME OR LOSS: SCH C PER COMPUTER: $2,500.00

By crawling through the tax transcript you can rebuild a completed tax return with all the important numbers (and quite a few less important ones)."

@ransley1218 

[DoninGA]

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@ransley1218 wrote:

How can I get 2022 w-2's for my Daughter in Law that were lost. Her 2022 taxes werent filed.

Thanks

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The 2022 W-2 has to be obtained from the employer

If you cannot obtain the W-2 from your employer, then for a fee you can get a complete copy of a W-2 from the Social Security Administration - https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02501

You can get a free Wage and Income transcript from the IRS - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript