How early can I file my taxes, and how can I get my w-2 early?

[DoninGA]

A 2016 tax return cannot be filed until after January 1, 2017.  The IRS will not be accepting tax returns until mid to late January.  If your tax return has a tax refund that includes EIC or an Additional Child Tax Credit they will hold the refund until February 15.

You need all of your W-2's, Form 1099's and other tax forms before you can file your tax return.  Most tax forms will not be sent to you until late in January.  The IRS will receive W-2's from employers and Form 1099's from other institutions and the IRS compares the tax data in their systems to your tax return.  Any discrepancy and the tax return is either rejected or held for further investigation, delaying any tax refund by weeks or months.