Why was I able to file before I go my w2 last year and not this year?

[xmasbaby0]

If you filed a tax return last year without all of your W-2's on the SAME Form 1040 then you messed up and filed incorrectly.  TurboTax never knows if you have entered all of your income, so the software let you make that mistake.   Did you ever fix it by amending your return and adding that unreported income?  If you did not ---then you need to amend your 2019 return before you get a letter from the IRS.

Employers have until February 1 to issue your 2020 W-2's.  Do NOT try to file until you have all of your income to enter into the tax forms.  2020 is not even over yet.  You cannot file a 2020 tax return until later in January 2021.

Please be careful about being in too much of a hurry to file your next tax return. Many tax forms are not available at the very beginning of the tax season, so you have to wait for your forms. The software still needs updates at the beginning of the tax season. 

Although the software will allow you to e-file in early January, the IRS does not begin to accept the e-files until almost the end of the month.  So your return just sits on the server.  If you realize that you made a mistake or left something out—as many people do—you cannot change it.

Every year we see people who are in such a rush to file that they file incorrectly and incompletely.  If you file too early and leave out a W-2 or a 1099, or forget to enter information, you will end up having to amend your tax return---and that takes months.  Employers have until the end of January to issue W-2's----and ALL of your 2020 W-2's have to be on the same tax return.  Many of the 1099's and 1098's you need do not arrive until late January or sometime in February.  If you are getting Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is going to hold your refund until the end of February no matter how early you file.  There seems to be a greater chance of "early" returns being reviewed and those refunds are delayed, or early returns are more often subject to identity verification--which will also delay processing.  Filing too early may just be a recipe for a delayed refund.  It might go more smoothly for you if you wait until at least mid-February to file instead of e-filing during the first minute that you can do it.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/amending/help/how-to-amend-change-or-correct-a-return-you-already-...

Related Information:

·         What does it mean to "amend" a return?

·         Do I Need to Amend my Tax Return?

·         Will amending delay my original tax refund?

·         What is the deadline for filing an amended return?

·         Can I e-file my 1040X to amend my return?

[DoninGA]

Filing of a 2020 tax return cannot start until after January 1, 2021.  However, the federal forms for filing the 2020 tax return will not be available until mid-January.  

If you are an employee then you must enter your W-2 on a tax return before filing, regardless of which tax year your are filing.

Employers have until January 31 of each tax year to provide you with your W-2.  For tax year 2020, since the 31st falls on a weekend, employers have until 02/01/2021 to provide the W-2.

You could not have filed a 2019 tax return in December of 2019, just like you cannot file a 2020 tax return in December of 2020.

[macuser_22]

You should NEVER file before receiving your W-2.   Also 2020 is  not even over yet and all tax forms are not ready - the IRS is still working on tax law changes for 2020 tax.   The IRS will not accept any tax return before Jan 27, 2021.

First the values on the paycheck and W-2 almost always differ somewhat and the IRS wants an exact match. (For example: Your paycheck (or paystub) will show your total wage. The W-2 box 1 will show the *taxable* wage, that can be different, and the non-taxable part will be reported in other boxes on the W-2.)

This can delay any refund by weeks.

You also will not know what to enter for the various boxes on the W-2.

Employers had until Jan 31 to issue the W-2. If it is different you will probably have to amend which takes about 4 months to process.

IRS regulations require you to either attach a copy of the W-2 to your mail tax return or have it in your possession if you e-file. The IRS can ask you to send them a copy of the W-2 even if you e-file so you must have it.

If you mail file then you are required to attach a copy of the W-2 to the tax return or the IRS will return it to you unprocessed. While you are not required to submit W-2's with e-filed returns, you still must have the W-2 in your possession since the IRS can ask for it when they review your e-filed return.

If you do not receive your W-2 by February 14, then you can use your paycheck and file a 4852 form, but you must follow the IRS rules in order to do so.

[Paraphrased from IRS rules]
Can you file without having received your W-2? Yes, but only if you have not received it by the end of February, and you have contacted your employer and attempted to obtain it, and you still have not received it then you contact the IRS (see the link below), then if the IRS is not successful in getting your W-2, you can use form 4852 in place of your W-2. But you MUST speak to the IRS before doing so. Otherwise, you cannot file before you receive your W-2.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-can-help-taxpayers-get-form-w-2-0