What to do if you did not receive a W-2 from your employer

Your employer is required to give you a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. This record shows your income and taxes withheld.

Here's what to do if you don't get a W-2 or if the information on your W-2 is wrong.

If you don't get a W-2 by end of January: 

Contact your employer to confirm when the form is coming.

If you don't get a W-2 by end of February:

If you contacted your employer and still don't have your W-2, call the IRS at 800-829-1040.

Have your information ready so the IRS can help you:

• Name, address and phone number
• Social Security or individual tax ID number
• Dates when you worked for the employer
• Employer's name, address and phone number

The IRS will contact your employer and request the missing W-2.

The IRS will send you a copy of Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. You can use this to file your tax return without your W-2.

If you don't get a W-2 in time to file your taxes:

Use your paycheck stubs to estimate your wages. Then complete Form 4852 and attach it to your tax return.

If your W-2 is incorrect:

Ask your employer to correct the error. If your employer doesn't correct it by the end of February, you should either:

• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040
• Make an appointment at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center

The IRS will send your employer a letter asking them to give you a corrected W-2 within 10 days.

The IRS will also send you instructions for Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2. You can use it to estimate your earnings.

If you filed with incorrect W-2 information: 

File an amended return with the correct information.

What is Form 4852?

Form 4852 serves as a substitute for Form W-2, Form W-2c, and Form 1099-R (original or corrected), and is completed by taxpayers or their representatives when:

• Their employer or payer does not give them a Form W-2 or Form 1099-R.
• An employer or payer has issued an incorrect Form W-2 or Form 1099-R.
  

How to enter Form 4852 

If you have not received your W-2 from your employer within the required time-frame, the IRS will contact your employer or payer and request the missing form. The IRS will also send you a Form 4852. If you don't receive the missing form in sufficient time to file your income tax return timely, you may use the Form 4852 that the IRS sent you to file with your return.

You can enter the information from Form 4852 into the associated fields within the software. If you received Form 4852 instead of Form W-2, you will go directly to the W-2 input page within the software and complete the required inputs. 

Once you have entered the data, you will need to complete the return as a paper filing and mail it to the IRS with the Form 4852.