How to request Form W-2 from employer

For an employee to file her or his federal income tax return, the necessary information returns are needed to report income and taxes paid through withholdings. Employers need to file and furnish a copy of Form W-2 to employees by January 31st, but not every employee fulfills this obligation on time. 

As someone who’s waiting for Form W-2 from an employer, there are a couple of measures you can take to get it on time. The Internal Revenue Service allows employees to report their wages, salaries, other income earned along with the income taxes and FICA taxes paid during the tax year which we’ll cover below.

Contact your employer or the payroll department

Even small businesses have dedicated accountants or similar workers that handle these aspects of operating a business. Your first action should be contacting your employer or the payroll department of the company to request your W-2. Tell them about the frustrations you get as you’re unable to file your taxes and remind them about the late-filing penalties for Form W-2 which works efficiently against employers that willfully ignore to file.

If these don’t work and you’re still waiting for your W-2, opt to file Form 4852, Substitute form for W-2, and 1099-R. This tax form lets the employee report the income earned and taxes withheld by looking at the last pay stub. There is one catch about this tax form though. It cannot be filed electronically, so the employer must mail his tax return. Since filing a tax return on paper isn’t feasible for most people, you should take a look at how long it might take for you to get your W-2. Because mailed-in returns take longer than electronically filed ones, you should weigh in your options and compare how long it will take you to get your refund when filing a paper return and waiting for your W-2 to file your return.