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- If you're an employee, you need a W-2 to complete your tax return.
- Most employers send W-2s electronically by January 31.
- If you don't get a W-2 by mid-February, reach out to your employer or call the IRS.
A W-2 tax form is a type of informational form that's essential for completing your tax return.
If you haven't received your W-2 by mid-February 2024, there are a few simple steps to take to ensure you have it in time to meet the April 15 tax deadline.
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What is a W-2 and who gets one?
Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, is filled out by US employers and sent to the Social Security Administration, which transmits the information to the Internal Revenue Service.
A W-2 reports how much an employee was paid during the previous year — including salaries, hourly wages, tips, and bonuses — and how much of their pay was withheld for state and federal income taxes and payroll taxes.
It's similar to another type of informational form called Form 1099, which you get when you collect interest on a bank account or income from a side gig. The difference is that a W-2 is strictly for employees.
"You'll receive one if you earned $600 or more from your employer during the tax year or had any taxes withheld from your pay," says Riley Adams, a licensed accountant in Louisiana.
The form also indicates whether the employee actively participated in an employer's retirement plan or pension plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), and how much the employer paid in health insurance premiums for the employee.
"The purpose of a W-2 is to provide a taxpayer who works as an employee with a portion of the data needed to file his/her income tax return," says Sallie Mullins Thompson, a licensed accountant and certified financial planner in New York. It's "essential to have," she adds, since employees can't accurately file a tax return without it.
What to do if you don't get your W-2 by mid-February
Employers are required to postmark or electronically send W-2s to all employees no later than January 31. You may receive multiple copies of the form. This is so you can attach one to your federal return and one to your state return, and keep one for your own records.
Most employers will make W-2s available to employees online earlier than January 31. You may get an email that instructs you to log in to your payroll provider's online portal to download a file. If your employer mails your W-2, you may not receive it until early February.
5 steps to take if you haven't received your W-2 on time
1. Check your email
The first and easiest thing to do is check your work email inbox and your spam folder. If your employer filed W-2s electronically, you should have received a link to download it or instructions for downloading it from the employer's payroll provider.
Search your email account for "tax form is ready" or "tax form available for download" along with the name of the payroll provider.
2. Check your employee portal
If you don't see an email, log in to your payroll portal. There should be a section called "Tax Forms." It may be buried within another section, such as "Statements and Documents."
3. Ask your employer
If nothing turns up online, it's time to contact your employer (or former employer, if you no longer work at the company).
Reach out to the human resources department and ask when and how they sent W-2s. If the form was mailed, confirm the company has your current address and ask if it's possible to track the mail.
4. Contact the IRS
If your employer can't locate your W-2, or simply hasn't responded to your requests, it's time to pass the baton to the IRS.
Call the agency at 800-829-1040 or make an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center, and be prepared with the following information:
- Your name, address, and phone number
- Your Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number
- Your employer's name, address and phone number
- Your dates of employment
"They will send a demand letter to your employer and it offers them a certain amount of time to comply with the issuance demand," Adams says.
5. Use a substitute W-2 or request an extension
If the tax deadline is approaching and you're still missing your W-2, you're not off the hook for filing taxes. Instead, you have two options:
- File a substitute W-2: Estimate your wages and tax withholding using Form 4852. When you eventually receive your W-2, you will need to compare your estimate to the actual figures. If there's a difference you'll need to file an amended tax return.
- Request an extension: File for an automatic extension using Form 4868. While this will extend the time to file until October, it's not an extension of time to pay so use the last pay stub you have to estimate your earnings and withholdings and pay in any taxes owed by the April 15th deadline.
W-2 frequently asked questions
What happens if I don't get my W-2 by January 31?
Employers have to electronically send or mail W-2s to current and former employees by January 31. If your employer is mailing your W-2, you may not receive it until early February. If you don't see it by then, check your payroll or employer portal, speak with your employer, reach out to the IRS.
How can I get my W-2 without contacting my employer?
You can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or make an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center to have a reminder sent to your employer.
Can you sue an employer for not sending a W-2?
You can't sue your employer for a missing W-2, but rest assured that the IRS will charge the employer a penalty for each form not filed within 30 days of the deadline. After 30 days, the penalty increases.