Tax Preparation Waukesha | Edith Christian CPA

Still expecting a W-2 from your employer to come in the mail? Now is the time to act if you haven’t received all of them, because by now, you should have received all your W-2s from the jobs you worked at. Employers had up to January 31, 2012 to mail them out.

If you still haven’t received your W-2 yet, here is what you should do:

1. Contact your employer. Inquire if and when the W-2 was mailed out, if any, to you. If it was mailed, it could be that the return was sent to an incorrect/incomplete address. After contacting the employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for them to be resent/reissued.

2. Contact the IRS. If by February 14, 2012, you tried step #1 above but either couldn’t find the employer or the employer failed to cooperate, then contact the IRS for assistance at 1-800-829-1049. When you call, you must provide:

a. Your information such as name, address, city and state, including zip code, Social Security number, and phone number

b. Employer information such as name, address, city and state, zip code, and phone number

c. Dates of employment

d. Estimate of the wages you earned; federal tax withheld, etc. The estimate should be based on your last year-to-date final pay stub if possible.

3. File your return. You still must file your return or request an extension to file by April 17, 2012, even though you haven’t received a W-2. If you have completed steps #1 and #2 above, then you may use Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) and attach it to your return. Please note that you can download the Form 4852 from the IRS website and print it.  There may be a delay in any refund due while the information is verified by the IRS.

4. File Form 1040X. On occasion, you may receive your missing W-2 after you filed your return using Form 4852, and the information may be different from what you reported on your return. If this happens to you, you must amend your return by filing a Form 1040X (Amended US Individual Income Tax Return).