A W-2 form is a form that is distributed by employers to their employees each year. It is a statement that details the wages paid for the calendar year, including the taxes that were taken out. You need this form to file your taxes each year. If you have lost your W-2 for any of the past 10 years, you can contact the IRS directly to request a copy to allow you to file your taxes accurately.
Contact your current employer and past employers' human resources offices--either in person or by mail--and ask for a copy of your W-2.
Contact your tax preparer, who should have a copy of the W-2 and any other forms you filed with your tax return.
File form 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return with the IRS. The transcript is free and includes your return transcript and any forms included with it, including the W-2. Be sure to check box No. 8 on the form to ensure you get the W-2. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and request a copy.
Obtain an exact copy of your tax return, instead of a transcript, by filing form 4506. The IRS charges $57 for each copy. The IRS will give you the tax return and any forms that were supplied with it at the time of filing, which includes your W-2.
References
- IRS: Request for Copy of Tax Return
- IRS: Request for Transcript of Tax Return
- Money Instructor: Tax Form W-2 Lesson
- Internal Revenue Service. "About Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Topic No. 156 Copy or Transcript of Your Tax Return–How to Get One." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return," Page 1. Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Transcript Types and Ways to Order Them." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506-T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "About the New Tax Transcript: FAQs." Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return," Page 2. Accessed Jan. 23, 2020.
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Amanda Rumble has been writing for online publications since 2000, primarily in the fields of computing and technology. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Buffalo in information technology. Rumble also focuses on writing articles involving popular video games and Internet culture.