It’s that time of year again — time to file your tax return. Before you start, make sure you have all your documents at hand, particularly your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. By Jan 31, you should have received a Form W-2 from each of your employers. It’s always a good idea to keep copies of all pay statements in case you need to refer to them when filing your taxes.
If you haven’t received your Form W-2 by Jan. 31, follow these three steps:
1. Contact your employer/s – Contact your employer to inquire when it was made available or mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned because of an incorrect address. After contacting the employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for them to resend or make it available to you.
2. Contact the IRS – Contact the IRS for assistance at 800-829-1040 after February 15 if you are unable to obtain your Form W-2 from your employer(s). When you call, you must provide your name, address, city, state, zip code, Social Security number and phone number. You must also have the following information:
• Your employer’s name, address, city, state, zip code and phone number
• Dates of employment
• Estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld, and when you worked for that employer during 2010. (The estimate should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave and earnings statement, if possible.)
3. File your return – You still must file your tax return or request an extension to file by the April 18, 2011 (this year’s) filing deadline, even if you have not received your Form W-2. If you have not received your Form W-2 by April 18, and have completed Steps 1 and 2 above, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to your return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. There may be a delay in any refund due until the information is verified.
What if you receive your missing Form W-2 after you filed your return using Form 4852? If you receive your missing Form W-2 after you filed, AND the information is different from what you reported on Form 4852, you must amend your return using Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Forms 4852 and 1040X are available on IRS.gov (www.irs.gov), or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).