It’s a good idea to have all your tax documents together before preparing your 2012 tax return. You will need your W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which employers should send by the end of January. Give it two weeks to arrive by mail.
If you haven’t received your W-2, the IRS suggests you follow these four steps:
- Contact your employer: If you have not received your W-2, contact your employer, or former employer, to inquire if and when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned to the employer because of an incorrect or incomplete address. After contacting the employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for them to resend or issue the W-2.
- Contact the IRS: If you do not receive your W-2 by Feb. 14, you may contact the IRS for assistance at 800-829-1040. When you call, be prepared to provide your name, address, Social Security number, phone number and have the following information:
- Employer’s name, address and phone number
- Your employment dates, and
- An estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld, and when you worked for that employer during 2012. The estimate should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave-and-earnings statement, if possible.
- File your return: You still must file your tax return or request an extension to file by April 15, 2013, even if you do not receive your Form W-2. If you have not received your Form W-2 in time to file your return by the due date, and have completed steps 1 and 2, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to the return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. The IRS may delay processing your return while it verifies your information.
- File a Form 1040X: If you receive the missing W-2 after filing your tax return and the information on the W-2 is different from what you reported using Form 4852, then you must correct your tax return. File Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return to amend your tax return.
If you need assistance, contact Steve Siesser at ssiesser@verizon.net or 301-593-6766.