How Can I Get a Copy of My W2 From Previous Years?
Easily retrieve your W2 forms from previous years. This guide details reliable methods for accessing your essential past income and tax records.
A W-2, or Wage and Tax Statement, is a tax form employers are required to send to each employee and to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually. This document reports an employee’s annual wages and the amount of taxes withheld from their paycheck. It is a fundamental document for filing income taxes, verifying income for loans or other financial applications, and for personal financial record-keeping. Individuals often need copies of these forms from previous years for various reasons, including tax audits or loan applications.
Obtaining W-2s from Previous Employers or Payroll Providers
The most direct approach for acquiring a previous year’s W-2 is to contact the former employer. Before reaching out, it is helpful to gather specific information, such as the dates of employment, your last known address used while employed, and if possible, your employee identification number. This preparation can help expedite the request process.
Contact the company’s human resources or payroll department. Many employers have established procedures for duplicate W-2 requests, which might involve a phone call, an email, or an online portal. While employers are obligated to provide W-2s, they may charge a nominal administrative fee for a duplicate copy.
If the employer utilized a third-party payroll service, such as ADP or Paychex, contacting that provider directly can be effective. These services often maintain online platforms where former employees can access and download their W-2s for several past years. Obtaining a duplicate W-2 from a former employer or payroll provider typically takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on their internal processes and responsiveness.
Requesting W-2s from the Internal Revenue Service
When direct contact with a former employer is unsuccessful or not feasible, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) serves as an official channel for obtaining past wage and income information. The IRS does not provide actual copies of W-2 forms but offers “wage and income transcripts” which contain the data reported on W-2s and other income documents. To request these transcripts, you will need personal identifying information, including your Social Security number, date of birth, and the address you had on file with the IRS for the tax year requested.
The fastest method to obtain a wage and income transcript is through the IRS’s “Get Transcript Online” tool available on their official website. This method requires identity verification, which typically involves providing financial account numbers (like a credit card or loan) and a mobile phone number for a verification code. Once verified, you can immediately view, print, or download your transcript.
Alternatively, you can request a transcript by mail using Form 4506-T, “Request for Transcript of Tax Return.” Mail requests for transcripts generally take 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery.
Requesting W-2s from the Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains records of reported wages for Social Security benefit purposes, making it another resource for obtaining past earnings information. While the SSA does not issue W-2 forms directly, they can provide a “Wage and Tax Statement” that lists your reported earnings for previous years. This statement is not an exact duplicate of a W-2 and may not contain all the details needed for tax filing, such as state or local tax withholdings. However, it can be valuable for verifying income history or when a W-2 is otherwise unavailable.
The most convenient way to access this information is through a “my Social Security” online account. If you do not already have an account, you can create one on the SSA’s website, which involves a secure identity verification process. Once logged in, you can navigate the portal to view or print your earnings record. The SSA can typically provide wage and tax statements for any year from 1978 to the present. While the SSA statement offers a comprehensive history of reported wages, it is primarily for Social Security benefit calculations and should be used with caution for tax filing if an official W-2 or IRS transcript is required.