How Can You Look Up Your W2 From an Employer or the IRS?

The W2 form, officially known as the Wage and Tax Statement, is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) document that summarizes an employee’s annual wages and the taxes withheld by their employer. This form is a foundational document for filing income taxes, as it provides the necessary figures for federal, state, and local tax obligations. Employers are required to send W2 forms to employees by January 31st each year, providing ample time for tax preparation before the April 15th deadline.

Obtaining Your W2 from Your Employer

The most direct and common approach to obtaining your W2 is by contacting your employer. Many employers utilize online payroll portals where current employees can securely log in to view and download their tax documents, including W2s. This often involves navigating to a “Tax Documents” or “Payroll” section within the portal.

If an online portal is not available or accessible, current employees can directly contact their human resources (HR) or payroll department. This can usually be done via email or phone call, requesting a duplicate copy of the W2. The HR or payroll department can then provide instructions on how to receive the form, which may include electronic delivery or mailing a paper copy.

Former employees should also initiate their search by reaching out to their previous employer’s HR or payroll department. Many companies maintain online portals that remain accessible to former employees for a certain period after their departure, allowing them to retrieve past W2s. When contacting a former employer, you should be prepared to provide identifying information such as your full name, Social Security Number, and the specific tax year for which the W2 is needed. Employers are generally required to retain W2 records for at least four years.

Requesting Your W2 from the IRS

When efforts to obtain a W2 directly from an employer are unsuccessful, or if the employer is no longer in business, the IRS provides channels for accessing wage and income information.

One method is through an IRS online account, which allows individuals to view their wage and income transcripts. These transcripts contain the federal tax information reported by employers to the Social Security Administration (SSA), including data from W2 forms. To access this information, you must create or log in to your IRS online account. This process requires identity verification. While the online account provides a wage and income transcript, it is important to note that this is not an actual copy of the physical W2 form itself. The transcript provides the aggregated data needed for tax filing.

Another way to obtain a wage and income transcript is by submitting Form 4506-T, “Request for Transcript of Tax Return,” to the IRS. This form is used to order various types of tax transcripts free of charge. When completing Form 4506-T, you will need to provide your name, Social Security Number, current address, and if different from your last filed return, your previous address. You will also specify the tax year(s) for which you need the transcript. The completed form can be mailed or faxed to the appropriate IRS office.

For urgent situations, the IRS can sometimes provide wage and income information over the phone by calling their individual tax help line at 800-829-1040. This method may involve longer wait times, especially during peak tax season, and requires thorough identity verification. Have all relevant personal and tax information ready before calling.

Additional Methods for Accessing Your W2

Other avenues can help individuals retrieve W2 information. If you utilized tax preparation software or employed a professional tax preparer in previous years, your W2 data might be stored within that software or by the preparer. Many tax software platforms allow users to import prior-year tax returns, which can include W2 details.

Bank records can offer limited insight into your earnings. Direct deposit statements might show gross pay, but they will not detail all the specific tax withholdings for federal, state, and local taxes that are present on a W2 form. This method is insufficient for comprehensive tax filing purposes.

Some state tax agencies may offer services to access state-level wage information. While this does not directly provide the federal W2, it can offer a partial view of your income and state tax withholdings. This varies by state, and it is less common for state agencies to provide federal W2 equivalents.