How to Get Old W-2s From the IRS and Employers

A W-2, also known as a Wage and Tax Statement, is a tax form employers are required to provide to employees annually. This document reports your yearly wages and the amount of federal, state, and local taxes withheld from your pay. Individuals often need old W-2s for various reasons, such as preparing amended tax returns, applying for mortgages or other loans, or verifying income for housing applications. These documents serve as official proof of income and tax payments.

Getting W-2s from Your Employer

The most direct approach to obtaining an old W-2 is by contacting your former employer. Before reaching out, gather specific information to expedite your request, including:

• Your full name as it appeared during your employment
• Your Social Security Number
• The precise dates of your employment
• Your last known address
• Your employee identification number (if available)

Once you have this information, you should contact the employer’s Human Resources or Payroll department. Common contact methods include a direct phone call, sending an email, or checking if the company has an online portal specifically for former employees to access their documents. Federal law requires employers to retain employment tax records, including W-2s, for at least four years after the tax due date or the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. While some employers may keep records longer, very old W-2s might be archived or no longer available. You can expect a response within a few business days to a few weeks, depending on the employer’s processes and the age of the record.

Requesting W-2s from the Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains records of reported earnings, which can be used to reconstruct W-2 information if the original form is unavailable. To request this information, complete Form SSA-7050-F4, “Request for Social Security Earnings Information.” This form requires:

• Your full name
• Social Security Number
• Date of birth
• Any previous names used
• Your signature

You can find and download Form SSA-7050-F4 directly from the SSA’s official website. Once completed, the form can be submitted by mail to the Social Security Administration’s P.O. Box in Baltimore, Maryland, or in person at a local SSA office. The SSA charges a fee for these requests, unless the information is needed for a Social Security-related reason. For a non-certified itemized statement of earnings, the fee is $61, while a certified statement costs $96; certified yearly totals cost $35, but non-certified yearly totals are free through your “my Social Security” online account. The SSA advises allowing up to 120 days for processing these requests, and will provide an earnings record containing wage and tax information, though it is not an exact copy of the original W-2 form.

Obtaining W-2s from the Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also retains copies of W-2s filed by employers. You can obtain a “wage and income transcript,” which is a free summary of your W-2 data and sufficient for most purposes. For an actual copy of your tax return, which may include a W-2 if it was attached to a paper return, you would use a different form and incur a fee. The relevant form for transcripts is Form 4506-T, “Request for Transcript of Tax Return,” while Form 4506, “Request for Copy of Tax Return,” is used for actual copies. Both forms require:

• Your name
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Address
• The specific tax year(s) you are requesting

For wage and income transcripts, you can use the IRS Get Transcript Online tool, which requires an identity verification process. Alternatively, you can complete Form 4506-T and submit it by mail or fax. Transcripts requested by mail arrive within 5 to 10 calendar days once processed. The IRS processes Form 4506-T requests within 5 to 10 business days, though processing times can vary, especially during peak tax season. Requesting an actual copy of your tax return using Form 4506 costs $50 per return and can take up to 75 days to process; however, the wage and income transcript provides federal tax information but does not include state or local tax details reported on your W-2.