{"id":4234,"date":"2023-01-11T18:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T23:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primepay.com\/blog\/4-steps-to-take-if-you-dont-receive-your-w-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T12:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T17:27:13","slug":"4-steps-to-take-if-you-dont-receive-your-w-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primepay.com\/blog\/4-steps-to-take-if-you-dont-receive-your-w-2\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Steps To Take If You Don’t Receive Your W-2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we enter tax season, anticipation rises from employees everywhere about their W-2 forms. Questions like “when am I going to get my W-2” or “what happens if I never receive my W-2” are two of the most common this time of year.\u00a0

In this article we will break down what to do if you do not receive a W-2<\/strong> from a current or former employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Form W-2?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, shows the income and taxes withheld from an employee’s pay for the year. It is required for you to file your taxes. 

Don’t confuse a W-2<\/a> with Form W-4. A W-4 is a form individuals complete for withholding purposes; a Form W-2 is for employers to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees should receive a Form W-2 from each of their employers where they worked during the prior year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, employers have until January 31st<\/strong> to send the prior year Form W-2 earnings statement to employees.  If an employer is mailing Forms W-2 to their employees, they must be postmarked by January 31st, so it may take a week or so to arrive t you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t received Form W-2 from your employer by mid-February, follow these four steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Contact your employer. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have not received your Form W-2, contact your employer to inquire if and when the Form 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 to issue the W-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Contact the IRS.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you do not receive your W-2 by the end of February and you have already contacted your employer, you can call the IRS for assistance at (800) 829-1040.  You can also visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC).  When you call or visit the IRS, you\u2019ll need to provide the following information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n