W-2 forms
W-2 form is the form that every employer must send to their employees by the end of the month of January. You should keep W-2 copy safe as this form is both your tax statement as well as your wages.
Understanding your copy of W-2 will help you file your tax returns better.
In case you have not received your W-2 form by the end of January, you should be aware of the fact that the IRS has suggested allowing a two week lenience period that is till February 14th in case the form has been mailed to you. During the waiting period you have a few options. You can first ask your employer if they have mailed the form and if so when?. Checking if the employer has the correct mailing address is the next to do. The reason for this is that your W-2 form should not be delivered to the wrong address. You can also ask your employee for another form. Asking your employee if you can import your W-2 form is another option you have. If this is possible your employer will give you the information you require to import your W-2.
In case you don’t receive your W-2 form by February 14th you should call the IRS and ask for assistance. The number you can call is 800-829-1040. In case you are calling the IRS you should be prepared to provide information about yourself such as your name, your address as well as your social security number. You should also give the details of your employer even if they are no longer in business. Be ready to give the dates of employment. You should also be ready to give an estimated amount of the wages you have earned as well as the amount of federal tax that has been withheld. The estimated amount should be based either on your pay stub the final one for the year or your earning statement for that year.
You should know in case you have lost it there are ways of getting a copy of the lost W-2 form. You can always as your employer for another form, but remember that your employer has the right to charge you a fee for the replacement form. W-2 download is also available on the net. There are also many websites that offer to send your lost W-2 form. These sites offer to send you from 2002 W-2 forms to 2010 W-2 forms. They will also send you your 2011 W-2 form, but these sites will charge a fee for this service.
In case the information on your W-2 form is wrong you can for a corrected form from your employer. The employer will send you as well as the Social Security Administration a copy of the corrected form.
Even if you don’t get your W-2 form you should still file your tax returns. You must file your tax on time even then or apply for an extension to file your return after given date. You should apply for an extension before the given date.