No W-2 tax form? What to do

These days, you probably want to file your taxes as early as possible to prevent identity thieves from filing a false return in your name — but that requires you to have the necessary forms in hand, including W-2 forms.

• Notify Your Employer – Contact your employer and let them know that you need a copy of the W-2 to complete your taxes. Employers have no reason to withhold your W-2, so it is likely a simple mistake such as having the wrong address listed with your employer. Employers or former employers are not obligated to verify your correct address, so it is important to notify them of any address changes.

• Call the IRS – If for some reason your employer is not responsive, you can call the IRS, and they will in turn send a letter to the employer reminding them of their responsibility to you. When you call, you will need to supply your basic information (name, address, phone number, and Social Security number), along with information about your job and employer: the company name, address, and phone number; the dates that you were employed there; and your best estimate of your wages earned and tax withheld. Estimates should be available on your last monthly/weekly pay stub for 2018.

• Use Form 4852 – If you are running too close to the tax filing date of April 15, 2019, you can use IRS Form 4852, "Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement." Form 4852 requires you to estimate the items that would be in your W-2 form. Again, if you have your last pay stub, this should be relatively easy.
  
  To use Form 4852, you must have notified the IRS about the situation first. You must describe your efforts to obtain your W-2 in line 10 of Form 4852.