Significance

• A W-2 lists the amount you were paid by your employer during the tax year as well as the amounts which were withheld from your pay. This form most accurately reflects the income information which you will be required to enter on your tax return. However, the IRS has a substitute that can be used if your W-2 is not available.
  
  

Process

• IRS Form 4852 serves as a substitute for forms W-2, W-2c and 1099. On form 4852, you will enter your wages, federal withholding, Social Security wages, Medicare wages, state tax withheld, local tax withheld and any distributions. You can usually use your pay stubs to estimate these amounts. For example, if you get paid twice a month, multiply the federal withholding amount listed on your pay stub times 24. Unless you adjusted your withholding amount, this is the amount of federal tax you paid for the year. Attach your completed form 4852 to your return and mail it to the IRS for processing. If you are not sure which IRS office services your area, reference the IRS website.
  
  

Considerations

• Even though you can file your return without your W-2, it is usually best to attempt to contact your employer before going that route. Many employers are willing to mail out a replacement W-2 while others use vendors such as W-2eXpress which make their W-2s available free of charge online. If you do not receive your W-2 by February 16, then you can also call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to request assistance in retrieving your W-2. When you call the IRS, you must provide them with your name, address, city, state, dates of employment and estimated salary. The IRS will send your employer a notice advising them of their responsibility to furnish you with a W-2. In addition, they will forward you a copy of the letter sent to your employer as well as a form 4852.
  
  

Warning

• If, based upon your calculations, you made a mistake on your tax return, you may be required to complete an amended return to make the correction. Although it is true that most math errors are corrected by the IRS, it is also true that the IRS does not receive your income information from your employer until long after tax returns are due. This means that penalties and interest will accrue on any balance owed if you wait on the IRS to make the correction and do not make the change yourself upon noticing the error.