As an employee, you can expect your employer to provide you with your W-2 form at the beginning of every year, which will detail the income from your previous year’s employment.
You can make the request for an old W-2 form by mail by filling out a 4506-T “Request for Transcript of Tax Return” form to the IRS.
You can request your W-2 form by phone by calling (800) 908-9946. With this method, your W-2 will typically arrive in 10 days.
Go to Get Transcript By Mail and fill out the form to request your W-2. As with the phone method, your W-2 will arrive in 10 days.
If you don’t already have an IRS account, set one up and immediately download your transcripts online.
If you use a tax preparation professional such as an accountant, you may authorize them to contact the IRS and get your transcripts for you.
Tips for Getting a Copy of W-2 Form
Tip #1
To avoid the hassle of trying to contact the IRS, save all copies of W-2 forms in a safe space so that you can refer to them when you need them. Always make a copy of the forms you send to the IRS every tax season.
Tip #1
If you use a tax professional to complete your taxes, you can also try contacting them for copies of your W-2.