Letter Requesting W-2 From The Employer [Quick Guide]

Letter Requesting W-2 From The Employer [Quick Guide]

A W-2 form is a crucial record to have when submitting your yearly taxes. All workers get W-2s from their employers at the start of each year, which include details about the previous year's earnings and taxes. 

Even if you changed jobs within the last year, you still need a W-2 from your previous employer to fully submit your taxes. 

In this post, we'll explain how to acquire your W-2 from a former employer and provide advice if you haven't already.

Why is a W-2 from your prior company required?

A W-2, also known as a Wage and Tax Statement, from your prior employer is required if you changed employment during the last year to submit your taxes. 

This form is used to determine your tax liability or if you are eligible for a tax refund. Information on this form includes:

How much money did you make last year at that firm?

• Amount of taxes taken from your paycheck for federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare

• your yearly retirement fund contributions

• Employer health care contribution

• The number of benefits you got for childcare

All current and former workers who made at least $600 during the previous year must get W-2 forms from their employers, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

How to get a W-2 document from a previous employer?

Before the end of January, the IRS mandates that your previous employer send you a copy of your W-2.

You may need to take action if, within the first few weeks of the year, your W-2 has not yet arrived or you have lost the document to avoid paying penalties for late tax filing. 

You may take the following easy measures to guarantee that you get your W-2 on time:

1. Verify the date.

Recognize crucial tax dates, and keep an eye on the calendar to see when you should take action. To send your W-2, your previous employer has until January 31. 

It may not come until the first week of February as a result. You should get your W-2 by no later than February 14th, according to the IRS.

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2. If you relocated, update your address.

Make sure you submitted a change-of-address form at your neighborhood US Post Office if your address has changed after you left your previous company. 

You must normally wait seven to ten days after completing this form for the USPS to complete your request for mail to be delivered to your new address. 

Mail received to your old address won't be transferred to your new residence if you forget to fill out this form, and your W-2 may have been returned to your former employer by the postal service.

3. Go into your email.

It's possible that you choose to get paperless tax statements or that your previous company wants to provide tax records electronically. 

Look through your spam and inbox for an email stating that your tax papers are available. A secure online platform where you may view and download critical data like your W-2 is often linked in this message.

4. Speak with your previous employer

If your W-2 has not arrived before the end of January, first get in touch with your former employer. 

If the business you worked for has an HR division, get in touch with them through phone or email to inquire about the status of your W-2 and to make sure they have your right mailing address. 

The form may have been sent, but it was lost in the mail or delivered to the incorrect address. Make contact with your previous manager if the business does not have an HR division. To save time, suggest picking up your W-2 in person.

5. Speak with the payroll manager

Call or contact the payroll administrator if the firm you worked for utilizes a third-party service provider to conduct payroll. 

Recheck the address they have on file for you, and if it hasn't arrived after being addressed, ask them to send another copy.

6. Speak to the IRS

Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 if you are unable to get in touch with your previous employer, they don't reply to your request, or you haven't received your W-2 by February 14th. 

Your past pay stubs or the W-2 from the prior year will include the company's Employer Identification Number (EIN), which you should provide to the representative. 

Additionally, you could be asked to provide details such as your name, address, and Social Security number as well as the names and contact information for your employer, your projected salary, and the days you worked there. The IRS subsequently reminds your previous employer to mail your W-2.

You may make an appointment at your neighborhood IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center if you'd rather deal with tax correspondence in person. To hasten the procedure, provide all relevant documentation, including the company's EIN.

Advice if your former employer won't give you your W-2

Even if you have followed the above instructions, you still need to submit your taxes if you anticipate not receiving your W-2 by the April 15 deadline. To prevent IRS penalties, you have a few options:

Requesting a prolongation You may request an extension of time to file your taxes from the IRS by submitting Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. 

If approved, you get an additional six months to submit your income tax returns, while you must still make timely tax payments. Your best estimate of the tax you owe, together with payment for that amount, should be sent with the form.

You may file your taxes without a W-2 if you don't anticipate receiving one from your former employer, such as if they've gone out of business. Instead, you can send Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2,

Wage, and Tax Statement, together with your tax return. Estimate your wages and withholdings using the information on your most recent pay stub from that employer, then fill out the 4852. 

Verify your estimates if you get your W-2 after completing a 4852, and then complete Form 1040x to make any necessary corrections.

These forms are available on the IRS website for download, and you must submit them before the April 15th tax filing date. 

While submitting a replacement form or requesting an extension may cause processing of your return to take longer and postpone your refund, doing so prevents the IRS from fining you for late or unfiled taxes.

How can I get a copy of my personnel records?

A written request for employment records must be made. Putting your request in writing helps guarantee that you have documentation of your request in case you need to assert your rights in the future, even while certain laws permit an oral request for documents. 

For the same reason, you want to make sure you get a copy of your request. An email, a letter, or even fax might be considered "writing" for these reasons.

What should be in a letter asking the employer for a W2?

1. Ensure simplicity.

Generally speaking, it's a good idea to make employee record requests straightforward. There is no need to justify your request for documents to your employer. 

Employees often wind up saying the wrong thing when attempting to come up with a justification. You don't need a cause to check your records, it is a reality. You have a right to it under California law.

Additionally, avoiding jargon and unnecessary verbiage is another benefit of simplicity. Including further details can simply obscure your request's true intent. Requesting personnel data is a simple process, so there's no need to make it more difficult.

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2. Be specific in your request.

Writing a request for records might be awkward. Some like to bury their objective amid a sentence or a conversation on another subject. It's preferable to write a letter with the sole intent of seeking your records. 

Therefore, be sure that your letter or email simply mentions your request for personnel records. Your employer will be aware of their situation from the start and won't unintentionally overlook the significance of your request.

3. Maintain a courteous tone.

Be kind and professional in your request. No matter how much they may deserve it, never speak disrespectfully about your workplace or previous employer. 

These letters may sometimes become evidence in court. In a letter, using derogatory language will simply make you seem unpleasant to the judge or jury. 

A rude letter also reduces your chances of succeeding in your goals. Maintain a professional tone and stick to the subject.

But it's up to you to use judgment when it comes to how official you want to sound. While some companies like formal letters, others may react better to a casual, pleasant email. 

The strength of your connection with your employer, whether or not your firm anticipates being sued, and whether or not there is a conflict between you and your bosses might all play a role.

4. Place a time limit on the response.

Your company has the option to ignore you if you don't provide a specific deadline, so do so at your peril. The kind of record you're seeking will determine the precise deadline. 

Requests for personnel records about your performance must be fulfilled within 30 days of the employer receiving the request. Labor Code Section 1198.5 However, employers only have 21 days to reply to a request for payroll records.

5. Optional: Mention the laws that provide you access to these documents.

No special terminology should be used when requesting personnel records. Therefore, whether or not you identify the legislation that provides you the right to obtain employee records, your request is nonetheless lawful. 

Although you're not merely requesting a favor, it might sometimes be useful to remind your employer that your request is supported by a legal right.

However, noting the relevant legislation might sometimes make your request seem more aggressive. This could be advantageous if making a formal request makes sense in your situation, but it might not be advantageous if your employer would respond better to a casual, kind letter.

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