H&R Block

H & R Block:

How to Get Copies of Old W2 Forms

You may need old W2 copies due to an audit or, more happily, if an accountant tells you that you can get more money from past years' taxes. At any rate, you need to know how to get copies of old W2 forms. It's a pretty easy process. You may need to do a little work to get them, though. You may need to request this information and show proof of income, even if you did not make enough to file that year.

Steps

1. Check the place where you keep important papers. It's a good idea to save important tax information for five years. However, if you do not have them, all is not lost.
   
2. Call the payroll department of your employer (or former employer as the case may be). They also should be saving important tax information.
   
3. Access the IRS website (www.irs.gov). A quick search for old W2 forms should allow you to order your previous years' W2 forms. You will need to request form 4506-T.
   
   • This service may be free; however, there could be a nominal fee. Pay the fee, if there is one, (the amount may vary from year to year). The IRS hasn't been charging for this service, but requests for older years' transactions may be different.
     
   • Wait patiently. It can take 2 months or longer to process your request.
     
4. Contact the tax preparer you used in previous years. This is pretty easy if an outside source, such as H&R Block, figured your taxes in prior years. They should have your W2s on file.
   
5. Be mindful of pricing structures. There are other sources of old W2 information that charge fees. Ask the two questions below and then compare the information with the same from the IRS before paying anything.
   
   • How long will it take to get the old W2 forms to you?
     
   • What is the charge for this service?
     
6. File an extension form that gives you 3 extra months to file your income taxes if you are working on the current year's taxes. This will give you enough time to patiently wait for the W2 forms to come back to you.
   
7. Find a safe place to save important tax documents so that this does not happen to you again. It's worth a little effort right now to avoid a lot of headaches later on. You should save all W2s, income tax forms and other pertinent tax information for 7 years.
   

Tips

• Follow these steps if your employer refuses to give you another W2 form.
  
• You may get past W2 forms for years you have not filed your taxes as well as for those needed that were filed.