If you earned income from an employer or served as a contractor for a company in 2014, you should receive either a W 2 or a Form 1099. These tax forms show the income you received for the year and are required to be mailed to you by January 31st.  What happens if you haven’t received one by February 15th?

We’ve heard some real horror stories when it comes to people getting W 2's or 1099s, and most people’s first step is to run to the internet and search something like “request W 2 from IRS,” or “lost irs forms.” So we want to ease some stress and help should you ever find yourself in the situation.

If you haven’t received your W-2 or 1099 from an employer or company by the 15th of February, the IRS suggests you take the following steps to request a W-2 or 1099:

  • Contact your Employer or Company that your received income from. In some cases, companies may allow you to request a W-2 online, others require you to go to your Human Resources or Payroll department.
  • Confirm that your W-2 was sent to the correct address.
  • Call the IRS if you’re unable to get a copy from the employer or company you received income from at 1-800-829-1040. You need your information and your last paystub of the year, as well as your employer/payer’s information ready when you call.
    • The IRS will reach out to the employer or payer on your behalf, as well as supply you with a Form 4852 that will substitute as your W-2 or 1099 for tax purposes.
     
  • File on time. If you receive your W-2 after you file and need to make a change, you can file an amendment or Form 1040x. If you do not think you’ll be able to file on time, complete the form to file for an extension.

In other instances, if have lost your W-2 or 1099. The IRS suggests that you follow the same steps to recover a lost W-2 or 1099.

The important thing is not to worry because we’re here to help. It’s free to start your return!  If you Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, you get more articles like this posted directly to your timeline or newsfeed! You can also use the buttons below to spread the tax knowledge around.