In general, employers must provide employees with a 1998 Form W-2
by January 3l, 1999. If you do not receive your Form W-2, you still must
file your return on time.
After January 3lst, if you want to file, but have not received your
Form W-2, you should... first, contact your employer and find out if or
when the W-2 was mailed. You may not have received your W-2 because of
an incorrect or incomplete address, so be sure to verify your address.
If the W-2 was returned to the employer because of an address problem
or was not yet issued, allow a reasonable amount of time for the employer
to re-mail or issue the W-2. If you still do not receive your W-2, contact
the IRS for assistance at 1-800-829-1040, but not before February l6th.
When you call, we will need the following information to prepare a Form
4852, Substitute for a Missing Form W-2.
- The employer's name and complete address, including zip code, their
identification number (if known), and telephone number,
- Your name, address, including zip code, social security number,
and telephone number; and
- An estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld,
and the dates you began and ended employment.
The IRS will mail you a copy of Form 4852, but you should use it
only if necessary to meet the filing deadline. If you file your return
and attach Form 4852 instead of a W-2, your refund may be delayed while
the information you give us is verified.
If you receive a corrected W-2 after your return is filed, and it
does not match the income or withheld tax you reported on your return,
you must file an amended return. For information on amending your return,
select Topic 308.
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