In general, employers must provide employees with a 1999 Form W-2 by
January 31, 2000. However, if you leave your employer before the end of the
year and request your Form W-2, your employer must provide your Form W-2
within 30 days of your request. If you do not receive your Form W-2,
you still must file your return on time. See Topic 304
for information on Extensions of Time to File Your Tax Return.
After January 31st, 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 15th. When you call
we will need the following information:
- 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.
Form 4852,
may be substituted for a missing Form W-2 but it should only be used 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 gave 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 see
Topic 308.
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