- Stubbuilder
- Jan 5, 2024
How To Get Old W-2?
Being an employee, you can expect your employer to provide you with a W-2 form at the start of each year, which showcases the earnings from your previous year’s employment.
However, there may be a time when you need a copy of your old W-2 form from your previous job. You should keep a copy of your old W-2 form and all the other tax documents; it only sometimes happens. But, luckily there are a few other options to retrieve your W-2 form.
In this blog, we will help you understand how to get an old W-2 from your previous job. If you are looking for real pay stubs, you should visit Stubbuilder.
Reasons To Retrieve Your W-2 Form
These reasons include:
Filing Back Tax Returns: The IRS keeps a record of taxpayers who are required to file their taxes but do not want to, which might result in the IRS coming after you for back tax returns. Back tax returns might result in consequences like hefty plan fees, so you will need to get back in good standing with the IRS to review your previous tax documents to prepare your return.
Applying For Loans: While applying for loans, you might be required to prove that you have stable earnings for the past few years, meaning that they may require the previous year’s W-2 forms.
Tracking Income History: You may have to provide your income history for different reasons, and your W-2 form is the most reliable way to trace your income history.
How To Get W-2 Online?
You have a couple of options for getting a copy of your old W-2 form; before you request it, you will have to figure out which year you need W-2 forms from multiple years.
If you are in contact with your old employer, you might contact them and request a copy of your W-2 from payroll. Employers are obligated to keep copies of W-2 forms for four years, but some might keep them for longer.
If you cannot contact your former employer, fortunately, there is a simple way to retrieve your old W-2 form via the IRS. The IRS has had two W-2s for the past ten years, so they will likely have what you need.
Getting A Copy of Your W-2 Form From The IRS
You can get a copy of your W-2 form from the IRS in 4 ways, which are as follows:
Mail: You can request your W-2 form by mailing a 4056-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return form to the IRS. You shall only receive a copy of your W-2 from the IRS if you have filled it out in a paper copy, and if you still need to, you will receive a transcript from the IRS, which shall have the necessary information.
Phone: You can request your W-2 form by calling (800)908-9946. In this way, your W-2 will arrive in 10 days.
Use IRS to Get Transcript: If you don’t have an IRS account, you should sign up for one immediately and download your transcript online. You will need to provide some extra documents to verify your identity for secure access to the IRS online account.
Use Your Tax Preparation Professional: If you use a tax preparation professional like an accountant, you may authorize them to contact the IRS and get your transcript.
Conclusion
Keeping copies of your W-2 forms will be very beneficial for you in the future. If you are missing one of your W-2 forms, you can request a copy of a transcript from the IRS via various methods. If you are looking for a free pay stubs generator, check out Stubbuilder.
