If you haven’t received a Form W-2 from your employer by January 31, you should take these steps:

  1. Ask your employer if and when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned because of an incorrect or incomplete address. After contacting the employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for the W-2 to be resent.

  2. If you do not receive your W-2 by February 14, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 for help. When you call, you’ll need to provide personal information to identify yourself, as well an estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld, and when you worked for that employer during 2010. This should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave-and-earnings statement, if possible.

  3. You still must file your tax return or request an extension to file by April 18, 2011, even if you do not receive your Form W-2. If you have not received your Form W-2 by the due date, and have completed steps 1 and 2, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to the return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. Any refund may be delayed while the information is verified.

  4. You may receive your missing W-2 after you filed your return using Form 4852, and the information may be different from what you reported on your return. If this happens, you must amend your return by filing a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

What to do if you’re missing a W-2