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The Daily Insight

What information do you need from your W-2 to file taxes?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Feb 09, 2026

The IRS requires employers to report wage and salary information for employees on Form W-2. Your W-2 also reports the amount of federal, state and other taxes withheld from your paycheck. As an employee, the information on your W-2 is extremely important when preparing your tax return.

What will happen if I only file one W-2?

If you don’t report all of your income, then the IRS will send you a notice in the mail. All tax forms are sent to both you and the IRS. If something is missing (and a computer will always catch a W-2), then they’ll send you a notice and also a bill for anything you owe. …

Do you have to have a W2 form to file your taxes?

To file your income taxes and get your tax refund, you have to have your W2. This form contains all of the important information that you need for your annual income tax filing. If you do not have your W-2 form by the end of January, confirm that your employer has your correct mailing address.

What to do if you do not get your W-2?

If you do not obtain your Form W-2, contact your employer to search out if and when the tax forms W-2 was mailed. After contacting your employer, permit a reasonable amount of time on your employer to resend or to concern the W-2 tax Form sample.

When is the deadline for the W2 form?

Regarding the W-2 tax Form 2020 Deadline, your employer should challenge W-2 Forms to you no later than Jan. 31, 2020. If you don’t obtain your W-2 by the W-2 Form Deadline, ask your employer for it. Your employer will figure it into how much taxes to withhold from your paycheck.

Where can I get a copy of my current year W-2?

The quickest way to obtain a copy of your current year Form W-2 is through your employer. Your employer first submits Form W-2 to SSA; after SSA processes it, they transmit the federal tax information to the IRS.