When is my Employer REQUIRED to give me Form W-2?

An employer is REQUIRED to give you a completed Form W-2 for the calendar year by January 31* of the next year. (Example: A 2011 Form W-2 must be delivered to you by January 31, 2012). The employer may choose to deliver the completed W-2 in a manner other than postal mail. For example, employers may send W-2 forms to employees by e-mail.

*If January 31st falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the employer will have until the next business day to send out the Form W-2.

If you do NOT receive a Form W-2 by February 15, contact the employer and ask for it. If this does not work, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Note: If you end employment with an employer during the calendar year, you do NOT have to wait until January 31st of the following year to receive a Form W-2. You can tell your former employer to issue your Form W-2 at anytime after employment ends. At your request, the employer MUST issue the Form W-2 within 30 days, or within 30 days of the final wage payment, whichever is LATER.

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