Missing Wage Statements Needed to File Your Taxes?

INDIANAPOLIS –Hoosier taxpayers waiting to file their tax return because they haven’t received a W-2 or 1099 from their employer can find helpful advice from the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR).

“While the majority of employers are timely when issuing wage statements to their employees, there are cases where the statements are delayed,” stated DOR Commissioner Bob Grennes. “For those rare cases when you don’t have the statements you need,  there are options available.”

By law, all employers are required to mail W-2s or 1099s to their employees by Jan. 31. If an employee has not yet received this information, they need to follow these steps:

1. Contact the employer to request a copy of the W-2 or 1099, and ensure the employer has the correct mailing address.
2. If unsuccessful, call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) directly at 800-829-1040 and have the following information available:
   • Name, address, Social Security number and phone number;
   • Employer’s name, address and phone number;
   • Dates employed, and;
   • An estimated amount of wages paid and federal income tax withheld in 2020. In this case, amounts from a year-end or final pay stub can be used.
3. File both your federal and state taxes by April 15^th (or file for an extension).
   • Use federal Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement) when filing a federal tax return and estimate wages and withholding as accurately as possible.
   • File an Indiana tax return using the information provided on the federal tax return.
   • Individuals who receive a W-2 or 1099 or an amended W-2 or 1099 after filing returns, may need to file an amended return.

For more information, customer are encouraged to visit DOR’s website for additional state tax assistance or the IRS website for federal tax assistance.