Taxbrain 2012 – 2013 What if You’re Missing a W-2 or 1099?

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By now you should have received all of your W-2s and 1099s from your employer and financial institutions. They are required to distribute these documents by January 31st. While you may file your tax return without the actual documents, it’s a good idea to obtain them to make sure you have the correct information.

If you haven’t received them yet, here’s what you need to do.

Missing W-2 Wage & Tax Statement

First, contact your employer. Usually they can get you another copy without much trouble. In many cases, you can even go online and print a fresh copy without waiting for the mail.

However, if February 14th comes and goes without receiving all of your W-2s, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 for help. The IRS will need your name, address, phone number, Social Security Number, dates of employment, and your employer’s name, address and phone number. The IRS will contact the employer for you and request the missing form. The IRS will also send you a Form 4852 that can be used to complete your tax return if you do not receive the missing W-2 to file your taxes.

Missing 1099

If you received interest or dividend income, sold a stock or worked as an independent contractor, you’ll receive a Form 1099 for your tax return. IRS Form 1099 is used to document various forms of income other than wages. For example: interest, dividends, cancellation of debt, government payments (e.g., tax refunds), pensions, or contract labor income. Here are some of the most common types of 1099.

1099-A Acquisition or abandonment of Secured Property

1099-B Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions

1099-C Cancellation of Debt

1099-DIV Dividends & Distributions

1099-G Certain Government Payments

1099-H Health Insurance Advance Payments

1099-INT Interest Income

1099-LTC Long Term Care Benefits

1099-MISC Miscellaneous Income

1099-OID Original Issue Discount

1099-R Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement Plans, IRAs or Insurance Contracts

If you’re expecting a 1099 and don’t receive it by mid February, contact the payer’s customer service and arrange for a duplicate copy. The payer might not have a correct or complete address for you.

Banks may have tax documents available for downloading from their website, or you can call their customer service to get a new 1099 mailed to you.

Your broker will be able to mail you a copy of your 1099 to report stock trading and other investment activity. Or you might be able to download a copy from the brokerage website.

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