See below how the H&R Block w2 form Early Access finder allows you to get your W-2 online.
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So What is the H&R Block W2 Finder?
H&R Block’s W-2 Finder s is one of the tools you can use to get your W2 form online and file your taxes fast.
And that ultimately means receiving your refund faster as well.
You don’t need to wait for your W-2 to come by mail when using the H&R Block W-2 Finder.
Once you pull your W-2 in electronically, it is safely stored and ready to start filing with H&R Block. Best of all, you will receive it for free.
How Do I Get My W2 Form Online?
Using H&R Block’s W-2 Finder is fast and straightforward. It’s a three-step process.
- Go to the W-2 Finder Search Page
- Enter your employer’s name or Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) to verify they participate in the program.
- If they do, follow the onscreen instructions so your W-2 can be sent electronically to H&R Block. If it’s not currently available, you will receive an email notifying you when it is.
After you have found your W2, you can get a discount when using H&R Block online to file your taxes.
Why Your W-2 Tax Form is Important
You will need some essential documents to file your taxes accurately and get the maximum refund you deserve.
Your W-2’s are one of those necessary documents to have before filing. Here are three important boxes it contains:
Box 1: Your Total Pay
This is the most important part of your W-2 that will always be used. It is the total compensation you’ve received for the year.
It is higher than your net pay because it includes other deducted amounts, such as taxes, insurance, and defined contributions.
Box 2: Federal Income Tax Withheld
This box holds the key, to whether you will receive a refund or owe money back to the IRS. It should be reasonably close to what your tax liability is.
If it’s off too much, you need to update your W-4 form which determines how much taxes should be held from your paycheck in the future.
Box 12: Special Benefits
Box 12 is a special box that helps offset your taxable income.
It lists the tax breaks you’re entitled to from contributing to plans such as a flexible spending account, 401(k) retirement plan, and adoption benefits, for instance.
The more items listed here, the better your chances to lower your tax liability.
Tax Filing with H&R Block is beneficial for you because they will diligently go through all the necessary steps to find you the most money during tax season.
What if I Need a W2 From a Previous Year?
Don’t worry if you can’t find your W-2 online from a previous year. Getting a copy of a W-2 is relatively easy. There are two options you have for you to get a W-2 from an earlier year.
Option #1: Contact your Employer
Contacting the employer who issued the lost W-2 is the easiest way to obtain a copy.
Your employer or former employer’s payroll department is sure to be saving important tax data like W-2s. Ask them to send you a copy. It is very simple and won’t take much time.
Option #2: Contact the IRS
If it isn’t feasible to contact the employer who issued the W-2, your next option would be to contact the IRS and ask for a 4506 form.
There will be a cost to this option, and it will take some time. It is always better to get the W-2 form to file your tax return from a previous year instead of not filing it at all.
Here is what you should be aware of when requesting a W-2 form for a previous year from the IRS:
- The IRS holds onto a record of your previous W-2s (also every income tax file with your Social Security Number) from the previous 7-10 years.
- The W-2s are only available from the IRS one year after they have been filed.
- A Form 4506 will need to be filled out. Make sure your writing is legible, and don’t forget to sign it.
- Every W-2 requested will have a service fee of $57. Make checks payable to “The United States Treasury.”
- The mailing address to send Form 4506 and the check are located on the second page of the form. Make sure both Form 4506 along with the check is sent to that address.
- It will take as long as 2 months, longer in some cases, for the IRS to process your request and mail you a copy of the W-2 form.
How to get a lost w-2 video
Proceed With Preparing And Submitting Your Previous Year Tax Return
It should be evident that getting your W-2 online from your employer or previous employer is better.
However, there might be situations where you don’t want to contact your previous employer, or there is no way of actually contacting them.
In either case, the IRS, for a fee, will send you copies of the W-2 from prior years.
Once you have that W-2, you can now use it to proceed with filing your tax return from that previous year.
H&R Block’s free W-2 Early Access service lets get your W2 online so you can get started on your taxes.
