Tax tip: Make sure you have your W-2 forms

NEW YORK — Did you get your W-2? Form W-2s, due to you from each of your employers, are essential to filling out your individual tax return. If you haven’t received your W-2, follow these steps Contact your employer: If you have not received your Form W-2, contact your employer to inquire if and when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned to the employer because of an incorrect or incomplete address. After contacting the employer, allow a reasonable amount of time to re-send or to issue the W-2 to you. Also, check to see if you can access the W-2 electronically. Contact the IRS: If you still do not receive your W-2, contact the IRS for assistance at 800-829-1040. When you call, have the following information: Employer’s name, address, city, and state, including zip code and phone number. Your name, address, city and state, including zip code, Social Security number, phone number and An estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld, and when you worked for that employer during. The estimate should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave-and-earnings statement, if possible. File your return: You still must file your tax return on time even if you do not receive your Form W-2. If you have not received your Form W-2 and already contacted your employer and the IRS, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to the return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. There may be a delay in any refund due while the information is verified. File a Form 1040X: On occasion, you may receive your missing documents at a later date and some may have conflicting information. You may receive a Form W-2 or W-2C (corrected form) after you filed your return using Form 4852, and the information differs from what you reported on your return. If this happens, you must amend your return by filing a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. individual income tax return. Form 4852, Form 1040X, and instructions are available on www.IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-3676.