My old employer went bankrupt and now I can't get my W-2… what do I do?

The company I worked for went bankrupt back in October 2024. I didn’t get a digital W-2, and I’ve lost my final pay stub. There’s no HR department anymore, and I have no idea how to reach whoever is handling things now. It was a small company, and their headquarters were far from where I am.

Does anyone know how I can track down my W-2 or what my options are here?

Did the company handle their own payroll, or did they use a service like ADP? If it was through a payroll service, you might still get your W-2 through them. They usually handle that stuff regardless of bankruptcy. Keep in mind, employers don’t have to send W-2s until January 31st, so it might still show up.

@Ashby
Don’t count on it if the company stopped paying the payroll provider. They probably won’t process anything if their bills weren’t covered.

Luca said:
@Ashby
Don’t count on it if the company stopped paying the payroll provider. They probably won’t process anything if their bills weren’t covered.

In theory, the bankruptcy process should have included making sure legal obligations like W-2s were handled.

@Sterling
I’ve seen cases where payroll companies didn’t issue W-2s even after bankruptcy. A demand letter from a tax attorney ended up being the solution for my cousin in a similar situation.

Joss said:
@Sterling
I’ve seen cases where payroll companies didn’t issue W-2s even after bankruptcy. A demand letter from a tax attorney ended up being the solution for my cousin in a similar situation.

A strong letter from the IRS could work too: What to do when a W-2 or Form 1099 is missing or incorrect | Internal Revenue Service

Luca said:
@Ashby
Don’t count on it if the company stopped paying the payroll provider. They probably won’t process anything if their bills weren’t covered.

That’s why I said ‘maybe.’ If there’s a solution, the payroll provider is the best bet, but it’s definitely not guaranteed.

You can check your wage and earnings transcript on the IRS website. That might help.

Wyn said:
You can check your wage and earnings transcript on the IRS website. That might help.

Those won’t show up until May. You’d need to wait until then.

Jalen said:

Wyn said:
You can check your wage and earnings transcript on the IRS website. That might help.

Those won’t show up until May. You’d need to wait until then.

In that case, filing an extension might be your best option so you can wait for the transcript.

Wyn said:
You can check your wage and earnings transcript on the IRS website. That might help.

It might be a while before that info is available, and there’s no guarantee the employer filed everything correctly if they went bankrupt. Do you have any pay stubs you could use to estimate your earnings and taxes?

@Haru
Unfortunately, all my pay stubs were digital. The final one I had was on paper, but I think it got tossed out by accident. I checked the IRS transcript, but nothing is there yet. The company used Paycom, but when I called, they said they don’t keep employee records once the account is inactive.

@Zion
Did you try accessing your W-2 through the Paycom portal? They usually have a way for employees to retrieve their info.

Haru said:
@Zion
Did you try accessing your W-2 through the Paycom portal? They usually have a way for employees to retrieve their info.

The portal was shut down shortly after the company closed. When I try to log in, it says, ‘Access Denied: Invalid Username, Password, SSN Combination.’

@Zion
That’s frustrating. You might have to wait for the IRS transcript and file an extension in the meantime.

Keep checking your IRS Wage and Income transcripts after March 30th. If your W-2 is listed, you can use it to file. If not, you’ll need to use Form 4852 as a substitute: About Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. | Internal Revenue Service

@Jaden
I thought the IRS didn’t have that info ready until June. Has that changed?

Sterling said:
@Jaden
I thought the IRS didn’t have that info ready until June. Has that changed?

It updated recently. You’re right that it used to be later, but now it’s earlier in the year.

If you don’t get your W-2 by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. They’ll contact the employer for you and can send you Form 4852 to file without the W-2.

If it wasn’t a tiny company, they probably had to meet legal obligations like filing W-2s during the bankruptcy. You might still get yours.