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Not the IRS. Not affiliated with any government agency. General information, not tax advice.

Tax year 2026 · filed in 2027

Season calendar

The federal dates that matter between your last 2026 paycheck and your 2026 tax return, plus what to do when a W-2 is late or wrong.

Key dates

Weekday checked for each date. When a deadline lands on a weekend, the rule moves it to the next business day.

  1. Feb1Mon 2027
    Employer

    Your 2026 W-2 is due

    Employers must give you Copies B, C and 2 of your 2026 W-2 by February 1, 2027. That's also their deadline to file it with the Social Security Administration. (January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, which is why it's February 1.)

    If you left a job during 2026, that employer can send it any time after you leave, but no later than February 1, 2027.

  2. Feb2+2027
    You

    No W-2 yet, or it's wrong? Ask your employer first

    If your W-2 hasn't reached you or the information on it is wrong, contact your employer. See the steps below.

  3. Mar1Mon 2027
    You

    Still missing after February? Call the IRS

    If you asked your employer and still don't have the missing or corrected form by the end of February, the IRS says you may call it for help at 800-829-1040.

  4. Apr15Thu 2027
    You · Federal

    Federal return and payment due

    Calendar-year returns are due April 15. April 15, 2027 is a Thursday, so no weekend shift applies. Any tax you owe should be paid by this date too, even if you get an extension.

    Need more time to file? File Form 4868 by this date for an automatic 6-month extension.

  5. Oct15Fri 2027
    You · Federal

    Extended federal return due

    If you filed Form 4868 in time, the 6-month extension runs to October 15, 2027, a Friday. The extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay.

Your state return has its own deadline. States that tax wages set their own due dates and extension rules, and some states don't tax wages at all. Check yours with your state's tax department.

Sources: IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026); IRS, Topic 154; IRS, When to file; IRS, About Form 4868. The IRS pages give the rule (April 15, next business day if it's a weekend or holiday, 6-month extension); the 2027 dates and weekdays are worked out from that rule. Tax year 2026. Checked October 2026.

If your W-2 is missing

  1. Ask your employer. If it hasn't arrived after the February 1, 2027 deadline, contact your employer (or former employer) first.
  2. Call the IRS after February. If you still don't have it by the end of February, you may call the IRS at 800-829-1040. Have ready: your name, address with ZIP code, birthdate and taxpayer identification number, plus your employer's name, address with ZIP code and, if you have it, their employer identification number (EIN, the number in box b of a W-2 from them). The IRS will contact your employer and ask them to send you the form, and will send you Form 4852 with a letter of instructions.
  3. Still nothing in time to file? Use Form 4852. Form 4852 is a substitute for a W-2. You estimate your wages and the taxes withheld and report them on it.
  4. If the real W-2 shows up later and its numbers differ from your estimates, you must file an amended return, Form 1040-X.

Sources: IRS, Topic 154, Form W-2 and Form 1099-R (what to do if incorrect or not received); IRS, About Form 4852. Topic 154 currently shows the 2026 season dates; the steps are the same each year. Checked October 2026.

If your W-2 is wrong

  1. Tell your employer. Contact your employer to get the mistake fixed.
  2. Name, Social Security number or address wrong? Correct Copies B, C and 2 yourself and ask your employer to correct your employment record. Ask them to file Form W-2c, the corrected Wage and Tax Statement, with the Social Security Administration for any name, Social Security number or dollar amount error.
  3. No corrected form in time to file? Form 4852 also works as a substitute when your employer issued an incorrect W-2. If the corrected W-2 arrives after you file and differs from what you reported, file Form 1040-X.

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026), Notice to Employee on Copy B; IRS, Topic 154; IRS, About Form 4852. Tax year 2026.