# Late Year-End Tax Information

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 13, 2000, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135 "2000-02-13T09:58:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![siva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@siva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siva)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135/1 "2000-02-13T09:58:00Z")

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Doesn’t your present employer or past employers have to send you Year-end Tax Information before February. I just received mine from a past employer post marked 02/04/00. If I wanted to (I don’t want to) complain, what could I do according to the laws

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**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135/2 "2000-02-13T16:45:00Z")

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My understanding is that employers have to send out W-2 tax information statements by the end of January. However, whatever the penalty may be for missing the deadline, I don’t think that the IRS is going to prosecute for sending an informational form out a few days late.

If this involved paying a tax late or not sending out W-2’s at all, there might be penalties, but I don’t think anyone would make an issue of this.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135/3 "2000-02-14T06:20:00Z")

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I dunno about penalties on employers, but note that if you’re getting info late, you can always ask for an extension in your filing date (we’re talking U.S. Federal and state here). “Some information from prior employer not yet available” is certainly valid grounds for an extension.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135/4 "2000-02-13T21:56:00Z")

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Employers are required by the IRS to send out W-2 forms by January 31.

A few years ago, an employer of mine did not. I contacted the IRS. Their answer: wait a few more weeks.

I don’t believe they go after the employer until after the end of February. Since most people wait until April to do their taxes, anyway, it’s not a big concern for the IRS.

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“What we have here is failure to communicate.” – Strother Martin, anticipating the Internet.

[www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman)

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**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-year-end-tax-information/7135/5 "2000-02-13T22:23:00Z")

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Following up RealityChuck with anal-retentive legal analysis, Employers have to postmark or provide W-2’s by Jan. 31, unless that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, in which case they must be provided by Feb. 1 or Feb. 2, respectively.