Is eservices available to retreive W-2, 1099, 1098 etc?

[cred65]

I have a client who is whacked out and has not provided info to me for 2013,4,5.  He calls and tells me that he has been contacted for 2014.  I inform him that I will need his data.

DUH! he says.

TIA

[Gail in Virginia]

The information for 2014 should be available from e-services.  Just be sure to pull a Wage and Income transcript rather than a tax transcript.  Or whatever they are called.

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

Forewarn the client that if state filing is required, the IRS Wage & Income transcript does not capture the state withholding.  The client will have to either contact the employer for a duplicate W2, contact the state for one (if your state provides that - mine does not) or a final paycheck stub with all the withholding details.

Lynn

[cred65]

I haven't used e-services for a few years.  Is it no longer possible to get POA online?

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

No, you have to fax the POA to the CAF unit, wait 7 - 14 days for it to be entered in the system.

[cred65]

Thanks, Lynn

[Catherine]

1 hour ago, lynn EA in Louisiana said:

with all the withholding details.

Or take a calculated guess at it.  I have found that Massachusetts will NOT give out withholding information -- but if you put something reasonable down and file, hey presto like magic they find the un-findable info, correct the tax due or refund amount, and send a letter.  Since we are a flat-tax state, I simply calculate 5.15% of the wages over the exemption.  It ends up being remarkably close most of the time.

[Max W]

Moderator!.  Might this be a topic worth pinning - to have the info needed for each state for retrieving the state withholding tax amounts?

Over the years, I have had to do this with nearly every state DOR for this information.

CA may be the easiest as it can be done with a phone call.  One stumbling block is the clients address on file with the FTB.  Some people move around a lot and having the older W-2's and IRS W&I or Account statements will help.   I have had to provide  6  or more addresses until the right one was hit. Perhaps once or twice, the client had to call to provide the address.

Another twist in their system is that depending on the age of the year in question and also the amount assessed it could be in a different section. Start with 916-845-7044, and they will give you the other number if necessary.  

When filing a CA return without a W-2, they will tell you to use their Substitute W-2 form. However, using the IRS form 4852 attached to the state return works as I have never had one rejected.

NY requires a form submitted for each year, but they will return the info quickly.

There are at least another half dozen state that will provide the info.  The ones that I seem to remember are MN, OR, HI, LA, MD, ME, VA, although there are surely more.

One state, UT, requires verification (W-2), but will not provide any info, so client has to go back to employer.

The rest usually accept any reasonable estimate on the return.  (I always make sure that there is no state refund.)

 

[jklcpa]

On 6/4/2016 at 2:07 PM, Max W said:

Moderator!.  Might this be a topic worth pinning - to have the info needed for each state for retrieving the state withholding tax amounts?

I moved 2 posts to a separate topic to discussion what people would like to do with this additional information and the pinned topics so please take that discussion to that topic so we can stay on track with this one. Thanks.  The one on "Pinned" topics and possibly a separate reference forum for those is found here: