How tax preparers request a W-2 from clients
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask each client for Copy B of every W-2 they received for the tax year, one per employer, including short jobs and a spouse’s employers on a joint return. Ask for the PDF from the payroll portal rather than a photo. Send the request in the first week of February, after employers’ January 31 deadline.
Why tax preparers need a W-2
Box 1 wages and box 2 federal withholding go straight onto Form 1040, and the state boxes drive the state return. A missing W-2 is a classic reason to amend a return later: the IRS matches every W-2 the employer filed against the return, and an unreported one produces a notice months after filing.
What exactly to ask for
Copy B for federal, Copy 2 for each state return, for the tax year being filed. Ask the client to list every employer they had during the year, including seasonal work, so you can count W-2s against that list instead of trusting what arrives.
What to check when it arrives
- The tax year printed on the form matches the return you are preparing.
- One W-2 per employer on the client’s list, and the spouse’s too on a joint return.
- Box 12 codes (D for 401(k), W for HSA) are legible, because they change deductions and limits.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your W-2s for this year’s return
Hi [Client name],
To start your return I need every W-2 you received for the year, one from each employer, even a job you held for a few weeks. If you file jointly, please include your spouse’s W-2s too.
The easiest copy is the PDF in your employer’s payroll portal, usually under Tax documents. A clear scan works as well; please avoid photos where a corner is cut off.
Could you send them by [date]? If one has not arrived, tell me which employer and I will help you chase it.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a W-2 or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.