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Many of us in the United States have received our Form W-2s (Tax and Wage Statement) already. Those that haven’t received theirs yet should contact their employer because they are required by law to fill one out for every employee and the deadline to send them out was January 31st.

Usually, the employer will just hand them out to everyone but if you changed jobs, then your former company will mail it to you with its last known address. If you moved and changed jobs recently, then contact your former employer if you are missing a W-2 from them.

This form, which details our wages, tax payments, and taxable income is proof that we’ve paid taxes for the previous tax year that’s withheld by our employer so this is one important piece of document in order for us to receive our refund.

Many of us don’t even check for all the required documents until the last day of the tax filing deadline in April. This is a total mistake. Can you imagine that you find a W-2 missing with 1 more day left in the tax deadline? At that point, you probably have to file an extension (if it’s even possible). Therefore, check for your W-2 right away and see if you have them all!