@mary0608196 Sorry for the delay, travelling.
First, a back-up plan is that
they can order their W-2 from the social security administration for $90
Second, the vast majority of w-2s are provided electronically as well as mailed. If they cannot find their mailed copy they may be able to retrieve their electronic copy in the following ways:
- Searching their email account for the keyword "W2"
- Searching their email account for any onboarding information related to tax withholding. The vast majority of companies of all sizes and in all states use a third party payroll processing company like ADP or Honeywell, There is almost always some company specific login, and then the tax information can be retrieved from the third party website.
- It is my understanding that HR/ registered agent of a company/ proprietor cannot lawfully decline a request for an ordinary tax document. Most companies -regardless of if they use third-party payroll processing or not- have a general HR email address where tax document questions can be sent, and either the document will be provided or the login and name of the third party payroll processing company.
Third, if they filed taxes for 2019, and they are looking for their W-2 from 2019, the entity which filed their taxes, TurboTax or h&r block, they may have an electronic copy of the W-2 that was submitted at that time.
Lastly, they can similarly submit any other acceptable documents such as pay stubs from that time / that company.
Ultimately, whichever they choose, it is highly recommended to take those actions now so that they do not run out of time and fail to provide documents by the deadline.