W-2 Deadline 2027: Employers Must Send Your W-2 by February 1

Employers must give you your 2026 Form W-2 by February 1, 2027, according to the IRS. The same date is the deadline for filing W-2s with the Social Security Administration and for Form 1099-NEC, which reports pay to independent contractors. The usual 1099-NEC date is January 31, but in 2027 that is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to Monday, February 1.

W-2 and 1099-NEC Dates for 2026 Forms

What	Deadline	Who
Form W-2 copies to employees	Monday, February 1, 2027	Employers
Form W-2 and W-3 filed with the SSA (paper or electronic)	Monday, February 1, 2027	Employers
Form 1099-NEC to the worker and filed with the IRS	Monday, February 1, 2027 (January 31 is a Sunday)	Businesses that paid contractors
Call the IRS about a missing form	After the end of February, if the employer has not sent it	Workers

The IRS's own 2027 tax calendar, Publication 509 (2027), lists all three filings under February 1. That publication is still an early-release draft, so treat the form instructions as the main source.

If You Are an Employee

• On time means mailed on time. The IRS says an employer meets the deadline "if the form is properly addressed and mailed on or before the due date."
• Electronic W-2s. If you agreed to get your W-2 electronically, the employer posts it on a website and tells you it is there.
• You left the job in 2026. The employer can send your W-2 any time after your job ends, but no later than February 1, 2027.
• You asked for it. If you ask a former employer for your W-2, the IRS says they should give it to you "within 30 days of the request or within 30 days of the final wage payment, whichever is later."

If Your W-2 Is Late or Wrong

The IRS steps, from Tax Topic 154:

1. Ask your employer first. Contact the employer (or payer) for the missing or corrected form.
2. Call the IRS after February. If you still do not have it by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. Have your name, address, birthdate and taxpayer identification number ready, plus the employer's name, address and, if you have it, the employer identification number (EIN).
3. The IRS contacts the employer. It asks the employer to send the form and sends you Form 4852 with a letter of instructions.
4. File with Form 4852 if you must. If the form does not arrive in time, you can estimate your wages and the tax withheld on Form 4852 and file your return with it.
5. Amend if the real W-2 differs. If the W-2 arrives later and its numbers differ from your estimate, you must file Form 1040-X.

If you need more time to file your own return, see how a tax extension works.

If You Are a Contractor (1099-NEC)

A business that paid you as a contractor (not an employee) reports it on Form 1099-NEC. For forms filed in early 2027, the IRS instructions say to report nonemployee compensation "of $2,000 or more." The business must give you your copy and file with the IRS by January 31. That date is a Sunday in 2027, and the IRS rule moves a weekend deadline to the next business day, so the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2027.

Our 1099 tax calculator estimates the tax on contract pay.

If You Are the Employer or Payer

• More time to file with the SSA is not automatic. You can ask for one 30-day extension on Form 8809. The IRS says it "will only grant the extension in extraordinary circumstances or catastrophe." The IRS general instructions for information returns say the same for 1099-NEC: "no automatic extension is available." That is the 2025 edition, the newest the IRS has published, so the rule is carried over from last season.
• A filing extension does not move the employee copies. Even with an approved extension to file, employees must still get their W-2s by February 1, 2027.
• More time for employee copies needs Form 15397. File it on or before February 1. Approval is not automatic and is generally for no more than 15 days, or up to 30 days in total if the need is clearly shown.
• Penalties. Late or wrong W-2s can bring a penalty under section 6722 unless you show reasonable cause. The IRS says higher penalty amounts apply to returns required to be filed after December 31, 2026. Check the current amounts in the W-2 instructions before you rely on a figure.

Sources & Methodology

• W-2 dates, mailing rule, former employees, 30-day request rule, Form 8809 and Form 15397 extensions, penalties: IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) (updated Apr. 30, 2026). Retrieved Nov. 11, 2026.
• 1099-NEC January 31 date, weekend rule, $2,000 reporting line: IRS, Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026). Retrieved Nov. 11, 2026.
• No automatic extension for W-2 and 1099-NEC: IRS, General Instructions for Certain Information Returns (2025), the newest edition published; rule carried from last season. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2026.
• Missing or wrong W-2, Form 4852, 800-829-1040: IRS Tax Topic 154 (updated Sep. 24, 2026). Retrieved Nov. 11, 2026.
• February 1 calendar entries and electronic W-2s: IRS Publication 509 (2027), early-release draft. Weekend and holiday rule: 26 U.S.C. 7503. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2026.

We checked the weekdays against a calendar: January 31, 2027 is a Sunday and February 1, 2027 is a Monday. This page covers federal forms only. State W-2 filing dates vary. It is general information, not tax advice.

FAQ

What is the W-2 deadline in 2027?
February 1, 2027, for 2026 W-2s. Employers must give employees their copies and file with the SSA by that date.

Is the W-2 deadline January 31?
For 2026 forms, the IRS W-2 instructions give February 1, 2027.

When is Form 1099-NEC due in 2027?
The rule is January 31, but that falls on a Sunday in 2027, so the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2027, for both your copy and the IRS filing.

What if my employer does not send my W-2?
Ask the employer first. If you still do not have it by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. If it never arrives in time, you can file with Form 4852.

Can an employer get an extension on W-2s?
Only by request, and it is not automatic: Form 8809 for the SSA filing and Form 15397 for employee copies.