Most employees receive their tax documents by the end of January, but that’s not to say that all employers are considerate enough to mail them out on time.

If you find yourselves employed by one of these, you can be proactive and take matters into your own hands. First and foremost, inquire from your employer (past or present) if and when they are planning on sending out the tax documents, and if they have your correct mailing address.

If it seems unlikely that you will receive the tax documents before February 23rd, don’t worry about it – you can still do your taxes and we’ll explain how in just a moment.

Your W-2 Form, or Wage and Tax Statement, is one the most common tax documents, showing your income as well as the taxes withheld from your pay for the year – in this case, 2014. If you do not have the form by late February, you can contact the IRS by calling 800.829.1040, which will then contact your employer on your behalf. To proceed, you will have to provide the IRS with your name, address, phone and social security numbers. You will also have to give the IRS your employer’s name, address and phone number, and the duration of your employment.

If you do not receive your W-2 Form, providing information about your income maybe seem difficult, but it’s not. You very likely know how much you earn per year, so, try to figure out just how much of your income is taken out for federal taxes. Approximate to the best of your ability and round off that sum to the higher end. It’s better to get a bigger tax return than not pay enough to begin with. If you have a pay stub, this should be a breeze.

If you are self-employed, however, calculating your income is a bit harder and may require you to seek help from licensed accounting professionals – like the kind at ERPS Group.You will need a different set of tax docuements, in this case a 1099-MISC Form, or a Miscellaneous Income document.

All of your tax documents are due on or before April 15th. If you still do not receive your W-2, you can file Form 4852 instead, a substitute for W-2. The IRS may require more time to process your information because it will need to verify your estimates, but it’s better than not paying your taxes and getting a hefty penalty. Alternatively, you may ask for more time to file, but that does NOT mean you have more time to make a payment. To do so, you will need to Form 4868, or Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Tax Return.

If, however, your tax documents show up after you’ve already submitted your estimate, you will have to do an adjustment if it features calculations that are different from your own. You will need to use Form 1040X, or an Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to file an amended tax return which you can get from the IRS website or from you licensed accountant.

Although doing taxes by yourself is doable, at ERPS Group, we are more than happy to assist you in filing out all of the necessary tax documents, and work tirelessly to ensure you get the most out of your refund, so contact us today!