How to file my taxes without a w2

Employers aren’t required to provide their workers with a copy of their 2017 W-2 Form until January 31, 2018. So, can someone with a missing W-2 form file a tax return before this date using the information shown on their last paycheck stub of 2017?

Table of Contents Show

Filing due dates
Extension to file tax
Check if you need to file an Income Tax Return
No-Filing Service (NFS)
Pre-filling of income for self-employed persons (SEPs)
Scenarios where your tax bill is inaccurate and you wish to file an Income Tax Return when on NFS
Are you selected for the NFS?
Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS) for employment income
What should I do if my employment income or deductions are not reflected?
How to file tax
1. e-Filing
2. Paper filing
Check whether IRAS has received your Income Tax Return
I hold a work permit to work as a confinement nanny in Singapore. How do I file tax?
What is the Form IR8A?
I have forgotten to report my income earned in previous years. What should I do?

The answer is… no. You can’t file your tax return with just a pay stub. Unfortunately, you must wait until your employer issues a W-2 form to file your tax return.

If You’re Missing Your W-2 Form, You Have Options

Here are a few options if you have a missing W-2 form:

Many employers will provide electronic W-2s that can be accessed in early January. Contact the payroll or human resources department at your company for more information.
You could also take advantage of H&R Block’s W-2 Early Access. With this service, you can send us an electronic copy of your W-2 form for free and get your refund as soon as possible.

Still Missing a W-2 Form?

What if you haven’t received your W-2 form after January 31? Take the following actions:

Contact your employer to attempt to obtain your W-2.
If you still haven’t received it by February 14, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and provide as much information regarding your situation as possible.
Use your last paycheck stub to give them as much detail as possible. The IRS will send you Form 4852 (an IRS substitute to Form W-2) which you may then use to file your tax return prior to the April 17, 2018 due date.

You may be required to file an amended return if you file your return using the Form 4852 and you do eventually receive a W-2 form with conflicting information reported on it.

For more information, visit your local tax pro or read more tips in the Tax Information Center.

Generally, you will be required to submit your Income Tax Return if in the preceding calendar year:

your total income is more than $22,000; or
you have self-employment income with a net profit more than $6,000; or
you are a non-resident who derived income from Singapore.

Filing due dates

Extension to file tax

If you need additional time to file your Income Tax Return, please put in your request through the ‘Request Extension of Time to File’ (PDF, 1.09MB) digital service.

Check if you need to file an Income Tax Return

You must file an Income Tax Return if you have received a letter, form or an SMS from IRAS informing you to do so, regardless of how much you earned in the previous year or whether your employer is participating in the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS) for Employment Income.

To file your Income Tax Return, please log into myTax Portal using your Singpass.

Find out if you need to file an Income Tax Return:

Filing Checker

Non-resident individuals

Non-residents who derived income from Singapore in the preceding year are required to file an Income Tax Return, regardless of how much you earned in the previous year.

No-Filing Service (NFS)

If you receive a letter or SMS informing you that you have been selected for NFS, you are not required to file an Income Tax Return. However, if you wish to make any changes to your income details or relief claims, please log in to myTax Portal to file your Income Tax Return before 18 Apr. If you wish to make changes to your income or reliefs after 18 Apr, you may do so via the "Object to Assessment" digital service at myTax Portal after receiving your tax bill. Filing extension is not applicable if you are on NFS.

Your Notice of Assessment or tax bill (digital or paper format) will be sent to you from end Apr onwards. Your tax bill is computed based on your auto-included income and previous year's relief claims, which may be adjusted if you do not meet the eligibility criteria.

Pre-filling of income for self-employed persons (SEPs)

For SEPs, with effect from Year of Assessment 2021, you may be selected for NFS if you are under the pre-filling scheme for SEPs with commission income of $50,000 and below and/or derived driving income as a private hire car/taxi driver for previous and current Years of Assessment. If you are also in receipt of employment income, your employer must be participating in the Auto-Inclusion Scheme for Employment Income.

You will not be selected for NFS if you were in receipt of income from partnership and/or other sources of income which are not pre-filled and/or auto-included or claimed for employment expenses incurred in the previous Year of Assessment.

Scenarios where your tax bill is inaccurate and you wish to file an Income Tax Return when on NFS

Scenario	Example
You have sources of income other than the auto-included employment income.	You have changed employers in 2021 and your new employer is not participating in the Auto Inclusion Scheme (AIS). You have received rental or other non auto-included income in 2021.
You have changes in relief claims since last year.	You have a child born in 2021. You may inform IRAS that you wish to claim child reliefs and/or the Parenthood Tax Rebate for him/her. Your child started working and had income exceeding $4,000 in 2021. As you no longer satisfy the conditions for the Qualifying Child Relief (QCR), you have to remove the claim for QCR for YA 2022. You wish to claim Course Fees Relief.
You have changes to your pre-filled rental details.	Your gross rent is higher/lower. You wish to claim mortgage interest on loan taken to purchase the tenanted property in addition to the 15% deemed rental expenses. You wish to claim the amount of actual rental expenses incurred in 2021.

Are you selected for the NFS?

If you are still unsure, please log in to myTax Portal > "View Filing Status" to check whether you are on NFS.

Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS) for employment income

If your employer is in the AIS, they will submit your income information to IRAS by 1 Mar of each year. You may view the auto-included information in the 'Income, Deductions and Reliefs Statement' at myTax Portal, otherwise you may approach your employer for a copy of the Form IR8E.

What should I do if my employment income or deductions are not reflected?

If the details are not shown in the “Income, Deductions and Reliefs Statement” at myTax Portal and your employer is in the AIS:

e-Filing

Update the details under "Employment".

Paper filing

Enter '0' for your employment income and deductions that were made through your salary.

Your employment income and deduction information will be automatically included in your income tax assessment when we receive the information from your employer.

How to file tax

1. e-Filing

Find out more on how to e-File your Income Tax Return via myTax Portal.

2. Paper filing

Find out more on how to file your paper Income Tax Return by 15 Apr.

Check whether IRAS has received your Income Tax Return

Log into myTax Portal.
Select “Individual” > “View Filing Status”.

For more details, please refer to the FAQ (PDF, 56KB) to view your filing status.

Where can I find help to file my Income Tax Return?

Step-by-step guidance at myTax Portal
Chatbot Assistant
Live Chat

FAQs

I hold a work permit to work as a confinement nanny in Singapore. How do I file tax?

You should declare your salary as a confinement nanny as employment income. If you did not receive any filing notification, please email us:

A copy of the work permit letter issued by the Ministry of Manpower;
Your mailing address;
Validity period of your latest Singapore work pass;
Total number of days you were physically present in Singapore in the preceding year (see note below);
Your total income in the preceding year (see note below);
Date of departure/expected date of departure from Singapore.

Note:

If you have ceased employment in Singapore, please provide the relevant information for the preceding year and the year of cessation of employment.

For example: You worked as a confinement nanny from Jun 2021 until Aug 2022. The relevant periods are Jun 2021 to Dec 2021 and Jan 2022 to Aug 2022.

What is the Form IR8A?

The Form IR8A is to be prepared by an employer (who is not participating in the AIS for employment income) and provided to the employee by 1 Mar of the year. It contains information of the employee’s remuneration of the preceding year.

I have forgotten to report my income earned in previous years. What should I do?

Please provide us with the following details when filing your Income Tax Return:

Nature/type of income (e.g. salary, bonus, allowance, commission);
Period for which the income is earned (i.e. period from/period to);
Date that you received the income;
Amount of income;
For director’s fees, please provide the date that the fees were approved at the company’s Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.

If you are unable to do so before 18 Apr, please email us with the above-mentioned details.