What is the deadline to provide Form W-2 if employment ended prior to the year’s end?

Employers are required to provide W-2s for their employees even if they no longer work for them. You must provide a Form W2 to the employee after the employment ends, but no later than January 31, which precedes the tax year. 

If an employee initiates a request on their own for a Form W-2 copy, you must provide the completed copies within 30 days of the request or 30 days of the final wage payment, whichever is later.