"Another friend is the head of marketing at a company and says this has become standard practice.I checked with recruiters, law firm, government bodies and privacy experts. The consensus: Asking job hopefuls for a W 2 or tax return is not illegal, although they do contain information that could get an employer in hot water depending on how it is used.Nor is the practice overall, Although it is becoming more common in a job market where employers have the upper hand,they claim, 'I discover how