What is Form W-2?
Form W-2 reports the wages an employer paid an employee and the taxes withheld during the year. You use it to fill in the income and withholding on your Form 1040.
Your W-2 arrives with several copies for a reason — one for your federal return, one for state, one for your records. Box 1 (federal taxable wages) is often lower than your gross pay because pre-tax 401(k) and health-insurance deductions come out first, which surprises people who expect Box 1 to match their salary.
Who files it
Employers issue a W-2 to every employee paid $600 or more, and file copies with the Social Security Administration.
When it's due
Form W-2 is generally due January 31 (to employees). Deadlines can move for weekends and holidays, so confirm the exact date for the current year on IRS.gov.
Key lines and parts
Here's what you'll actually fill in on Form W-2:
- Box 1 — wages, tips and other compensation
- Box 2 — federal income tax withheld
- Boxes 3–6 — Social Security and Medicare wages and tax
- Box 12 — codes for 401(k), HSA and other items
- Boxes 15–17 — state wages and withholding
How to file
Employees receive it by January 31 and enter its boxes on their return. Employers file electronically through the SSA's Business Services Online.