Fillable Form W2

What is Form W-2?

Form W-2 is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that is used in the US to report the wages paid to employees and the taxes withheld from those wages. Form W2 reports employees' annual wages and the amount of taxes withheld from their paychecks. A “W2” employee is someone whose employer deducts taxes from their paychecks and submits this information to the government.

The information on Form W-2 is important not just as a method of reporting the proper tax information to the IRS, but also as a way for the employer to keep track of details related to payroll, tax withholding, employer-provided benefits, and other such things.

There are multiple copies of the IRS W-2 Form that must be filled out. The same instructions as written below apply to all copies of the form - however, different copies will be required for different purposes. You can see the “version” or “copy title” of the form in the bottom left corner. The different copies and their purposes are as follows:

Copy A, which is to be submitted alongside Form W-3 to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Note that you may only submit Copy A of Form W-2 to the SSA online, as the SSA accepts only e-filed reports and the official red-ink versions (or approved substitute versions) of these forms. This only applies to Copy A - all other copies of the form may be downloaded and printed.

Copy 1 is for the state, city, or local tax department.

Copy B is to be filed alongside an employee’s federal tax return.

Copy C is for employee records.

Copy 2 is to be filed with the employee’s state, city, or local income tax return.

Copy D is for the employer’s own purposes and records.

Who needs to use Form W-2?

Every employer engaged in a trade or business that pays its employees a salary, including non-cash payments of $600 or more for the year (all amounts if any income, social security, or Medicare tax was withheld) for services performed by an employee, must file Form W-2 for each employee.

How to fill out Form W-2?

The W-2 Form IRS is a very simple form to fill out. Make sure to have the relevant documentation prepared so that you can be sure that you are entering the correct information. The form also contains instructions that you may consult if you require more information on a particular step. Remember that while all of the instructions here will apply to all copies of the form, it is still important to make sure that you remember which forms are which to avoid any issues with using or submitting them in the proper way.

Employee’s Social Security Number

Enter the employee’s Social Security Number (SSN).

Employer Identification Number

Enter the employer’s Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Employer Name, Address, and ZIP Code

Enter the employer’s full legal name, address, and ZIP code.

Control Number

Enter the relevant control number.

Employee’s First Name, Initial, and Last Name

Enter the employee’s first name, middle initial, and last name. Add any relevant suffix (ie Jr., Sr., II, et cetera) if applicable.

Employee’s Address and ZIP Code

Enter the employee’s address and ZIP code.

Box 1 - Wages, Tips and other Compensation

Enter the total earnings of the employee from their wages, tips, and any other compensation provided to them.

Box 2 - Federal Income Tax Withheld

Enter the amount of federal income tax withheld from the employee’s earnings.

Box 3 - Social Security Wages

Enter the total of the employee’s social security wages.

Box 4 - Social Security Tax Withheld

Enter the total of the social security tax withheld.

Box 5 - Medicare Wages and Tips

Enter the wages and tips of the employee that are subject to the Medicare component of the social security tax.

Box 6 - Medicare Tax Withheld

Enter the amount of Medicare taxes withheld from the employee’s income.

Box 7 - Social Security Tips

Enter the amount of tips that are subject to the social security tax.

Box 8 - Allocated Tips

Enter the total amount of allocated tips.

Box 9 - Blank

Leave this box blank.

Box 10 - Dependent Care Benefits

Enter the employee’s total dependent care benefits.

Box 11 - Nonqualified Plans

Enter the total of any nonqualified plans here.

Box 12a to d - Codes

Enter the necessary codes in each space provided. Consult the instructions for Box 12 on Page 7 of this form for more details on both the codes and what they can be used for.

Box 13 - Checkboxes

Check all the boxes that apply. You may choose one or more from the following:

• Statutory Employee
• Retirement Plan
• Third-party Sick Pay

Box 14 - Other

If you include 100% of a vehicle's annual lease value in the employee's income, it must also be reported here or on a separate statement to your employee.

You may also use this box for any other information related to taxes, wages, or otherwise that you want to give to your employee. Label each item.

Box 15 - Employer’s State ID Number

Enter the employer’s state ID number and state. If the information for more than two states has to be reported, file another Form W-2.

Box 16 - State Wages, Tips, etc

Enter the total of the state taxable pay received.

Box 17 - State Income Tax

Enter the amount of state income tax withheld.

Box 18 - Local Wages, Tips, etc

Enter the total of the local taxable pay received.

Box 19 - Local Income Tax

Enter the amount of local income tax withheld.

Box 20 - Locality

If you live and/or work outside of California and the locality that you reside in requires withholding, the locality name will be displayed.

Tips when filling out Form W-2

Make sure that all the information you will enter on Form W 2 is correct and updated, in order to avoid any legal issues surrounding the proper filing of tax information and employee wages.

Make sure to fill out every copy of the form, and keep in mind where each copy should be used. This is important as each copy of the form is for use in different situations. Make sure that you are using the proper copy for the proper purpose to avoid any issues.

Practice Good Contract Management. Keep the employer or employee copy of the form (whichever applies to you) and create another copy for backup, future tax filing, or legal purposes.