IRS Form W2 is a statement from your employer of how much money you have earned, and how much Federal, State, Local, Social Security and Medicare taxes have been deducted on your behalf. Your employer should send this to you the year after your employment.

Since this form is provided by your employer, it is not something you can complete.  

Details on this form can be found on the IRS Forms page.

Form Details

Box a - the control number for your employer.

Box b - the employer's identification number (EIN).

Box c - the employer's name, address and ZIP code.

Box d - your social security number. Verify that this number is correct. You can ask for another W2 from your employer or you can correct it yourself. If you correct it yourself, make sure you still tell your employer, so your records are corrected and the Social Security Administration is informed of the mistake.

Box e - your name. Verify and make corrections if necessary.

Box f - your home address and ZIP code. Verify and correct if needed.

Box 1 - the total of your taxable wages, tips, other compensation and taxable fringe benefits. This can include back pay, bonuses, commissions, severance or dismissal pay, and vacation pay.

Box 2 - the total amount of federal income tax that was withheld from your salary.

Box 3 - the total in wages that were subject to the social security tax.

Box 4 - the total amount of social security tax withheld from your salary.

Box 5 - the total of your wages and tips that are subject to Medicare tax.

Box 6 - the total you paid in Medicare tax already.

Box 7 - the total amount in tips you reported to your employer. This amount is already included in Box 1.

Box 8 - the total in allocated tips.

Box 9 - your Advance Earned Income payment.

Box 10 - the total in dependent care benefits.

Box 11 - this amount can be two things. It is either a distribution made to you from a non-qualified deferred compensation plan or nongovernmental section 457 plan. In this case the taxable amount is included in Box 1. Or, it can be a prior year deferral under a non-qualified or section 457 plan that became taxable for social security and Medicare taxes this year because there is no longer a substantial risk of forfeiture of your right to the deferred amount. These amounts are also included in Box 3 and/or Box 5.

Box 12 - a monetary amount followed by a letter code. On the back of your W2, are explanations for any codes that you see listed here.

Box 13 - may have a box checked that indicates whether you are a statutory employee, a participant of your employer's retirement plan or received third party sick pay.

Box 14 - records any other information for the employee, such as union dues, health insurance premiums, and educational assistance payments. Contributions to retirement plans that have no code can be listed here too. All entries should be clearly labeled. Most will be nontaxable earned income.

Boxes 15- 20 - The following boxes are primarily used when you file your state and local tax return.

Box 15 - employer's state and I.D. number
Box 16 - your state wages, tips and compensation.
Box 17 - total state income tax you paid.
Box 18 - locality name.
Box 19 - your local wages, tips and compensation.
Box 20 - total local income tax you paid.