Haven’t Received Your W-2 Tax Form Yet? Here’s What to Do

Our Tax Software Picks

See at Cash App

A free choice that is nice for assured filers

Cash App Taxes

See at TaxSlayer

Best tax submitting service for freelancers, gig staff and sole proprietors

TaxSlayer

The W-2 kind is among the most well known tax kinds for US staff and for good purpose: It’s completely important for submitting your revenue taxes. This kind particulars your whole earnings from the earlier 12 months, together with the taxes that had been withheld out of your pay.

If you are a full-time or part-time worker, you will usually have to obtain a W-2 out of your employer to file your tax return. Employers had been required to offer this way to their staff by Jan. 31. If you have got a number of employers, it is best to have acquired a number of W-2s.

To assist you to navigate this course of, we have gathered all the important thing details about the W-2 kind: what it’s and what data it incorporates. We’ll additionally break down what it is best to do if in case you have not but acquired your W-2 kind. 

For extra key tax suggestions, evaluate vital tax season deadlines and which areas might have tax extensions for the 2025 tax season. 

What is a W-2?

A W-2 kind, often known as the Wage and Tax Statement, serves because the official report of your earnings and the taxes withheld out of your paycheck throughout a given tax 12 months. You’ll use this way to calculate how a lot you owe in taxes or the tax refund it’s possible you’ll obtain. 

The kind contains vital particulars about:

• Gross wages
• Income tax withheld (federal, state and native)
• Contributions to retirement plans, reminiscent of a 401(okay)
• Contributions to a well being financial savings account (HSA)
• Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld
• Tips or different types of compensation 

Whether you file your taxes on paper, by means of tax software program or through an expert tax preparer, you will have to reference the data in your W-2 to finish your return.

When will I obtain my W-2?

Because your W-2 is important to finishing your tax return, your employer has a deadline to get your kind to you: Employers had been required to concern W-2 kinds by Jan. 31. 

Your W-2 might come within the mail or can be accessible electronically by means of a web-based portal or e-mail. No matter the way you obtain your kinds, it is vital to make a copy of the W-2 on your information.

What ought to I do if I’ve not but acquired my W-2?

If you haven’t acquired your W-2 tax kind already — and you have double-checked that your employer hasn’t emailed directions on tips on how to entry your W-2 on-line — then there are a number of steps you possibly can take. 

First, it is best to contact your human assets or payroll division to ask in regards to the standing of your W-2. You can even contact them when you misplaced a W-2 you had been despatched. If your employer will not be in a position that can assist you get your W-2, you possibly can contact the IRS instantly at 800-829-1040. The company will contact your employer and request your lacking W-2 kind for you.

When contacting the IRS for assist, you will have to have the next data able to confirm your id:

• Your authorized identify, deal with, Social Security quantity and cellphone quantity
• Your employer’s identify, deal with and cellphone quantity
• The dates you labored for the employer
• Estimates of wages and revenue tax withheld. (You can discover this in your final paycheck of the 12 months.)

The IRS recommends ready till the top of February 2025 earlier than reaching out, as your kind might already be on the way in which or has simply been delayed within the mail. 

How do I learn my W-2 kind?

Once you obtain your W-2, it’s possible you’ll really feel overwhelmed by the various bins and particulars included. This kind is important for submitting your tax return precisely, so you will wish to perceive each bit of knowledge.

Here’s tips on how to learn your W-2 and what the data means:

Employee and employer data

Across the highest and left-side columns of the shape, you will discover bins a to f with key private data: your authorized identify, Social Security quantity, dwelling deal with, employer particulars and employer identification quantity (a singular identifier for the enterprise).

Wages and wage data

Box 1: Wages, suggestions and revenue

• Your whole taxable revenue earned out of your employer.

Box 2: Federal revenue tax withheld

• The whole quantity of federal revenue tax withheld out of your paychecks.

Box 3: Social Security wages 

• Your whole wages which can be topic to Social Security tax.

Box 4: Social Security tax withheld 

• The quantity of Social Security tax withheld.

Box 5: Medicare wages and suggestions

• Your whole wages topic to Medicare tax.

Box 6: Medicare tax withheld

• The quantity of Medicare tax withheld.

Box 7: Social Security suggestions 

• If you acquired compensation by suggestions (servers in eating places, nail and hair stylists, lodge staff, and so on.), this field reveals the quantity topic to Social Security tax.

Box 8: Allocated suggestions 

• Amount in suggestions that your employer has allotted to you.

Box 9: Verification code

• Don’t fear about this mysteriously grayed-out part. It was previously used for reporting advance funds for the Earned Income Credit however this tax perk led to 2010. You can ignore this field and transfer on. 

Deductions and contributions

Box 10: Dependent care advantages

• Any employer-provided monetary help or advantages for dependent care.

Box 11: Deferred compensation plans

Box 12: Codes

• This field incorporates further compensation or reductions to taxable revenue, reminiscent of contributions to a 401(okay), adoption advantages or retirement plans. There are 28 particular gadgets that may be discovered right here, every designated by a single or double-letter code. For instance, “D” is referring to 401(okay) contributions.

Box 13: Income not federally taxed 

• This field will present three forms of revenue that are not topic to federal tax: Employer-sponsored retirement plans like a 401(okay), third-party sick pay like non-public insurance coverage or cash earned as a statutory worker.

Box 14: Various revenue and advantages

• Additional details about different forms of compensation or deductions. The contents of Box 14 can range by employer, however frequent gadgets reported on this field embrace state incapacity insurance coverage, tuition help, union dues and charitable contributions. 

State and native tax data

Box 15: State and state identification quantity 

• Your employer’s state tax ID quantity.

Box 16: State wages

• The quantity of wages, together with suggestions, topic to state revenue tax.

Box 17: State revenue tax withheld 

• The quantity of state revenue tax withheld.

Box 18: Local wages

• The quantity of wages, together with suggestions, topic to native revenue tax.

Box 19: Local revenue tax withheld 

• The quantity of native revenue tax already taken through your paycheck.

Box 20: Locality identify

• The identify of the city or metropolis the place native taxes are relevant.

For extra tax suggestions, see how a lot revenue brackets and the usual deduction are altering in 2025, and tips on how to use IRS Free Fill to file your tax return without spending a dime.