What is a W-2 Form and why do I need to have one?
The IRS provides a tax document for employees and the Social Security Administration called a w-2 form, which details income earned by workers and their withheld taxes. It includes total annual compensation, federal, state and local income tax withheld and FICA contributions. An accurate irs form w-2 is critical for tax compliance in all 50 U.S. states from filing personal tax returns to proving proof of income for a loan to running a small business payroll.
Learn to Make and Print a W-2 Form Online
You don't need to use an advanced accounting software program or do the calculations manually to file or issue documentation. You can use an online w-2 form generator to accurately enter your employee payroll and employer information to create a print-ready PDF in a flash!
Step-by-Step Generation Guide
Type in Employer & Employee Details: Type in the official identification numbers, addresses, and employee Social Security numbers (SSN).
Enter Wage & Tax Withholdings: Enter the total annual gross income, Social Security wages, Medicare wages and the respective tax in the designated rows of the w-2 tax form.
View & Print: check that your print copy of w-2 is complete and that all the number boxes are correct, then download the official PDF for filing or sharing.
The following are key fields on every IRS W-2 Form.
Knowing the format of a typical w-2 helps to ensure that you get the information you need in a format that the IRS has set for reporting:
Control Number: Code used as an identifier by employers.
- Box 1 (Wages, tips, other compensation): Total taxable federal income.
- Box 2 (Federal income tax withheld): Federal taxes withheld on wages during the year.
- Boxes 3 – 6: Social Security and Medicare wages and withheld taxes.