W-2 Form Generator

What you'll need before you start

1. The tax year the W-2 is for (you can pick the current year or any of the nine before it).
2. The employer's name, address and EIN (and the state employer ID, if the state uses one).
3. The employee's name, address and the last 4 digits of their Social Security number. We only ever use the last 4.
4. Year-end totals for wages, federal tax withheld, Social Security and Medicare wages and tax, and state wages and tax. Your final pay stub of the year (year-to-date column) or a payroll summary has these.

Create your W-2 in six steps

1. Enter the tax year the form covers.
2. Fill in the employer information: name, address and EIN.
3. Fill in the employee information: name, address and the last 4 SSN digits.
4. Enter the year-end amounts for Boxes 1 to 6, plus state wages and state tax withheld (Boxes 15 to 17) if your state has an income tax. Optional: add Box 12 codes (like 401(k) deferrals), Box 13 checkboxes, and Boxes 10, 11 and 14.
5. Check the live preview. Need W-2s for more employees? Add another W-2 to the same order for $9.99 each (up to 10).
6. Pay and download your W-2s as one clean PDF, with four copy pages per employee.

What a W-2 maker does and doesn't do

The generator lays out the numbers you enter on the standard W-2 grid so the form is clear and consistent. You are responsible for entering accurate totals, and the form is for your own records or to hand to someone who asks for one. It doesn't replace the official W-2 an employer files with the Social Security Administration.

Wages and federal tax (Boxes 1 and 2)

1. Box 1 — Wages, tips, other compensation: your taxable pay for federal income tax. It's usually lower than your gross pay, because pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and some health premiums are left out.
2. Box 2 — Federal income tax withheld: the total federal income tax your employer took out of your paychecks during the year. This is the amount you claim as already paid when you file your return.

Social Security and Medicare (Boxes 3 to 6)

1. Box 3 — Social Security wages: pay that is subject to Social Security tax, up to the annual wage base limit.
2. Box 4 — Social Security tax withheld: 6.2% of the Box 3 amount.
3. Box 5 — Medicare wages and tips: pay subject to Medicare tax, with no wage cap.
4. Box 6 — Medicare tax withheld: 1.45% of the Box 5 amount, plus an extra 0.9% on higher earners above the IRS threshold.

State and local (Boxes 15 to 17)

1. Box 15 — State and employer's state ID number.
2. Box 16 — State wages: your taxable pay for that state's income tax.
3. Box 17 — State income tax withheld: what was withheld for the state. If your state has no income tax, these boxes are typically blank or zero.

Other boxes you may see on a real W-2

Official W-2s also include boxes for tips (7 and 8), dependent care benefits (10), nonqualified plans (11), Box 12 codes for items like 401(k) deferrals and health savings account contributions, Box 13 checkboxes, Box 14 employer notes, and boxes 18 to 20 for local taxes. Your employer's payroll records show these if they apply to you.

Where the numbers come from

Add up the year's totals from your pay stubs, or use your final pay stub of the year, whose year-to-date figures already show most of these amounts. Then enter them in the generator, preview the result, and download a clean PDF. It's for your own records; it doesn't replace the official W-2 your employer files with the Social Security Administration.

When are W-2s due?

Employers generally have to send each employee their W-2 by January 31 for the previous tax year, and file the employer copy with the Social Security Administration by the same date. When January 31 falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date moves to the next business day.

Employees need the W-2 to file their income tax return, so a late or missing W-2 can hold up a refund.

What each copy of a W-2 is for

A W-2 comes as a set of copies, and each one goes somewhere different. Our PDF includes four copy pages for each employee: Copies B, 2, C and D.

1. Copy A — filed by the employer with the Social Security Administration.
2. Copy B — the employee attaches this to their federal tax return.
3. Copy C — the employee keeps this for their own records.
4. Copy 1 — goes to the state, city or local tax department, where one applies.
5. Copy 2 — the employee attaches this to their state, city or local tax return.
6. Copy D — the employer keeps this for their records.

What to do if your W-2 is missing

1. Check that your employer has your current mailing address, and look for an online copy in your employer's payroll portal.
2. Ask your employer or its payroll provider for a copy. They keep these records.
3. If you still don't have it by mid-February, the IRS has steps for requesting help, and you can use Form 4852 as a substitute if needed.
4. Use your final pay stub of the year as a guide. Its year-to-date figures show most of the same totals.

What to do if your W-2 has a mistake

Ask your employer to fix it. When a W-2 has wrong information, the employer issues a corrected form, called a W-2c. Check the name, the last 4 digits of the Social Security number, the tax year, and the wage and tax amounts against your final pay stub before you file.

Common W-2 mistakes to avoid

1. A name or Social Security number that does not match your Social Security record.
2. Entering gross pay in Box 1. Box 1 is taxable wages, which is usually lower because pre-tax deductions come out.
3. Using the wrong tax year.
4. Leaving out Box 12 codes, such as 401(k) contributions, when they apply.
5. Mixing up state wages and state tax withheld in Boxes 16 and 17.

How long to keep a W-2

Employees should keep their W-2s with their tax return records for at least three years. Employers should keep copies of the W-2s they issue, along with their employment tax records, for at least four years.

W-2 or 1099?

A W-2 is for employees, whose employer withholds taxes from each paycheck. Independent contractors and freelancers are paid without withholding and receive a Form 1099-NEC instead. If you are not sure which applies, our guide to pay stubs, W-2s and 1099s explains the difference.