Your W-2 gives a lot of information, but the most important is that it shows your total income and your salary as taxable wages. If you have pretax deductions or nontaxable wages, these are not included in your taxable wages.

What does Copy 1 of W-2 do?

Copy 1 is for the city, state, or locality. Copy B is for filing with the employee’s federal tax return. Copy C is for the employee’s records. Copy 2 is another copy for a city, state, or locality.

Why is W-2 less than salary?

If your Box 1, W-2 amount is less than your salary, it is because you have pre-tax deductions from your salary under one or more employer plans. Both your pre-tax health insurance and your 401(k) would reduce your Box 1 amount compared to your gross salary.

Who gets copy a W-2?

Every employer who pays at least $600 in case (or cash equivalent, including taxable benefits) must issue a form W-2. If any taxes are withheld, including those for Social Security or Medicare, a form W-2 must be issued regardless of how much was paid out to an employee.

What does a W-2 earnings statement look like?

A W-2 earnings statement from an employer is a key document for completing your taxes. It’s a snapshot of how much an employer has paid you throughout the year, how much tax they’ve withheld from your paycheck, and other payroll withholdings that can affect your tax obligation.

What do you need to know about the W-2?

A W-2 earnings summary is one of the most common tax documents employees receive. Knowing how to read a W-2 can help you better understand your income and file your taxes each year.

When to file Form W-2, Wage and tax statement?

Form W-2 Reporting of Employee Social Security Tax Deferred under Notice 2020-65– 29-OCT-2020 2020 General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 Corrected for Certain Filing Date and Penalty Amount —

Where can I get a copy of my W-2 form?

To order official IRS information returns such as Forms W-2 and W-3, which include a scannable Copy A for filing, go to IRS’ Online Ordering for Information Returns and Employer Returns page, or visit and click on Employer and Information returns.