Form detail
IRS Form W-2
Wage and Tax Statement
Country
United States
Revision year
2024
Methods
paper, efile
Updated
2026-05-20
Wage and Tax Statement
Annual statement of employee wages and withheld income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes.
Who must file: Every employer that paid wages or salary to one or more employees during the calendar year.
Practical overview
Form W-2 is filed with the Social Security Administration (not the IRS directly) along with Form W-3 transmittal. Recipient copies are due to employees by January 31. Common errors include incorrect Social Security numbers, mismatched name-SSN combinations, missing state-tax data, and reporting fringe-benefit and pre-tax retirement contributions in incorrect boxes.
Practical steps
- Reconcile year-end payroll to ensure Forms W-2 match Form 941 totals.
- File W-2 with W-3 transmittal via SSA Business Services Online.
- Provide recipient copies by January 31.
- Correct errors with Form W-2c and Form W-3c as needed.
Due-date notes
January 31 for both SSA filing and recipient copies.
Timing: January 31
Penalty snapshot
Same per-form information-return penalties as 1099 series; mismatched data can trigger Section 6721 penalties.
Related citations
Computed from the cross-reference graph. Links open the related entity on this site.
Primary sources
- About Form W-2Verified 2026-05-20
Important disclaimer
This library is for general tax education only. Always verify filing obligations, due dates, and tax consequences against the cited primary source or with a qualified tax professional.