Built on the official IRS W-2 specifications, with 2025 Social Security and Medicare limits applied automatically
Create a W-2 that gets every box right
Enter the wages once. The generator fills Boxes 1 through 20, runs the Social Security and Medicare math for you, and shows the finished form before you pay a cent.
Add the employer information, the employee's name, address, and Social Security number, then the year's wage and withholding totals straight from payroll. Switch between W-2 and 1099 in a tap.
W-22025
Preview
2
Preview every box free
The generator completes Boxes 1 through 20, calculates Social Security and Medicare wages against the 2025 limits, and shows the entire form before you're asked to pay a cent.
PDFEmployee copies
Print
Email
Download W-2
3
Download the PDF
Happy with what you see? Pay once, then download, print, or email the employee copies instantly. Come back anytime for another form.
Takes about two minutes with your payroll totals ready. Sample figures shown; your form uses your real numbers.
Why this generator
Built so the math is never your problem
Most W-2 errors come from the calculated boxes, not the typed ones. Those are exactly the fields this tool handles for you.
Automatic calculations
Social Security wages cap at $176,100 for 2025, Medicare doesn't cap at all, and Box 1 subtracts pre-tax deductions. The generator applies each rule so the boxes reconcile.
Preview before you pay
You see the complete, filled form first. Check every box, fix anything, and only pay when it's right. No surprises after checkout.
All 50 states + DC
State wages and withholding in Boxes 15 through 17 follow your state's setup, including the nine states with no wage income tax where those boxes stay blank.
Prior tax years covered
Need a 2024 or earlier form for a late filing or a replacement employee copy? Pick the year and the layout and limits adjust to match it.
Instant PDF download
The finished form arrives as a clean PDF the moment you pay. Print the employee copies on plain paper or email them straight from your inbox.
Tap or click any box below to see what belongs in it, how it's calculated, and the mistake people make with it most.
W-2Tax year 2025
Box aEmployee's Social Security number
The employee's SSN exactly as it appears on their Social Security card. If the employee has applied for a number but doesn't have one yet, employers write "Applied For" on paper forms.
Watch forA name and SSN that don't match Social Security records is the most common reason a wage report bounces. Verify against the card, not memory.
Box bEmployer identification number
The nine-digit federal EIN the employer uses to report payroll taxes. It ties this W-2 to the employer's quarterly 941 filings.
Watch forUse the EIN that actually ran the payroll. A parent company's EIN or an old number from before a restructure creates SSA mismatches.
Box cEmployer name, address, and ZIP
The employer's legal name and address as registered with the IRS. This should read the same way it does on the company's other payroll filings.
Watch forTrade names and DBAs cause confusion. Match the 941, not the sign on the door.
Box dControl number
An optional internal ID some payroll systems assign to track individual forms. It has no tax meaning at all.
Watch forBlank is fine. Employees sometimes worry an empty Box d is an error; it isn't.
Boxes e/fEmployee name and address
The employee's legal name as shown on their Social Security card, plus their current mailing address. Name goes in e, address in f.
Watch forRecently married or changed names? The W-2 must match Social Security's records, so update the SSA first or keep the old name for this year's form.
Box 1Wages, tips, other compensation
Federal taxable wages. Start with gross pay, subtract pre-tax items like traditional 401(k) deferrals, pre-tax health premiums, and FSA or HSA contributions, then add taxable extras such as group-term life coverage over $50,000.
Watch forBox 1 is usually lower than the salary in the offer letter. That's the pre-tax deductions doing their job, not a payroll mistake.
Box 2Federal income tax withheld
The total federal income tax taken out of paychecks during the year, driven by the employee's W-4 elections. This is the number that settles up against the actual tax bill at filing time.
Watch forOnly federal income tax belongs here. Social Security and Medicare withholding have their own boxes, 4 and 6.
Box 3Social Security wages
Wages subject to Social Security tax, capped at $176,100 for 2025. Unlike Box 1, this figure still includes 401(k) and similar retirement deferrals, though pre-tax health and HSA amounts stay out.
Watch forHigh earners: once pay passes the cap, Box 3 freezes at $176,100 even while Boxes 1 and 5 keep climbing.
Box 4Social Security tax withheld
6.2% of Box 3 plus Box 7 tips. For 2025 the most one employer should withhold is $10,918.20.
Watch forOver the max with a single employer is an error the employer must fix. Over the max across two jobs is normal, and the excess comes back on the tax return.
Box 5Medicare wages and tips
Calculated like Box 3 but with no wage cap, so every dollar of covered pay counts. On many W-2s this is the largest number on the page.
Watch forIf Box 5 is smaller than Box 3, something's wrong. It can equal Box 3 or beat it, never trail it.
Box 6Medicare tax withheld
1.45% of Box 5, plus an extra 0.9% withheld on wages above $200,000. There's no employer match on that additional piece.
Watch forThe 0.9% kicks in at $200,000 of wages from that employer regardless of filing status. Any true-up happens on the return.
Box 7Social Security tips
Tips the employee reported to the employer, which are subject to Social Security tax. Boxes 3 and 7 together respect the same $176,100 cap.
Watch forReported tips also belong inside Boxes 1 and 5. Box 7 breaks them out; it doesn't replace them.
Box 8Allocated tips
Tips a large food or beverage establishment allocated to the employee on top of what was reported. These are not included in Boxes 1, 3, 5, or 7.
Watch forAllocated tips usually mean extra tax due at filing, calculated on Form 4137. Don't ignore this box.
Box 9Not currently used
This box once held a verification code during an IRS pilot. Today it stays empty.
Watch forNothing. Leave it blank and move on.
Box 10Dependent care benefits
Employer-provided dependent care assistance, most often a dependent care FSA. Amounts above the annual exclusion limit also get added back into Boxes 1, 3, and 5.
Watch forAnything in Box 10 means Form 2441 comes along with the tax return.
Box 11Nonqualified plans
Distributions from a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, reported so the SSA can credit earnings to the right years.
Watch forRare outside executive comp. Most W-2s show nothing here.
Box 12Coded amounts
Four slots (12a through 12d) that report special items by letter code: D for 401(k) deferrals, W for HSA contributions, DD for the cost of employer health coverage, AA for Roth 401(k), and a few dozen more.
Watch forCode DD looks like income but isn't taxable; it's disclosure only. The full code table is just below on this page.
Box 13Checkboxes
Three checkboxes: statutory employee, retirement plan, and third-party sick pay. Each one changes how parts of the return get handled.
Watch forA checked retirement plan box can limit how much of a traditional IRA contribution is deductible. It matters more than it looks.
Box 14Other
A catch-all for items like state disability insurance, union dues, or tuition help. Starting with 2026 wages the box splits in two: 14a keeps the catch-all role and 14b holds Treasury tipped occupation codes.
Watch forBox 14 labels aren't standardized, so the same item can appear under different names at different employers.
Box 15State and employer state ID
The two-letter state code and the employer's state tax account number. Two states can appear on one form when the employee worked in both.
Watch forThe state ID is not the federal EIN. Payroll systems reject state filings when the two get swapped.
Box 16State wages
Wages taxable by the state in Box 15. Many states start from the federal Box 1 figure, but some add back items like 401(k) deferrals or HSA contributions under their own rules.
Watch forBox 16 not matching Box 1 is often correct, not a mistake. It depends on the state.
Box 17State income tax
State income tax withheld from pay during the year for the state in Box 15.
Watch forIn the nine states without a wage income tax, Boxes 15 through 17 sit empty, and that's exactly right.
Box 18Local wages
Wages subject to a city, county, or school district income tax, where one applies.
Watch forMostly relevant in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland where local wage taxes are common.
Box 19Local income tax
The local income tax withheld on the Box 18 wages.
Watch forMultiple localities need multiple lines, and sometimes a second W-2 just to fit them.
Box 20Locality name
A short label naming the locality the Box 18 and 19 amounts belong to.
Watch forAbbreviations here can be cryptic. When in doubt, the employee's pay stub spells out which locality was withheld for.
Tap any box on the form to read what goes in it.
The basics
What is a W-2 form?
Quick answer
Form W-2, the Wage and Tax Statement, is the IRS form employers use to report an employee's annual wages and the federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from their pay. Employers send a copy to each employee and file one with the Social Security Administration by the end of January, and employees use it to complete their tax returns.
Every paycheck an employee receives already had taxes carved out of it. The W-2 is the year-end scoreboard for all of that: how much was earned, how much went to federal income tax, how much to Social Security and Medicare, and what the state took. The IRS matches the numbers on a tax return against the W-2 the employer filed, which is why an accurate form matters to both sides.
Who gets one: any employee paid $600 or more during the year, and any employee who had income, Social Security, or Medicare tax withheld, even below $600. Who doesn't: independent contractors and freelancers. They receive Form 1099 instead and handle their own tax payments. If you're deciding which form a worker should get, that's a classification question worth settling before the first payment, not in January.
One honest note, because plenty of sites blur it: an employee can't issue their own W-2. The form legally comes from the employer. Our generator exists for the people who actually produce W-2s: small business owners, household employers, bookkeepers, and payroll preparers who need accurate forms without buying payroll software. If you're an employee chasing a missing form, the section below walks you through the channels that work.
Employers have a few ways to produce the form: official red-ink forms ordered from the IRS, full payroll software, or a generator like this one that runs the calculations and hands you print-ready employee copies. Handwritten W-2s are legal too, as long as every figure is legible and correct, though they invite exactly the math and transcription errors the other methods remove. Whichever route you take, the SSA copy still has to be filed the machine-readable way covered further down.
For employees
Need your own W-2? Here's the fastest route
Your employer issues your official W-2. When it hasn't shown up, work through these four steps in order and you'll almost always land the form or a valid substitute.
1
Check the payroll portal first
Most mid-size and large employers post W-2s online before anything hits the mail. Log in to the same system where you see your pay stubs: ADP, Workday, Paychex, Gusto, and similar portals all have a tax documents tab.
Fastest check
2
Ask HR or payroll directly
Employers must furnish your W-2, and a reissued copy is free. Confirm they have your current mailing address, especially if you changed jobs or moved during the year. Former employers owe you the form too.
Free reissue
3
Call the IRS after mid-February
Still nothing? Call 800-829-1040 with your employer's name, address, and your dates of employment. The IRS contacts the employer and sends you Form 4852, a substitute W-2 you can file with.
Form 4852 backup
4
Pull prior years from the IRS
For older tax years, request a free Wage and Income Transcript through the IRS Get Transcript tool or Form 4506-T. It carries the federal data from every W-2 filed under your SSN.
Any prior year
If the employer won't respond
Employer stopped answering entirely? They face penalties starting at $680 per form for willfully skipping W-2s, so the IRS call in step 3 tends to get attention. And while you wait, your final pay stub holds most of the same numbers; our guide to reading a pay stub's YTD figures shows where each one lives.
For employers
Issuing W-2s: the year-end checklist
Seven steps, in the order payroll teams actually run them. Miss one and January gets expensive.
1
Verify names and SSNs
Match every employee's legal name and Social Security number to their card. This single check prevents most SSA rejections.
2
Pull year-to-date payroll totals
Gross wages, federal withholding, Social Security and Medicare wages and taxes, state and local figures, plus Box 12 items like 401(k) deferrals and health coverage cost.
3
Generate each W-2
Create one form per employee. Our generator runs the calculations and gives you a preview of every box before you pay.
4
Distribute employee copies
Copies B, C, and 2 go to each employee by the deadline, on paper or electronically if they've consented to digital delivery.
5
File Copy A with the SSA
Copy A plus Form W-3 goes to the Social Security Administration. E-file through Business Services Online; it's required once you file 10 or more information returns and easier at any count.
6
File state copies
Most income-tax states want their copy too, with deadlines that range from January 31 to late February. Check your state's revenue department.
7
Keep records four years
Retain Copy D and the supporting payroll data for at least four years in case of an audit or a correction.
Where each copy goes
Copy A
To the SSA with Form W-3. Must be machine readable, so e-file or use official scannable forms.
Copy 1
To the state, city, or local tax department when required.
Copy B
To the employee, filed with their federal tax return.
Copy C
To the employee, kept for their own records.
Copy 2
To the employee, filed with their state or local return.
Copy D
Stays with the employer for at least four years.
Honest note on filing
The PDF you download here covers the calculations and the employee copies, which print fine on plain paper. The SSA's Copy A has to be machine readable, so that piece gets filed electronically through SSA Business Services Online or on official red-ink forms ordered from the IRS. Any generator that tells you otherwise is setting you up for a penalty.
Reference
Box 12 codes, the complete table
Box 12 squeezes dozens of special items into letter codes. These are the current ones, with the four you'll meet most often up top.
D · 401(k)W · HSADD · Health coverageAA · Roth 401(k)
Code
What it reports
A
Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on tips
B
Uncollected Medicare tax on tips
C
Taxable cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000 (also in Boxes 1, 3, 5)
D
Elective deferrals to a 401(k) plan. Reduces Box 1, not Boxes 3 and 5
E
Elective deferrals to a 403(b) plan
F
Elective deferrals to a 408(k)(6) salary reduction SEP
G
Deferrals to a 457(b) deferred compensation plan
H
Elective deferrals to a 501(c)(18)(D) tax-exempt plan
J
Nontaxable sick pay
K
20% excise tax on excess golden parachute payments
L
Substantiated employee business expense reimbursements
M
Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on group-term life over $50,000 (former employees)
N
Uncollected Medicare tax on group-term life over $50,000 (former employees)
P
Excludable moving expense reimbursements, Armed Forces only
Q
Nontaxable combat pay
R
Employer contributions to an Archer MSA
S
Employee contributions to a 408(p) SIMPLE plan
T
Employer-provided adoption benefits
V
Income from exercising nonstatutory stock options (also in Boxes 1, 3, 5)
W
Employer and employee contributions to an HSA through a cafeteria plan
Y
Deferrals under a section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation plan
Z
Income under a 409A plan that failed its requirements (extra tax applies)
AA
Designated Roth contributions to a 401(k). After-tax, so Box 1 stays unchanged
BB
Designated Roth contributions to a 403(b)
DD
Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage. Informational only, not taxable
EE
Designated Roth contributions to a governmental 457(b)
FF
Permitted benefits under a QSEHRA (small employer health reimbursement)
GG
Income from qualified equity grants under section 83(i)
HH
Aggregate deferrals under section 83(i) elections
II
Medicaid waiver payments excluded from gross income
Swipe the table sideways for the full text →
Three more codes (TA, TP, TT) join the list for wages paid in 2026. Details in the next section.
Dates and penalties
W-2 deadlines for 2026, and what lateness costs
Quick answer
W-2s for tax year 2025 were due to employees and the SSA by Monday, February 2, 2026, since January 31 fell on a Saturday. The standing rule is January 31 each year for both the employee copies and the SSA filing. For wages paid in 2026, the deadline is February 1, 2027.
Key dates
Deadline
What's due
Feb 2, 2026
Tax year 2025 W-2s furnished to employees, and Copy A + W-3 filed with the SSA
Jan 31 / Feb 28
State copies in most income-tax states; January 31 is common, some states allow until late February
Mid-February
Employees without a W-2 can involve the IRS at 800-829-1040 and receive Form 4852 as a substitute
Feb 1, 2027
Deadline for W-2s covering wages paid in 2026, on the redesigned form
Late filing penalties, per form (2026 amounts)
Filed
Penalty
Within 30 days of the deadline
$60
By August 1
$130
After August 1, or never
$340
Intentional disregard
$680 minimum, no cap
Amounts are per form and adjust for inflation each year. Small businesses get lower annual maximums, but the per-form rates are identical, and they stack fast across a whole team.
What changed
The W-2 gets its biggest update in years for 2026
The IRS finalized a redesigned W-2 in January 2026 to carry the new tips and overtime deductions from the 2025 tax law. Here's what it means depending on which year you're handling.
TP
Qualified cash tips. A new Box 12 code reporting tips that may qualify for the tips deduction, worth up to $25,000 a year for eligible workers.
TT
Qualified overtime premium. Reports only the extra half in time-and-a-half pay under FLSA rules, feeding the overtime deduction of up to $12,500 ($25,000 on joint returns).
TA
Trump account contributions. Employer contributions to the new accounts get their own code. Box 14 also splits into 14a (other items) and 14b (Treasury tipped occupation codes).
Creating a 2025 W-2 right now? Nothing changes; the IRS granted transition relief and the 2025 form stayed as it was, so workers claiming the 2025 tips or overtime deduction lean on their own pay records instead. Paying wages in 2026? Track qualified tips and overtime separately all year, because the codes above are required on the W-2s you'll issue in January 2027.
Form vs form
W-2 vs W-4 vs W-9 vs 1099-NEC
Four forms that get mixed up constantly. One line each and the confusion's gone.
Form
Who fills it out
When
What it does
W-2
Employer
Each January, for the prior year
Reports an employee's wages and the taxes withheld. The year-end summary.
W-4
Employee
At hire, or when life changes
Tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck.
W-9
Contractor
Before the first payment
Gives a client the contractor's taxpayer ID so the client can report payments later.
1099-NEC
Client / payer
Each January, for the prior year
Reports $600+ paid to an independent contractor, who handles their own taxes. Create a 1099 here.
Swipe the table sideways for the full text →
Shortest version: the W-4 sets withholding, the W-2 reports it. The W-9 collects a contractor's details, the 1099 reports what you paid them. Employees get W-2s, contractors get 1099s, and mixing those two up is the classification mistake that costs employers back taxes.
Try the math
Estimate Boxes 1, 3, and 5 from gross pay
The three wage boxes almost never match, and this is why. Type real numbers and watch each rule apply itself.
Estimated W-2 wage boxes (tax year 2025)
Box 1 · Federal taxable wages$57,600
Box 3 · Social Security wages (capped $176,100)$61,600
Box 5 · Medicare wages (no cap)$61,600
Box 4 · Social Security tax at 6.2%$3,819.20
Box 6 · Medicare tax at 1.45% (+0.9% over $200k)$893.20
Estimates only. Roth contributions don't reduce Box 1, and items like group-term life over $50,000, tips, and third-party sick pay shift the totals. The generator runs the full calculation from your actual figures.
Boxes 15 through 17 depend entirely on where the work happened. Most income-tax states want their own W-2 copy, deadlines swing from January 31 to late February, and a handful of states skip wage tax entirely.
In Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, wages aren't taxed at the state level, so those three boxes typically sit empty and there's no state copy to file. Everywhere else, expect a state filing requirement and check whether your state starts from federal Box 1 or adjusts it under its own rules. Local wage taxes in Boxes 18 through 20 add another layer in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Running payroll in one state and want the pay-stub side handled the same way? Every state page below pairs with this generator.
Form W-2, the Wage and Tax Statement, is the IRS form employers use to report an employee's annual wages and the federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from their pay. Employers send it to each employee and to the Social Security Administration after the calendar year ends, and employees use it to file their tax returns.
Any employee paid $600 or more during the year gets a W-2, and so does any employee who had income, Social Security, or Medicare tax withheld regardless of amount. Independent contractors and freelancers don't get a W-2; they receive Form 1099-NEC when a client pays them $600 or more.
No. Only an employer can issue a valid W-2. If you're an employee waiting on your form, check your payroll portal, contact HR, and after mid-February call the IRS at 800-829-1040, which can send you Form 4852 as a substitute. Our generator is built for employers, household employers, and payroll preparers who need to produce accurate forms for their workers.
W-2s for tax year 2025 were due to employees and to the SSA by Monday, February 2, 2026, since January 31 fell on a Saturday. The regular deadline is January 31 each year for both the employee copies and the SSA filing. For 2026 wages, the deadline is February 1, 2027.
For forms due in 2026, the penalty is $60 per form if you file within 30 days of the deadline, $130 per form if you file by August 1, and $340 per form after that. Intentionally ignoring the requirement costs at least $680 per form with no annual maximum. Small businesses get lower yearly caps, but the per-form amounts are the same.
Box 1 is federal taxable wages, so pre-tax deductions like traditional 401(k) contributions and health premiums are subtracted out. Box 3 is Social Security wages, which include 401(k) deferrals but cap at $176,100 for 2025. Box 5 is Medicare wages, calculated like Box 3 but with no cap. That's why the three boxes rarely match your salary or each other.
Code DD reports the total cost of employer-sponsored health coverage, combining what you and your employer paid. It's informational only and not taxable. It doesn't change your refund or the tax you owe.
Issue a W-2 for employees: workers you control, put on payroll, and withhold taxes for. Issue a 1099-NEC for independent contractors paid $600 or more who handle their own taxes. Misclassifying employees as contractors can trigger back taxes and penalties, so classify before you pay, not at year end.
A W-4 flows from employee to employer at hire and tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold. A W-2 flows from employer to employee at year end and reports what was actually paid and withheld. One sets the withholding, the other summarizes it.
Contact the former employer's HR or payroll department and confirm your mailing address; they're required to provide the form, and reissued copies are free. If it doesn't arrive by mid-February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. For older years, request a free Wage and Income Transcript through the IRS Get Transcript tool or Form 4506-T.
Ask the employer to issue Form W-2c, the corrected wage statement, and wait for it before filing your return if the error affects wages or withholding. Filing with wrong numbers can delay processing and any refund. Employers should also file the W-2c with the SSA.
Employee copies B, C, and 2 print on plain paper and can go straight to your workers. Copy A that's filed with the SSA has to be machine readable, so e-file it through SSA Business Services Online (required anyway once you file 10 or more information returns) or order official scannable forms from the IRS. Our PDF handles the calculations and the employee copies; the SSA filing runs through those official channels.
Six. Copy A goes to the SSA with Form W-3, Copy 1 goes to your state or local tax department, Copies B and 2 go to the employee for their federal and state returns, Copy C stays in the employee's records, and Copy D stays in yours for at least four years.
Most states with an income tax require a state copy of the W-2, often by January 31, though some allow until February 28. Nine states don't tax wages at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, so Boxes 15 through 17 are usually blank there. Check your state revenue department for its exact rules.
Starting with wages paid in 2026 (forms issued in January 2027), Box 12 adds code TP for qualified cash tips, code TT for the qualified overtime premium, and code TA for employer Trump account contributions, and Box 14 splits into 14a for other items and 14b for Treasury tipped occupation codes. These support the tips and overtime deductions created by the 2025 tax law. W-2s for 2025 wages were unchanged, so workers claiming those deductions for 2025 used their own pay records.
Sources
Where these figures come from
Every wage limit, deadline, penalty, and filing rule on this page traces back to primary IRS and SSA guidance. Verify any of it at the source.
This page is educational and doesn't provide legal, tax, or financial advice. Tax figures shown reflect the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) unless noted; the 2026 form changes described are based on IRS guidance finalized in January 2026. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines against the IRS and SSA sources above or a qualified tax professional.
Support
Stuck on a box? A person answers, day or night
Payroll deadlines don't keep business hours, so neither do we.
Live chat, 24/7
Fastest for a quick question mid-form. Start a chat from any page and keep filling boxes while you wait.
Call us
+1 857 444 9266, any hour. Real answers on W-2 boxes, state fields, and downloads.
Email
info@epaystubs.net for anything that needs a paper trail, like bulk orders or a correction.
See the whole W-2 before you spend a dollar
Enter the payroll totals, watch every box fill itself against the 2025 limits, and pay only when the preview looks right.
