Before you prepare Form W-2, you will need the tax information for the employer and employees, as well as the amounts paid and withheld for the employees.

Contents hide

1 Information to Prepare Form W-2

1.1 A. Employer Information

1.2 B. Employee Information

1.3 C. Reporting Amounts

2 Need More Information?

Information to Prepare Form W-2

There’s quite a bit of data needed in order to complete a Form W-2. Review what’s required prior to filing, so you can prepare form W-2 filing and submit it to the IRS by the deadline with ease.

A. Employer Information

You will need to include the following information on each Form W-2 you prepare.

Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Employer Name
Employer Address

B. Employee Information

Employee Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number (SSN/TIN)
Employee Name
Employee Address

C. Reporting Amounts

Box 1: Wages, tips, other compensation. The total taxable wages, tips, and other compensation paid to the employee during the reporting year.

Box 2: Federal income tax withheld. The total federal income tax withheld from the employee’s wages for the year.

Box 3: Social security wages. The total wages paid before payroll deductions that are subject to employee social security tax but do not include social security or allocated tips.

Box 4: Social security tax withheld. The total employee social security tax withheld, including social security tax on tips. The amount should not exceed $7,960.80

Box 5: Medicare wages and tips. The total Medicare wages and tips. Wages and tips subject to social security tax (boxes 3 and 7) are also subject to Medicare tax.

Box 6: Medicare tax withheld. The total employee Medicare tax withheld, including any Additional Medicare Tax, for the reporting year.

Box 7: Social security tips. Enter the tips that the employee reported even if you do not have enough employee funds to collect the social security tax for the tips. Boxes 3 and 7 should not total more than $128,400.

Box 8: Allocated tips. If the employer is a large food or beverage establishment, enter the tips allocated to the employee. This amount is not included in Boxes 1, 3, 5, or 7.

Box 9: Verification code. If you are participating in the W-2 Verification Code pilot, enter the appropriate code on Copies B and C.

Box 10: Dependent care benefits. The total dependent care benefits under a dependent care assistance program paid or incurred by you for the employee.

Box 11: Nonqualified plans. This box is used by the SSA to determine if any part of the amounts reported in Box 1 or Boxes 3 and/or 5 were earned in a prior year.

Box 12: Codes. These IRS codes are designated for certain items being reported, including uncollected social security or Medicare tax on tips, taxable costs of group-term life insurance over $50,000, or elective deferrals.

Box 13: Checkboxes. These boxes are to indicate situations that apply to the employee, including whether they are a statutory employee or if they were an active participant in a retirement plan.

Box 14: Other. If you included 100% of a vehicle’s annual lease value in the employee income, it must also be reported here or on a separate statement. This box may also be used for other information you may want to give to the employee.

Boxes 15-22: State and local income tax information. Enter the state and local income tax information to be reported.

Need More Information?

Once you’ve use this guide to prepare Form W-2, you should be well on your way to completing your filing. If you need more information to prepare Form W-2 or for other aspects of filing, please view the IRS Instructions or check out our other blog posts linked below:

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BoomTax, The Boom Post, and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors prior to engaging in any transaction.