What is the W2 form and how to get it online?

3/2/2023

Every employee should declare their taxes to the government and in this procedure the W2 form (Wage and Tax Statement) cannot be missing. Here we explain what it consists of, its basic aspects, how to get it online and how to fill it out.

What is the W2 form for the tax return?

As part of its procedures, the IRS requires any employer to report workers' wages and withholdings.

This is done through the W2 form, which must include details on various taxes derived from paycheck and employment benefits, such as health insurance, HSA contributions, dependent benefits, among others.

This wage and tax statement report discloses each employee's income from work for the previous year.

The management of the companies are in charge of sending this form to the personnel in January (they also send a copy to the IRS). This form is used to prepare the tax return.

How to get a free W2 form online?

Although it is usual to wait for your employer to send you the form, you have the possibility to get it before and for free through some services such as H&R Block.

This is an online advice service for tax returns in the United States, which offers various options for individuals, companies and self-employed professionals, and also the possibility of downloading the W2 form for free.

To do so, you must indicate the name of the company you work for (Employer Name) or its Employer Identification Number (EIN or FEIN).

Then you must identify yourself with at least two documents (SSN, ITIN, Passport, driver's license, state ID, etc.) and you will be able to download your W2 form electronically for free.

In case it is not yet available, you can leave your email address to receive it as soon as it is.

How to get a copy of the W2 form?

To get a copy of the latest Wage and Tax Statement (W2) when you have already filed your tax return, you have several options:

Contact your employer

Your employer may be able to send you a copy of the document, if they still have it available.

If you have filed your tax return on paper

If you have filed your tax documents on paper, either by mail or in person at an IRS office near you, you may be able to request a complete copy of your return by filing Form 4506 and paying a small fee.

If you have e-filed your return

If you filed your tax return via the Internet, the above possibility is not available. However, you may contact the SSA to request a copy by sending your request to this mailing address:

Social Security Administration
Office of Central Operations
Office of Earnings and International Operations
Division of Earnings and Business Services
P.O. Box 33003
Baltimore, MD 21290-3003

When do employers have to send the W2?

The IRS has to make sure you file your return on time, so it asks employers to submit returns by January 31. This means that they are mailed out by that date, but they arrive later.

When you have a business, you have to get these forms in with the IRS and SSA by January 31. However, you can request a 30-day extension through Form 8809 (Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns). In it, you must indicate at least one criterion for the extension to be approved.

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Even if you receive the extension to file the forms with the corresponding institutions, you must provide your employees with copies of their W2s before January 31. Of course, as long as you do not also request an extension of 15 or 30 days to do this process after the deadline.

What happens if you do not receive the W2 form?

If you have not received your W2 form by February 15, you should first contact your employer, who should provide you with a digital copy for your reference while the original arrives. You can also use online tax software to import the return before the other one arrives.

Ultimately, you can contact the IRS by phone at 1-800-829-1040 to have them send you the form, which requires you to tell them how much you earn and where you are working.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

If your W2 arrives after you have filed your return, you may have to go back and rectify the paperwork.
Your tax return still has a due date that you must meet (mid-April). If your W2 has not arrived, you will need to estimate your assets and income to complete it (you can request an extension).

How to fill out the W2 form

The W2 form shows more information than your salary, it details how much you have contributed to your retirement during the year, how much your employer has paid for your health insurance or what you have received for dependent care benefits. Whatever information you provide will change the final amount of your return.

Here is a summary of what the form boxes should include:

Box 1	Details about your salary, tips and other compensation.
Box 2	How much federal income tax was withheld from your paycheck.
Box 3	How much of your pay (box 1) went toward Social Security tax.
Box 4	How much Social Security tax was withheld from your income.
Box 5	How much of your pay (box 1) went toward the Medicare tax.
Box 6	How much Medicare tax was withheld from your income.
Box 7	How much of your tip income (Box 1) that you reported to your employer went toward Social Security tax.
Box 8	Amount of other tips that were assigned to you by your employer (not shown in box 1).
Box 10	Amount of dependent care benefits paid to you by your employer or incurred on your behalf. Any amount over $5,000 ($2,500 for married single returns) must be itemized in box 1.
Box 11	It usually shows how much money was distributed to you during the deferred compensation plan year.
Box 12	There are 4 boxes in which your employer can break down plus what is in box 1.
Box 13	Indicate if your earnings are subject to Medicare and Social Security taxes, but not to federal income tax withholding. This applies if you participated in a retirement plan or received sick pay.
Boxs 16 to 19	How much of your pay must be subject to state tax, how much state tax was withheld from your income, how much of your earnings went to local taxes, and how much local tax was withheld from your pay.