Can You File Your W-2 Separately From Your Tax Return?

It is not possible to file your W-2 separately from your tax return. A W-2, or Wage and Tax Statement, summarizes your annual wages and taxes withheld by your employer. This informational document’s data is used to complete your comprehensive tax return, as all income must be reported on a single return.

The Purpose of Your W-2

The W-2 form serves as a verification of the income you earned and the taxes already paid throughout the year. Employers are legally required to furnish copies of W-2s to their employees by January 31st each year. They also send copies to the Social Security Administration (SSA), which then shares this data with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

This allows the IRS to confirm the accuracy of the income and tax withholding information you report on your tax return. Even if you receive multiple W-2s from different employers, all information from these documents is consolidated onto a single federal income tax return. The W-2 provides information for your tax obligations.

How to Use W-2 Information for Your Tax Return

Your W-2 provides figures for completing your tax return. Box 1 shows your total taxable wages, tips, and other compensation, which you will report on Line 1a of Form 1040. Box 2 indicates the federal income tax withheld from your pay, and this amount is entered on Line 25a of Form 1040. The form also details amounts for Social Security wages (Box 3), Social Security tax withheld (Box 4), Medicare wages (Box 5), and Medicare tax withheld (Box 6).

Additional boxes on the W-2 may report information for state and local taxes, along with specific codes in Box 12 for pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or health savings account (HSA) contributions. When filing electronically, you will input these figures directly into tax preparation software. If you are filing a paper return, attach a copy of your W-2 to the return.

What to Do with Your W-2

After preparing your tax return, keep your W-2 copy for your records. Retain tax documents, including W-2s, for at least three years from the date you filed your original return. This retention period is important because the IRS generally has three years to audit a return or assess additional tax.

If you do not receive your W-2 by January 31st, or if it contains incorrect information, first contact your employer. If you are unable to obtain a corrected or missing W-2 from your employer by the end of February, contact the IRS for assistance in obtaining a substitute W-2.