How to fill out Form W-2 (2026): box by box, due date, penalties

Tax forms › Form W-2 · Last reviewed October 25, 2026 · General information, not tax advice

Form W-2 at a glance

What it reports	One employee's wages for the year and the taxes withheld from them
Who files	Every employer, for each employee paid wages (with withholding, or $2,000 or more without)
Due for 2026	Mon, Feb 1, 2027, to employees and to the SSA
File with	Social Security Administration, with Form W-3 on paper or electronically through Business Services Online
E-file required	When you file 10 or more information returns in total

What Form W-2 is

Form W-2 reports what you paid an employee during the calendar year and the federal, Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes you withheld. The employee uses it for their tax return; the SSA uses it to credit their Social Security record and shares it with the IRS.

For 2026 the form changes to report the new tips and overtime amounts: box 12 codes TP (cash tips) and TT (qualified overtime compensation), code TA for employer contributions to a Trump account, and box 14 split into 14a (other) and 14b (Treasury tipped occupation code).

Who has to file

Every employer engaged in a trade or business that pays an employee wages, including noncash payments, if any income, Social Security or Medicare tax was withheld. When nothing was withheld, Publication 15 for 2026 sets the threshold at $2,000 (it was $600).
Not for contractors: they get a 1099-NEC.
Not for owners of a sole proprietorship or partners. S corporation owner-employees do get a W-2.

Due dates

What	Due
Copies B, C and 2 to employees	Mon, Feb 1, 2027 (Jan 31 is a Sunday)
Copy A with Form W-3 to the SSA, paper or electronic	Mon, Feb 1, 2027
Employee who leaves and asks for a W-2 early	Within 30 days of the request, or of the final wage payment if later

Extensions to file with the SSA are not automatic; you request one on Form 8809 and only for limited reasons.

Penalties for filing late or wrong

For W-2s due after December 31, 2026, per form: $60 if filed correctly within 30 days of the due date; $130 if filed by August 1; $340 after August 1 or not filed. Lower annual maximums apply to small businesses.
Intentional disregard: at least $690 per form, with no maximum.
The same amounts apply separately to employee copies furnished late or wrong, so one late W-2 can be penalized twice.

Form W-2 box by box

Box	What goes there	Where it comes from in your books
a	Employee's Social Security number	The employee record, checked against their Social Security card
b, c	Your EIN, and your name and address	Company settings; use the same name and EIN as on your 941s
d	Control number (optional)	Your own reference, if any
e, f	Employee's name exactly as on the Social Security card, and address	The employee record
1	Wages, tips and other compensation: federal income tax wages	Gross pay plus taxable fringe benefits, minus pre-tax 401(k) deferrals and cafeteria-plan deductions
2	Federal income tax withheld	The year's federal withholding
3	Social Security wages, up to $184,500 for 2026	Gross pay minus cafeteria-plan deductions (401(k) deferrals stay in), capped
4	Social Security tax withheld: 6.2% of box 3, at most $11,439	The employee share only
5	Medicare wages and tips, with no cap	Usually the same as box 3 without the cap
6	Medicare tax withheld, including Additional Medicare over $200,000	The employee share only
7, 8	Social Security tips and allocated tips	Tip records, for tipped employees
10	Dependent care benefits	Amounts under a dependent care plan
11	Distributions from nonqualified plans	Only if you have such a plan
12	Coded amounts, such as D (401(k) deferrals), DD (cost of employer health coverage), W (HSA), and new for 2026 TP, TT and TA	Benefit and deduction records; tips and overtime premium tracked separately on each paycheck
13	Statutory employee, retirement plan, third-party sick pay	Tick the retirement plan box if the employee was an active participant
14a, 14b	Other information you choose to report; 14b is the tipped occupation code	For example union dues or state disability insurance
15 to 17	State, your state ID number, state wages and state income tax withheld	State payroll registration and withholding
18 to 20	Local wages, local tax and locality name	Only where a local income tax applies

Common mistakes

Using the employee's name as they write it rather than as it appears on their Social Security card. A mismatch stops the earnings being credited.
Putting gross pay in box 1 when the employee has 401(k) deferrals or cafeteria-plan deductions.
Not capping box 3 at $184,500 for a high earner.
Missing the new 2026 box 12 codes for cash tips (TP) and qualified overtime (TT).
W-2 totals that do not match the four 941s for the year.
Printing Copy A on plain paper. Paper Copy A must be the official red-ink form or an approved substitute.

How to file Form W-2

Check employee records. Confirm each employee's name, SSN and address, and your EIN and address, before you prepare anything.
Reconcile payroll to the 941s. Make sure the year's wages and taxes per employee add up to the four quarterly 941s.
Prepare the W-2s. Fill each box from your payroll records, including box 12 codes and state information.
Give employees their copies. Send Copies B, C and 2 by February 1, 2027, on paper or electronically if the employee has agreed.
File with the SSA. Upload an EFW2 file or key the forms into W-2 Online in SSA Business Services Online, or mail Copy A with Form W-3 if you file fewer than 10 information returns in total.

How AcboBooks fills it in

In AcboBooks 0.2.1, Payroll → Payroll Tax Forms → W-2 lists every employee with wages in the year and totals their non-voided paychecks.

Per employee: wages (gross pay), federal income tax withheld, Social Security tax, Medicare tax and state withholding.
From version 0.2.2 the EFW2 file carries AcboBooks' registered NACTP software vendor code, which the SSA asks off-the-shelf payroll software to include.
Export SSA EFW2 file: writes the fixed-width electronic W-2 file (RA, RE, RW, RT and RF records) for boxes 1 to 6, using each employee's SSN and address and your company EIN.
Warnings before you save: a blank company EIN or an employee without a valid 9-digit SSN.

What it leaves to you

The EFW2 file uses gross pay for boxes 1, 3 and 5. If you have pre-tax deductions or an employee above the Social Security wage base, adjust those figures before filing.
It does not write box 12, 13, 14 or state boxes, and it does not print W-2 forms. Validate the file with SSA AccuWage Online before you upload it.
AcboBooks prepares the figures; it does not file returns or make deposits for you. You file through the IRS or SSA and pay through EFTPS or your IRS business tax account.

The Run Payroll screen in AcboBooks, US edition — Run Payroll in AcboBooks (US edition), with the W-4 filing status and the Pub 15-T estimate. The form worksheets are built from these paychecks.

Described as of AcboBooks 0.2.1. See year-end forms in AcboBooks

Questions

When are 2026 W-2s due?

Monday, February 1, 2027, both to employees and to the Social Security Administration, because January 31, 2027 is a Sunday.

Do I have to file W-2s electronically?

Yes, if you file 10 or more information returns in total for the year, counting W-2s, 1099s and other information returns together. Below that you may file on paper with Form W-3.

What are box 12 codes TP and TT?

New for 2026. TP is the total cash tips the employee reported to you, and TT is qualified overtime compensation, meaning only the premium part of overtime pay (the extra half of time-and-a-half). Employees use them to claim the new tips and overtime deductions.

Why is box 1 lower than box 3?

Pre-tax retirement deferrals such as 401(k) contributions reduce federal income tax wages (box 1) but not Social Security wages (box 3). Box 3 can also be lower than box 1 when an employee earns more than the $184,500 Social Security wage base.

How do I correct a W-2 after filing it?

File Form W-2c with the SSA, with Form W-3c, and give the employee a corrected copy.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 25, 2026. Dates assume a calendar year and apply the next-business-day rule for weekends and holidays.

General information, not tax or legal advice. Forms, thresholds and dates change; confirm with the IRS and SSA or a tax professional before you file.

How to fill out Form W-2