Small employers
You hired your first employee or you pay a nanny, caregiver or housekeeper. You need a correct Wage and Tax Statement for each person without buying a payroll suite.
- First-time employers
- Household employers
- Seasonal businesses
Online W2 Generator: Create Your W-2 Form in Minutes
Enter employer, employee and wage details. We calculate Social Security and Medicare, you preview free and pay only when you download.
- Free preview
- Instant PDF download
- No subscription
- Secure checkout
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 support
287K+ paystubs createdfor 10K+ customers since 2007
Secure checkout
- Apple Pay
- G Pay
- VISA
- Mastercard
- AMEX
Money-back guarantee · Free preview · No subscription · Reviews on Trustpilot
What Our Customers Say
4.9 out of 5from 145 customer ratings
Feedback from people who created a W-2 with Online Paystub.
- 5.0
Honestly, this was much easier than I expected. I filled everything in, checked the details once, and my W-2 was ready.
Ebba C. - 4.9
Pretty straightforward to use. I didn’t have to spend time figuring out what to do next, which was nice.
Bret L. - 5.0
I really liked being able to review everything before finishing. The whole process felt simple and clear.
Jenae F. - 4.8
Did exactly what I needed it to do. It was quick, easy, and the finished form looked professional.
Barry T. - 5.0
I needed to make a W-2 quickly and didn’t want to deal with complicated software. This worked perfectly for me.
Sincere K. - 4.9
The site was easy to understand and I got through the form without getting stuck anywhere. Really smooth experience.
Daly S. - 5.0
Very easy to use. I entered the information, double-checked the numbers, and had everything done in just a few minutes.
Wilburn A. - 4.8
The instructions were clear and nothing felt confusing. I was able to complete the form without any problems.
Reba F. - 4.9
This saved me a lot of time. I liked that the process was simple and didn’t include a bunch of unnecessary steps.
Rachael D. - 5.0
Fast and simple. I just needed a W-2 without a complicated setup, and this made it really easy.
Clifton A.
How to Create a W-2 Form Online in 3 Steps
No payroll software and no account. The whole W2 form generator runs in your browser from the first field to the finished file.
- 1
Step 1: Enter details
Add the employer's name, address and EIN, then the employee's name, address and Social Security number. Type the annual wages and the form starts filling in.
- 2
Step 2: Preview and edit
Your W-2 preview updates while you type. Boxes 3 to 6 are calculated from the wages and every number stays editable, so you can match it to your payroll records.
- 3
Step 3: Download PDF
When each box is right, pay $9.99 and get a print-ready PDF with all six copies of the form. The file is also sent to your email address.
Who Uses an Online W2 Generator
Anyone who has real wage records and needs them on the official W-2 layout.
Employees
Your copy is lost or unreadable and your employer cannot reissue it quickly. Rebuild a clean copy from your final paystub and your own records for a lender, a landlord or your files.
- Lost or damaged copies
- Loan and rental paperwork
- Personal records
Accountants and bookkeepers
You prepare year-end forms for clients who run payroll by hand. Create each client's W2 forms one at a time and check every box in the preview before you send it.
- Client year-end packages
- Corrected drafts
- Small payrolls
Why Use the Online Paystub W2 Maker
A W2 creator built on the same tax engine as our pay stub tools, with the price on the page.
Automatic tax calculations
Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the annual wage base: $176,100 for 2025 and $184,500 for 2026. Medicare is 1.45% with no limit, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000. The W2 maker fills Boxes 3 to 6 for you.
Live preview as you type
The form sits next to the fields and updates with every keystroke. Nothing is hidden until checkout.
Box 12 codes and Box 13
Add up to four Box 12 entries such as 401(k) deferrals (code D) or health coverage (code DD) and tick the Box 13 checkboxes.
All six copies in one PDF
You do not get a single page. The download holds Copy A, Copy 1, Copy B, Copy C, Copy 2 and Copy D, each labelled with who it is for.
Paystub import and bulk W-2s Planned
Today you copy the year-to-date totals from your final paystub generator record and create one employee at a time. Automatic import and a bulk mode are on our roadmap.
Secure and private
Checkout is encrypted and your details are handled under our privacy policy. Only enter information you are entitled to use.
24/7 support
Stuck on a box or an order? Contact our support team at any time.
What Is a W-2 Form?
Form W-2, the Wage and Tax Statement, is the year-end form an employer gives each employee and files with the Social Security Administration. It reports the wages paid during the calendar year and the federal income tax, Social Security tax and Medicare tax withheld from them. Employees use it to file Form 1040. The SSA uses it to credit earnings toward future benefits.
An employer must issue a W-2 to every employee from whom any income, Social Security or Medicare tax was withheld. Where nothing was withheld the form is still required once wages reach $600 for 2025. For wages paid in 2026 that threshold rises to $2,000. Independent contractors do not get a W-2; they receive Form 1099-NEC because no payroll tax is withheld from their pay. If you are new to pay documents, start with what a paystub is since the W-2 is the yearly total of those stubs.
What Each Box on Form W-2 Means
The W-2 form has six lettered boxes for identity and twenty numbered boxes for money. Open a group to see what belongs in it.
Boxes a to fWho the form is about
Box a is the employee's Social Security number. Boxes b and c identify the employer by EIN, name and address. Box d is an optional control number. Boxes e and f hold the employee's name and address. The name must match the Social Security card exactly.
Boxes 1 and 2Taxable wages and federal withholding
Box 1 is wages, tips and other compensation subject to federal income tax. Box 2 is the federal income tax withheld during the year. These are the two numbers that go on Form 1040.
Boxes 3 to 6Social Security and Medicare
Box 3 is Social Security wages, capped at $176,100 for 2025 and $184,500 for 2026. Box 4 is the 6.2% tax on that amount. Box 5 is Medicare wages with no cap. Box 6 is the 1.45% Medicare tax plus the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000.
Boxes 7 and 8Tips
Box 7 is tips the employee reported that count as Social Security wages. Box 8 is tips the employer allocated to the employee at a large food or beverage establishment.
Boxes 10 and 11Dependent care and nonqualified plans
Box 10 shows dependent care benefits paid or provided by the employer. Box 11 reports distributions from a nonqualified deferred compensation plan.
Box 12Coded amounts
Up to four coded entries on one form, each with a letter code and an amount. Retirement deferrals, health coverage cost and HSA contributions all live here. See the code table below.
Box 13Three checkboxes
Statutory employee, Retirement plan and Third-party sick pay. The Retirement plan box matters to the employee because it can limit the IRA deduction.
Box 14Other information
A free-form box for items the employer wants to report, each with a label. On the 2026 form it is split into Box 14a Other and Box 14b Treasury Tipped Occupation Code.
Boxes 15 to 20State and local
State abbreviation and employer state ID, state wages, state income tax, local wages, local income tax and the locality name. In the nine states with no wage income tax Boxes 16 and 17 usually stay empty.
Why Box 1 is often lower than Box 3. Pre-tax 401(k) deferrals reduce Box 1 but not Boxes 3 and 5. A worker with $58,240 in gross pay and $2,400 in 401(k) deferrals shows $55,840 in Box 1 and $58,240 in Boxes 3 and 5. The year-to-date lines on the final pay stub show the same split, which is how you reconcile the two. Our guide to pay stub abbreviations decodes those lines.
W-2 Box 12 Codes Quick Reference
These are the ten codes most employees see. Codes are capital letters with no punctuation and the amount sits to the right of the code.
| Code | What it reports | Taxable in Box 1? |
|---|---|---|
| D | Elective deferrals to a 401(k) plan | No |
| E | Elective deferrals to a 403(b) plan | No |
| G | Deferrals and employer contributions to a 457(b) plan | No |
| S | Employee salary reduction contributions to a SIMPLE plan | No |
| AA | Designated Roth contributions to a 401(k) plan | Yes, already included |
| DD | Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage | No, informational only |
| W | Employer contributions to a health savings account | No |
| C | Taxable cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000 | Yes, already included |
| J | Nontaxable sick pay | No |
| V | Income from exercising nonstatutory stock options | Yes, already included |
| Code | What it reports |
|---|---|
| TP | Total cash tips reported to the employer |
| TT | Total qualified overtime compensation |
| TA | Employer contributions to an employee's or dependent's Trump account |
The three codes in the second table appear for the first time on forms for wages paid in 2026. The complete list is in the IRS General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.
Common W-2 Box 14 Entries
Box 14 has no official code list. Employers write their own short label next to each amount, which is why the same item can look different on two forms.
| Label you may see | What it means |
|---|---|
| CASDI, SDI, VPDI | State disability insurance tax withheld |
| FLI, PFL, PFML | State paid family or medical leave contributions |
| UNION, UN DUES | Union dues deducted from pay |
| S125, CAFE 125 | Pre-tax cafeteria plan deductions such as health premiums |
| 414H | Employee pension contributions picked up by a government employer |
| UNIF, EDU | Uniform payments or educational assistance |
| RRTA | Railroad retirement compensation and taxes |
On the 2026 form these entries move to Box 14a. Box 14b is new and holds the Treasury Tipped Occupation Code whenever cash tips are reported in Box 12 with code TP.
W-2 Deadlines for the 2025 and 2026 Tax Years
The employee copies and the SSA filing share one due date. It does not change if you file on paper or electronically.
| Tax year | Wages paid | Due to employee | Due to SSA | Form 1040 due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2025 | February 2, 2026 | February 2, 2026 | April 15, 2026 |
| 2026 | Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | February 1, 2027 | February 1, 2027 | April 15, 2027 |
| When it is filed correctly | Returns due in 2026 | Returns due in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Within 30 days of the due date | $60 | $60 |
| After 30 days but by August 1 | $130 | $130 |
| After August 1 or never | $340 | $340 |
| Intentional disregard | At least $680 | At least $690 |
The same amounts apply again for failing to give the employee a correct copy. Employers who file 10 or more information returns in a year, counting W-2s and 1099s together, must e-file them. One 30-day filing extension can be requested with Form 8809.
How to Get a Copy of Your W-2
- Ask your employer or check the payroll portal. The IRS calls this the quickest route for the current year.
- Contact a former employer. Confirm the mailing address they have on file. Employers must keep W-2 records for at least four years.
- Request an IRS Wage and Income transcript. IRS Get Transcript shows the federal data from your W-2 for the current year and nine prior years. State and local boxes are not included.
- File with Form 4852 if it never arrives. If the form is still missing at the end of February the IRS can contact the employer for you and you may use Form 4852 as a substitute.
- Rebuild a clean copy from your own records. If you have your final pay stub, use the W2 generator to put those year-to-date totals on a readable form for your files.
W-2 vs W-4 vs 1099
| Form | Who fills it in | What it does | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-2 | Employer | Reports a year of wages and taxes withheld to the employee and the SSA | By February 1, 2027 for 2026 |
| W-4 | Employee | Tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck | At hire and when life changes |
| 1099-NEC | Client or payer | Reports $2,000 or more paid to an independent contractor in 2026 with no withholding | By February 1, 2027 for 2026 |
Need the contractor form instead? Use the 1099-NEC form generator.
Common W-2 Mistakes Our Generator Helps You Avoid
- Name or SSN that does not match the Social Security card. The preview shows both exactly as they will print, so a typo is visible before you pay.
- EIN typed into the SSN field. The two fields are separate and labelled with their formats: XX-XXXXXXX for the EIN and XXX-XX-XXXX for the SSN.
- Missing state. Boxes 15 to 17 follow the state you choose for the employer. Leave them blank only where there is no state wage tax.
- Box 1 that does not reconcile with the last pay stub. Compare Box 1 with year-to-date taxable wages and Box 2 with year-to-date federal tax before downloading.
- Social Security tax above the cap. Box 4 can never exceed $10,918.20 for 2025 or $11,439 for 2026. The calculator stops at the wage base.
- Wrong tax year. The year printed on the form must be the year the wages were paid, not the year you file.
Using Your W-2 Correctly
Online Paystub formats your real payroll records on the W-2 layout. It does not file anything with the government. Your PDF contains six copies of the same form. The figures are identical on each one; the line at the bottom says who it is for.
| Copy | Who gets it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Copy A | Social Security Administration | The employer's filing copy, printed in red |
| Copy 1 | State, city or local tax department | Filed by the employer where a state or local return is required |
| Copy B | Employee | Filed with the employee's federal tax return |
| Copy C | Employee | Kept for the employee's records |
| Copy 2 | Employee | Filed with the employee's state, city or local income tax return |
| Copy D | Employer | Kept in the employer's records for at least four years |
Copy A goes to the Social Security Administration, not the IRS. The SSA accepts only e-filed reports, the official red-ink form or an approved substitute, so check its requirements before mailing a printed Copy A. E-filing is the safer route. Small employers can key in and submit W-2s for free through SSA Business Services Online, which also creates Form W-3 automatically. If you find an error after filing, correct it with Form W-2c.
A W-2 must reflect wages that were actually paid. Creating one with invented income or a made-up employer to obtain a loan, a lease or a tax refund is fraud.
W2 Generator FAQ
Can’t find an answer? See all FAQs or contact support.
Is the W-2 generator free?
Filling in the form and previewing your W-2 is free. You pay $9.99 per form only when you download the finished PDF. There is no subscription.
Can I create a W-2 for a previous year?
The generator currently produces the tax year 2025 form, which is the latest year with a filing deadline that has passed. The 2026 form, with its new Box 14a and 14b layout, is due to employees by February 1, 2027.
Can I make W-2s for multiple employees?
Yes, one employee at a time. Complete and download a W-2 for the first employee, then start the next one. A bulk mode is planned.
Does it calculate Social Security and Medicare?
Yes. Social Security tax is calculated at 6.2% of wages up to the annual wage base and Medicare at 1.45%. You can overwrite any box so the form matches your payroll records.
Can I create a W-2 from my paystub?
Yes. Take the year-to-date totals from the last pay stub of the year: taxable wages for Box 1, federal income tax for Box 2, Social Security and Medicare for Boxes 4 and 6. Enter them and the form is built around those numbers.
What file do I get?
A print-ready PDF with six copies of your W-2: Copy A, Copy 1, Copy B, Copy C, Copy 2 and Copy D. Each one is labelled with who it is for. The file is available right after checkout and is also sent to the email address you enter.
Can I file this W-2 with the IRS?
Employees attach Copy B to a paper federal return or enter its figures when e-filing. Employers send Copy A to the Social Security Administration rather than the IRS. The SSA accepts only e-filed reports or the official red-ink form. Use SSA Business Services Online for that step.
What if I make a mistake after downloading?
Check every box in the free preview first. If something is still wrong, contact support with your order details. For a W-2 that was already filed with the SSA, the correction is made on Form W-2c.
How is my data protected?
Checkout is encrypted and we handle the details you enter as described in our privacy policy.
What is the difference between a W-2 and a W-4?
The employee completes a W-4 so the employer knows how much federal income tax to withhold. The employer completes a W-2 after the year ends to report what was actually paid and withheld.