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Form W-2 · Tax year 2026

Decode your W-2

Tap a box to jump to it. The 2026 form has a few new pieces, marked New 2026.

The form at a glance

A simplified layout, not the official form.

Boxes a to f: who's who

These boxes identify you and your employer. Check them first: a wrong name or number causes more trouble than a wrong dollar amount.

aEmployee's social security number

Your Social Security number. Compare it with your Social Security card. If it's wrong, ask your employer to fix it (see if your W-2 is wrong).

bEmployer identification number (EIN)

Your employer's federal tax ID, written as XX-XXXXXXX. You'll need it if your W-2 goes missing and you have to ask the IRS for help or fill in Form 4852.

cEmployer's name, address, and ZIP code

Who paid you. If you had more than one job in 2026, you should get a separate W-2 from each employer.

dControl number

A reference number your employer may use for its own records. Many forms leave it blank.

eEmployee's first name and initial, last name, suffix

Your name as your employer has it: first name and middle initial, then surname, then any suffix such as "Jr."

fEmployee's address and ZIP code

The address your employer has for you. If it's wrong, you can correct your copies (B, C and 2) and ask your employer to correct its records.

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026) and its Notice to Employee; IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026); IRS, Topic 154. Tax year 2026.

Boxes 1 to 11: the money

Three different "wages" numbers live here (boxes 1, 3 and 5), because income tax, Social Security tax and Medicare tax each count your pay differently.

1Wages, tips, other compensation

Your pay that's subject to federal income tax. This is the number that goes on the wages line of your tax return, unless the return's instructions send it somewhere else.

It includes taxable fringe benefits. It's often lower than boxes 3 and 5; see why.

2Federal income tax withheld

The federal income tax taken out of your paychecks during 2026. It goes on the federal income tax withheld line of your return.

This is tax paid in advance, not your final tax bill. Your return works out what you actually owe for the year and compares it with this amount.

3Social security wages

Your pay that's subject to Social Security tax. For 2026, Social Security tax stops at $184,500 of wages, so box 3 won't go above that from one employer.

4Social security tax withheld

The Social Security tax taken from your pay: 6.2% of box 3. The most one employer should take for 2026 is $11,439.00.

Had two or more employers and more than $11,439.00 withheld in total? You may be able to claim the extra back as a credit on your federal return.

5Medicare wages and tips

Your pay that's subject to Medicare tax. Medicare has no wage cap, so box 5 is usually the same as box 3 or higher.

If this number is high, you may need Form 8959 for the Additional Medicare Tax (see box 6).

6Medicare tax withheld

The Medicare tax taken from your pay: 1.45% of box 5. Once an employer pays you more than $200,000 in a calendar year, it must also withhold an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on the amount over that.

7Social security tips

Tips you reported to your employer, as counted for Social Security tax.

8Allocated tips

Tips your employer allocated to you. They are shown here separately and are not included in box 1.

If you have an amount here, you add it to your box 1 wages on your return and use Form 4137 to figure the Social Security and Medicare tax on it.

9(Blank)New 2026

Box 9 has no label and stays empty. On the 2026 form it was made smaller to free up room in box 14a.

10Dependent care benefits

The total dependent care benefits your employer paid or provided, including amounts through a pre-tax (section 125) plan. Any amount over the plan limit is also counted in box 1. You use this on Form 2441.

11Nonqualified plans

It shows a payout from a nonqualified deferred compensation or nongovernmental 457(b) plan (already counted in box 1), or an earlier deferral that became subject to Social Security and Medicare tax this year (counted in boxes 3 and 5).

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026), Instructions for Employee and Notice to Employee; IRS, Publication 15 (2026) for the $184,500 wage base and the 6.2% and 1.45% rates; IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) for the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax and the box 9 change; IRS, Publication 531 (December 2024) for allocated tips in box 8. Tax year 2026.

Box 12: the letter codes

Box 12 holds up to four entries on a paper form, each a letter code and an amount. Many are information only. A few change your return.

A
Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on tips.Your employer couldn't take all the tax due on your tips. You include it on Form 1040.
B
Uncollected Medicare tax on tips.Same as A, for Medicare. You include it on Form 1040.
C
Taxable cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000.Already counted in boxes 1, 3 (up to the Social Security wage base) and 5. Nothing extra to add.
D
Elective deferrals to a 401(k) plan, including a SIMPLE 401(k).Your pre-tax 401(k) contributions.
E
Elective deferrals under a 403(b) salary reduction agreement.
F
Elective deferrals under a 408(k)(6) salary reduction SEP, including Roth SEP IRA deferrals.
G
Elective deferrals and employer contributions (including nonelective deferrals) to a 457(b) deferred compensation plan.
H
Elective deferrals to a 501(c)(18)(D) tax-exempt organization plan.See the Form 1040 instructions for how to deduct.
J
Nontaxable sick pay.Information only. Not in box 1, 3 or 5.
K
20% excise tax on excess golden parachute payments.
L
Substantiated employee business expense reimbursements (nontaxable).
M
Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on taxable group-term life insurance over $50,000 (former employees only).
N
Uncollected Medicare tax on taxable group-term life insurance over $50,000 (former employees only).
P
Excludable moving expense reimbursements paid directly to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or intelligence community.Not in box 1, 3 or 5.
Q
Nontaxable combat pay.See the Form 1040 instructions for how to report it.
R
Employer contributions to your Archer MSA.Report on Form 8853.
S
Employee salary reduction contributions to a 408(p) SIMPLE plan, including Roth SIMPLE IRA contributions.
T
Adoption benefits.Not in box 1. Use Form 8839 to work out the taxable and nontaxable parts.
V
Income from exercising nonstatutory stock options.Already counted in boxes 1, 3 (up to the wage base) and 5. See Pub. 525.
W
Employer contributions to your health savings account (HSA), including what you chose to put in through a cafeteria (section 125) plan.Report on Form 8889.
Y
Deferrals under a section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation plan.
Z
Income under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan that fails section 409A.Also in box 1, and subject to an extra 20% tax plus interest.
AA
Designated Roth contributions to a 401(k) plan.
BB
Designated Roth contributions to a 403(b) plan.
DD
Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage.Not taxable. It's there to show what your coverage cost.
EE
Designated Roth contributions to a governmental 457(b) plan.
FF
Permitted benefits under a qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA).
GG
Income from qualified equity grants under section 83(i).
HH
Total deferrals under section 83(i) elections as of the end of the year.
II
Medicaid waiver payments excluded from gross income under Notice 2014-7.
TA New
Employer contributions to a Trump account for you or your dependent, under a section 128 program.Employers may contribute starting July 4, 2026.
TP New
Total cash tips reported to your employer. "Cash tips" includes tips received in cash, charged, or shared through a tip-sharing arrangement.Use it with box 14b for the qualified tips deduction on Schedule 1-A (Form 1040).
TT New
Total qualified overtime compensation.Use it for the qualified overtime deduction on Schedule 1-A (Form 1040).

Retirement codes D, E, F, S, AA, BB, EE: for 2026 these are generally limited to $24,500 in total ($17,000 for SIMPLE plans). Code G has its own $24,500 limit and code H is limited to $7,000. If you were 50 or older, catch-up contributions may push your number higher.

A year printed after one of these codes means a make-up contribution for an earlier year of military service.

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026), Instructions for Employee (code descriptions, limits); IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) (four entries per paper form, new codes TA, TP and TT). Tax year 2026.

Box 13: three checkboxes

13Statutory employee

Checked for a statutory employee: a worker treated as an employee by law for certain employment taxes. A statutory employee reports these earnings on line 1 of Schedule C (Form 1040), not as regular wages.

13Retirement plan

Checked if you were covered by a workplace retirement plan. If it's checked, special limits may apply to how much of a traditional IRA contribution you can deduct. See Pub. 590-A.

13Third-party sick pay

Checked when sick pay was paid by a third party rather than by your employer.

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026), Instructions for Employee; IRS, Publication 15-A and Statutory employees. Tax year 2026.

Box 14: other, and the new tip code

For 2026, box 14 is split in two.

14aOtherNew 2026

Whatever your employer wants to show you. Examples the IRS gives:

  • state disability insurance taxes withheld
  • union dues
  • uniform payments
  • health insurance premiums deducted
  • nontaxable income
  • educational assistance payments
  • a member of the clergy's parsonage allowance and utilities

Railroad employers also use it for railroad retirement (RRTA) amounts. This is what used to be plain "box 14".

14bTreasury Tipped Occupation CodeNew 2026

Up to two codes for the tipped job or jobs you did. You use the code together with the box 12 code TP amount for the qualified tips deduction.

If the only code is 000, your cash tips are not qualified tips, so don't use the TP amount for that deduction.

Sources: IRS, Form W-2 (2026), Instructions for Employee; IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026), What's New. Tax year 2026.

Boxes 15 to 20: state and local

Your state return starts here. Every state sets its own income tax rules, so what these boxes mean for you depends on where you live and work. If you worked in more than one state or city, you may see more than one line. In a state that doesn't tax wages, they may be blank.

15State, employer's state ID number

The state these lines are for, as a two-letter code, and your employer's ID number with that state.

16State wages, tips, etc.

Your pay as counted for that state's income tax.

17State income tax

State income tax withheld from your pay for that state.

18Local wages, tips, etc.

Your pay as counted for a local (city or county) income tax, if one applies.

19Local income tax

Local income tax withheld.

20Locality name

The name of the city or county the local amounts are for.

Your state: for your state's tax rates, filing rules and deadline, go straight to its official tax department. Here's the list for all 50 states and DC, with the states that don't tax wages marked.

Source: IRS, Form W-2 (2026) box labels. Tax year 2026.

Common confusions

Why is box 1 lower than box 3 or box 5?

Usually it's pre-tax retirement savings. Money you put into a traditional 401(k) isn't included in box 1, but it is still counted as wages for Social Security and Medicare, so it stays in boxes 3 and 5. Box 12 code D shows how much you put in.

Benefits you pay for through a cafeteria plan (also called a section 125 plan), such as health premiums, are taken on a pre-tax basis, which can lower box 1 too.

Why is box 3 lower than box 5?

Social Security tax only applies up to the wage base ($184,500 for 2026). Medicare has no cap. If you earned more than the base, box 3 stops there and box 5 keeps going.

Does box 2 mean that's how much tax I owe?

No. Box 2 is what was taken from your pay in advance. Your return works out the tax you actually owe for 2026. If more was withheld than you owe, the difference comes back as a refund. If less, you pay the rest.

My box 12 shows code DD. Do I owe tax on it?

No. The IRS says the amount with code DD, the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage, is not taxable.

I see code TT. Is my overtime tax-free now?

Not automatically. Code TT reports your qualified overtime compensation so you can figure a deduction on Schedule 1-A of your federal return. The IRS describes it as a deduction of up to $12,500 ($25,000 married filing jointly) for tax years 2025 through 2028.

I had two jobs and paid too much Social Security tax.

If more than $11,439.00 of Social Security tax was withheld across two or more employers in 2026, you may be able to claim the extra as a credit against your federal income tax. Each employer withholds on its own, which is how this happens. The Form 1040 instructions explain how.

Sources: IRS, Topic 424, 401(k) plans; IRS, Publication 15-B (2026); IRS, Form W-2 (2026); IRS, Publication 15 (2026); IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026). Tax year 2026.

New on the 2026 form

Most of these come from the law commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21).

  • Code TT for overtime. Shows qualified overtime pay for the new overtime deduction (up to $12,500, or $25,000 married filing jointly).
  • Code TP and box 14b for tips. Show cash tips and your tipped occupation code for the new tips deduction (up to $25,000).
  • Code TA for Trump accounts. Employer contributions, which can start July 4, 2026, up to $2,500 a year.
  • Box 14 split into 14a and 14b, and box 9 made smaller to make room.

Source: IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026), What's New. Tax year 2026.