A W-2 form (Wage and Tax Statement) is the yearly summary a US employer gives each employee and files with the Social Security Administration, showing wages paid and the federal, state and other taxes withheld. For 2026 wages, the IRS says employers must file W-2s with the SSA and furnish employee copies by 1 February 2027.
If you're an employee, it's the form you use to file your own tax return. If you run a business with staff, it's one of the jobs that lands every January, and the 2026 version has a few changes worth knowing about before your payroll provider asks you questions you can't answer.
Who gets a W-2 and who doesn't
A W-2 is for employees: people on your payroll whose wages have income tax, Social Security and Medicare withheld. Freelancers and contractors don't get one. Their payments are reported on a 1099 instead, which is why the employee or contractor question matters so much. My guide to 1099 versus W-2 workers covers how to tell the difference.
Your Employer Identification Number goes on every W-2, and the IRS says an employer's EIN can't be truncated on any form. If you haven't got one yet, here's how to get an EIN for a small business.
The W-2 deadlines for 2026 forms
| Job | Deadline for 2026 Forms W-2 | What the IRS says |
|---|---|---|
| File Copy A with the SSA | 1 February 2027 | Same date whether you file on paper or electronically |
| Give Copies B, C and 2 to employees | 1 February 2027 | Mailing a correctly addressed form on or before the date counts as furnishing it |
| Employee who left before 31 December 2026 | Any time after they leave, no later than 1 February 2027 | You can send it as soon as they've left |
| Extension to file with the SSA | Not automatic | One 30-day extension, requested on Form 8809, only if a listed criterion applies |
Don't forget Form W-3
The W-2s don't travel alone. The IRS says anyone required to file Form W-2 must also file Form W-3 to transmit Copy A to the SSA, and that includes an employer with a single household employee. Use a separate W-3 for each set of W-2s. If you e-file through payroll software or Business Services Online, the W-3 totals are usually produced for you.
Paper or e-file?
The IRS says you must e-file Forms W-2 if you're required to file at least 10 information returns in the year, and that count adds your W-2s to your other information returns, such as 1099s. In practice, almost any business with staff and a handful of contractors crosses that line, so paper W-2s are for the very smallest employers. The SSA's Business Services Online is where e-filing happens if you don't use a payroll provider.
What's new on the 2026 W-2
Three new box 12 codes come straight out of the 2025 tax law changes, and they're the bit most small employers haven't seen yet:
- Code TP: the total cash tips an employee reported to you. You also enter a Treasury Tipped Occupation Code in the new box 14b.
- Code TT: the total qualified overtime compensation paid during the year.
- Code TA: employer contributions to an employee's Trump account under a section 128 contribution programme.
The IRS is clear that tips and overtime are still generally subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare. The new codes exist so employees can claim the new deductions on their own returns, not because the pay stops being wages. The instructions also say failure-to-file and failure-to-furnish penalties have gone up for inflation, and the higher amounts apply to returns due after 31 December 2026.
Can you hide an employee's Social Security number?
Partly. Employers may truncate an employee's SSN on the employee copies, replacing the first five digits with asterisks or Xs, so the IRS example XXX-XX-1234 shows as ***-**-1234. It's voluntary. You can't truncate the SSN on Copy A, the one that goes to the SSA, and you can't truncate your own EIN anywhere. Check your state's rules before truncating copies that go to state or local tax offices.
What to do if a W-2 is wrong
- Employee: tell your employer straight away and ask for a corrected form.
- Employer: correct it with Form W-2c, which the SSA's Business Services Online lets you create and submit electronically.
- If you gave the employee the original W-2 electronically, the IRS says you generally must furnish the W-2c electronically too.
- If the SSA rejects a wage report and you resubmit it, don't write 'corrected' or 'amended' on it: the IRS instructions say not to.
The IRS also lets you fill in and print Copies 1, B, C, 2 and D on IRS.gov to give to the right recipients, which is handy if you've got one or two staff and no payroll software. Copy A for the SSA can't be completed that way. Once you've got more than a couple of people on the books, payroll software for small businesses usually produces W-2s as part of the year-end run.
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My verdict
For employees, the W-2 is the document you wait for; check the name, SSN and box 1 wages the day it arrives. For employers, the date to diary is 1 February 2027, and the job to do now is making sure your payroll records separate cash tips and qualified overtime, because those new box 12 codes will be the question everyone asks in January.
Frequently asked questions
When are 2026 W-2 forms due?
The IRS says 2026 Forms W-2 must be filed with the SSA and given to employees by 1 February 2027, whether you file on paper or electronically.
Do contractors get a W-2?
No. A W-2 is for employees on payroll. Contractors are reported on a Form 1099 instead.
Can I get an extension to file W-2s?
Not automatically. You can request one 30-day extension to file with the SSA using Form 8809, and only if one of the listed criteria applies.
What are the new box 12 codes on the 2026 W-2?
Code TP reports cash tips, code TT reports qualified overtime compensation and code TA reports employer contributions to a Trump account.
Must I e-file W-2s?
Yes if you're required to file at least 10 information returns in the year, counting W-2s and returns such as 1099s together.
How do I correct a W-2?
The employer files Form W-2c. If the original W-2 went to the employee electronically, the W-2c generally must be furnished electronically too.
