How to verify a W-2 form
The box-by-box math every real W-2 follows, and how to get the IRS's copy.A W-2's boxes are tied together by fixed rates. When someone raises the wages, the taxes usually give it away.
The boxes that must agree
- Box 4 (Social Security tax) is 6.2% of box 3 (Social Security wages).
- Box 6 (Medicare tax) is 1.45% of box 5 (Medicare wages), plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000.
- Box 5 is normally equal to or higher than box 3, because Medicare has no wage limit.
- Box 2 (federal tax withheld) can't be more than box 1 (wages).
A difference of a dollar or two can be rounding across a year of paychecks. A difference of hundreds means the wages and the taxes didn't come from the same payroll run.
The Social Security wage limit
Box 3 can't exceed that year's Social Security wage base: $160,200 for 2023, $168,600 for 2024, $176,100 for 2025 and $184,500 for 2026. Above it, box 3 stays at the limit while box 5 keeps growing.
Compare with the pay stub
If the W-2 and the pay stub come from the same employer, the employer ID number (box b) should be the same on both. A W-2 from a different employer is normal after a job change; it then shows past income, not the current job.
Get the IRS's copy
The applicant can download a wage and income transcript from their IRS online account, or request one with Form 4506-T. It lists the W-2 amounts exactly as the employer reported them to the IRS, which makes it the most reliable comparison.