What documents are needed to fill out a W-2 tax form?

Answer 1

When a person is hired, they are required to fill out a W-4 form and whatever State equivalent there may be. These forms have all the information needed to complete the W-2 form with the addition of the payroll data for the calendar year.

Answer 2

Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) is an IRS form that employers are required to complete for each employee from whom income, social security, or Medicare tax is withheld. In filling out W-2 forms, the employers need to have documents that provide them with each employee's social security number, address, total wages/tips/other compensation paid to the employee during the particular year, and the total of each tax withheld (federal, state, local, social security, Medicare). Also, any Advance EIC payments or any dependent care benefits provided to any employees need to be included on Form W-2. The employer also needs any documents concerning any other special situations involving employees, such as distributions from a nonqualified deferred compensation plan or from a nongovernmental section 457(b) plan, nontaxable combat pay, etc.

All of these documents are for reference purposes only. Employers retain them for their records and don't send them to the IRS or to Social Security.