W-2 Form Contents

You can review the contents of the W-2 Form.

Box Field Description
a Employee’s social security number The employee’s Social Security Number as entered on the Personal tab of the Employees hub.
b Employer’s identification number Your enterprise’s federal tax identification number as entered on the Form W-2 Processing form.
c Employer’s name, address, and ZIP code Your enterprise’s name, address, and zip code as entered on the Form W-2 Processing form.
d Control number A sequencing number generated for identification and control purposes. The control number of the first W-2 that you print is 1.
Void Use the Form W-2 Editor to select this option if you need to void the form because it is incorrect.
e Employee’s first name and initial, last name, and suffix The employee’s name as entered in the Employees hub.
f Employee’s address and ZIP code The employee’s address and ZIP code as entered on the Personal tab of the Employees hub.
1 Wages, tips, other compensation The employee’s gross wages for the calendar year, including a reduction by any 401(k) and/or 125/Cafeteria contributions.
2 Federal income tax withheld The amount of federal income tax withheld from the employee’s wages during the year.
3 Social security wages The amount of the employee’s gross wages, including a reduction by any 125/Cafeteria contributions, up to the Social Security wage base for the W-2 year, that is subject to social security tax. (The Social Security wage base changes from year to year.)
4 Social security tax withheld The amount of Social Security tax withheld from the employee’s wages during the year.
5 Medicare wages and tips The amount of the employee’s gross wages, including a reduction by any 125/Cafeteria contributions, that is subject to Medicare tax.
6 Medicare tax withheld The amount of Medicare tax withheld from the employee’s wages during the year.
7 Social security tips Vantagepoint leaves this box blank, but you may fill it in using the Form W-2 Editor.
8 Allocated tips Vantagepoint leaves this box blank, but you may fill it in using the Form W-2 Editor.
9 Advance EIC payment Vantagepoint leaves this box blank, but you may fill it in using the Form W-2 Editor.
10 Dependent care benefits Vantagepoint leaves this box blank, but you may fill it in using the Form W-2 Editor.
11 Nonqualified plans Vantagepoint leaves this box blank, but you can fill it in using the Form W-2 Editor.
12 The following list explains the codes shown in box 12. You may need this information to complete your tax return.

If a year follows code D, E, F, G, H, or S, you made a make-up pension contribution for a prior year(s) when you were in military service. To figure whether you made excess deferrals, consider these amounts for the year shown, not the current year. If no year is shown, the contributions are for the current year.

  • A: Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on tips (Include this tax on Form 1040. See "Total Tax" in the Form 1040 instructions.).
  • B: Uncollected Medicare tax on tips (Include this tax on Form 1040. See "Total Tax" in the Form 1040 instructions.).
  • C: Cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000 (Included in boxes 1, 3 (up to Social Security wage base), and 5).
  • D: Elective deferrals to a section 401(k) cash or deferred arrangement. Also includes deferrals under a SIMPLE retirement account that is part of a section 401(k) arrangement.
  • E: Elective deferrals under a section 403(b) salary reduction agreement.
  • F: Elective deferrals under a section 408(k)(6) salary reduction SEP.
  • G: Elective deferrals and employer contributions (including nonelective deferrals) to a section 457(b) deferred compensation plan.
  • H: Elective deferrals to a section501(c)(18)(D) tax-exempt organization plan (See "Adjusted Gross Income" in the Form 1040 instructions for how to deduct.).
  • J: Nontaxable sick pay (not included in boxes 1, 3, 5).
  • K: 20% excise tax on excess golden parachute payments (See "Total Tax" in the Form 1040 instructions.).
  • L: Substantiated employee business expense reimbursements (nontaxable).
  • M: Uncollected Social Security or RRTA tax on cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000 (former employees only) (See "Total Tax" in the Form 1040 instructions.).
  • N: Uncollected Medicare tax on cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000 (former employees only) (See "Total Tax" in the Form 1040 instructions.).
  • P: Excludable moving expense reimbursements paid directly to employee (not included in boxes 1, 3, or 5).
  • Q: Nontaxable combat pay. For use by military employers.
  • R: Employer contributions to your Archer MSA (medical savings account) (See Publication 969, Medical Savings Accounts.).
  • S: Employee salary reduction contributions under a section 408(p) SIMPLE retirement account (not included in box 1).
  • T: Adoption benefits (not included in box 1). You must complete Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, to compute any taxable and nontaxable amounts.
  • V: Income from exercise of nonstatutory stock option(s) (Included in boxes 1, 3 (up to Social Security wage base), and 5).
  • W: Employer Contribution to a Health Savings Account (in position 364-374 of RW record and 250-264 of RT record).
  • Y: Deferrals under a section 409A non-qualified deferred compensation plan.
  • Z: Income under a non-qualified deferred compensation plan that fails to satisfy section 409A.
  • AA: Employee contributions to a Roth 401(k).
  • BB: Employee contributions to a Roth 403(b).
  • CC: HIRE exempt wages and tips.

Do not report in Box 12 any items that are not listed as codes A-BB. Also, do not report in Box 12 section 414(h)(2) contributions (relating to certain state or local government plans). Instead, use box 14 for these items and any other information you wish to give your employee. For example, union dues and uniform payments may be reported in Box 14.

If you report more than four items in Box 12, a second W-2 file will be generated to accommodate all of the entries.

13 Statutory employee Select this box using the Form W-2 Editor if the employee is a statutory employee.
Retirement plan Select this box if the employee was an active participant in any of the following:
  • A qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan described in section 401(a) (including a 401(k) plan).
  • An annuity plan described in section 403(a).
  • An annuity contract or custodial account described in 403(b).
  • A simplified employee pension (SEP) plan described in 408(k).
  • A SIMPLE retirement account described in 408(p).
  • A trust described in section 501(c)(18).
  • A plan for Federal, state, or local government employees or by an agency or instrumentality thereof (other than a section 457 plan).
Third-party sick pay Mark this check box only if you are a third-party sick payer filing a Form W-2 for an insured’s employee.
14 Other You may choose to print specific withholdings in this box from the Payroll Withholding Setup form. These withholdings can be either 125/Cafeteria or Other withholdings. The withholding(s) description and total withholdings amount withheld year-to-date prints in this box. This field is blank if you specify no withholding for printing on the W-2 form. (Vantagepoint prints up to three withholdings per employee in this box.)
15 State, Employer’s state I.D. No. The state locale (postal abbreviation) you entered on the Payroll Withholding Setup form. The state tax identification number(s) are entered in the State ID List dialog box (click State IDs on the Form W-2 Processing toolbar).
16 State wages, tips, etc. The amount of the employee’s gross wages subject to state tax, including a reduction for any 401(k) plan and/or 125/Cafeteria contributions, if the state excludes them from gross wages for tax purposes.
17 State income tax The amount of state income tax withheld from the employee’s wages during the calendar year.
18 Local wages, tips, etc. The amount of the employee’s gross wages that is subject to local tax, including a reduction by any 401(k) and/or 125/Cafeteria contributions, if the locality excludes them from gross wages for tax purposes.
19 Local income tax The amount of local income tax withheld for the employee.
20 Locality name The local withholding description entered on the Payroll Withholding Setup form.

Vantagepoint prints only the first eight characters of each local withholding description. Vantagepoint prints up to two localities for each employee per W2 form. If additional local withholdings are established in Payroll Withholding Setup, Vantagepoint prints these on additional W2 forms. For example, if 5 or 6 local withholdings are established, Vantagepoint prints 3 W2 forms.