How do I set up my W-2 forms?

Note: Any payroll taxes that need to print on the W-2 form will print automatically. Adding taxes to any of the boxes below may cause tax amounts to show incorrectly.

1. From the Payroll Tools menu, select Modify Forms, W-2 Forms.
2. The Amounts tab settings determine the following information:
   Note: Each numbered box corresponds to a box on the W-2 form. Many of the boxes prefill with commonly used values. You only need to make entries in these prefilled fields if you want to clear the default value or use a formula. In the remaining boxes, you can click Pays, Deducts, Fringes, or Formulas to select the correct ID.
   1. Box 1: Wages, tips, and other compensation
      This field prefills with Federal Taxable. This is a total of all wages, prizes, and awards to the employee during the year.
   2. Box 2: Federal Income Tax Withheld
      This field prefills with the Federal Income Tax Withheld. This is the total amount of federal income tax withheld from the employee's wages for the year. This amount is based upon the number of exemptions claimed by the employee on their W-4 form.
   3. Box 3: Total Social Security Wages
      This field prefills with the Total Social Security Wages. This amount is the total wages paid (before payroll deductions) subject to employer Social Security Tax.
   4. Box 4: Social Security Tax Withheld
      This field prefills with the Social Security Tax Withheld. This amount is the total of the FICA tax withheld from the employee.
   5. Box 5: Medicare Wages and Tips
      This field prefills with the wage amount that is subject to Medicare tax.
   6. Box 6: Medicare Tax Withheld
      This field prefills with the amount of Medicare Tax Withheld from the employee.
   7. Box 7: Social Security Tips
      To report social security tips, click Pays, Deducts, or Fringes to select a pay, deduction, or fringe that was used to track year-to-date social security tips. You can also click Formulas to select a formula to calculate social security tips.
   8. Box 8: Allocated Tips
      To report allocated tips, click Pays, Deducts, or Fringes to select a pay, deduction, or fringe that was used to track year-to-date allocated tips. You can also click Formulas to select a formula to calculate allocated tips.
   9. Box 9: Advance EIC Payment
      Accept EIC Payment as the prefilled value, click Formulas to select a formula, or clear the box so nothing prints in box 9. You can click Default to reset this item back to the original default value.
   10. Box 10: Dependent Care Benefits
       To report dependent care benefits, click Pays, Deducts, or Fringes to select a pay, deduction, or fringe that was used to track year-to-date dependent care benefits. You can also click Formulas to select a formula to calculate dependent care benefits.
   11. Box 11: Nonqualified plans
       To report section 457 non-qualified plans, click Pays, Deducts, or Fringes to select a pay, deduction, or fringe that was used to track year-to-date non-qualified plans. You can also click Formulas to select a formula to calculate non-qualified plans. The amounts entered in these boxes appear as separate amounts in the magnetic media, but will be summed on printed W-2s.
   12. Box 12a through e: Codes
       Use these boxes to code income. To associate the year-to-date amount in this box with a W-2 code, enter a letter for each year-to-date amount. If you leave the code blank, nothing prints in the corresponding W-2 position.
   13. Box 14: Other
       The lease value of a vehicle provided to your employee and reported in box 1 must be reported here or in a separate statement to your employee. You may also use this box for any other information you want to provide your employee, such as union dues, payroll savings, life insurance, or employee pension.

Need more help?

Where can I find Year-End Procedures Guides (YEPG)?