Common Errors on Your W-2

Earlier last month the IRS announced a reminder that the last day for employers to send W-2s to employees was January 31st.  If you are an employee who receives a W-2, it is a good practice to review it for inaccuracies.

Use the list below to check your W-2 for the most common simple errors:

1.  Incorrect social security number
2.  Missing or incorrect employee name
3.  Incorrect taxable income
4.  Incorrect address

How to Correct an Error

Taking action to have inaccuracies corrected will help prevent delayed tax returns or an audit by the IRS.  If you notice an error on your W-2, your first step to correcting it is to contact your employer immediately.  Once your employer is notified, they can provide you with a corrected W-2 called a Form W-2C.  You will need to provide a copy of the original W-2 and the corrected W-2C to your tax preparer for filing.

If you have attempted to communicate the error to your employer, and a W-2C has not been issued to you by the end of February, you may contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to initiate a complaint and expedite a correction.  For more on W-2 problems, please see “W-2 – Additional, Incorrect, Lost, Non-Receipt, Omitted,” which comes straight from the IRS website.

*This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide tax advice.  
You should consult your tax accountant before acting upon any of this material.