Why is Box 2 empty on my W-2?

Asked by: Brian Windler  |  Last update: August 7, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (61 votes)

If Box 2 on your Form W-2 is empty, it means that federal taxes were not withheld from your paychecks.

Why does my W-2 show no federal tax withheld?

You must meet certain requirements to be exempt from withholding and have no federal income tax withheld from your paychecks. You should check with your HR department to make sure you have the correct amount withheld. Your employer might have withheld taxes but gave you an incorrect W-2.

What does a blank W2 mean?

If this box is blank, it means that you did not report tips to your employer (unreported tips are still taxable). Allocated tips reported in box 8 are those that your employer has attributed to you.

Why was no federal income tax withheld from my paycheck 2021?

Reasons Why You Might Not Have Paid Federal Income Tax

You Didn't Earn Enough. You Are Exempt from Federal Taxes. You Live and Work in Different States. There's No Income Tax in Your State.

What happens if local wages on W-2 is blank?

This will be blank if you do not pay any local taxes. This is the total Local Income Tax amount withheld from your checks over the year. This will be blank if you do not pay any local taxes. If you paid any local taxes during the year, a code for the local tax authority will show in this box.

No Withholdings from my paycheck?! WTH?!

28 related questions found

Can I still get a refund if no federal taxes were withheld?

When you file exempt with your employer for federal tax withholding, you do not make any tax payments during the year. Without paying tax, you do not qualify for a tax refund unless you qualify to claim a refundable tax credit, like the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Why is my federal withholding so low when I claim 0?

Federal income tax withholding is driven by the number of allowances you claim on Form W-4. Each allowance you claim lowers your taxable wages. If you claim too many allowances, an insufficient amount of taxes will be withheld from your pay and you will owe taxes when you file your income tax return.

What happens if my federal withholding is 0?

By placing a “0” on line 5, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period. 2. You can choose to have no taxes taken out of your tax and claim Exemption (see Example 2).

Can an employer get in trouble for not withholding federal taxes?

Penalties. Failure to do so will get the attention of the IRS and can result in civil and even criminal penalties. Sometimes the failure to pay is an oversight or a lack of understanding of what legal duties exist.

What can I do if my employer messed up my taxes?

Call the IRS toll free at 800-829-1040 or make an appointment to visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC). The IRS will send your employer a letter requesting that they furnish you a corrected Form W-2 within ten days.

Why is federal withholding withheld blank?

If Box 2, "Federal income tax withheld," is blank on the W-2 form you file with your annual tax return, your employer either didn't withhold taxes or an error occurred in transferring the information to the form. If you didn't have money withheld, you must pay your federal tax when you file a return.

How do I know if my W-2 is correct?

There are three easy steps to make sure your W-2 is correct:
  1. Check the spelling of your name. No nicknames here — you'll want to ensure your full name is spelled out.
  2. Verify that your social security number is listed correctly.
  3. Double-check that your taxable wages are correct.

Why are my state wages and local wages different?

Usually, the difference relates to what wage amounts are taxable in each case. In certain States, items that can be excluded from federal wages (for instance contributions to some types of retirement accounts) are not deducted from state salaries.

How do I calculate my local income tax?

Local taxes are generally computed based on a percentage of earned and unearned income, but the percentage will vary by location. Multiply the tax rate by your annual income. For example, if you earn $40,000 a year and your local tax rate is 1%, your local taxes would be $400 per year.

What is the minimum income for federal tax withholding?

There is no threshold amount for withholding taxes from an employee's wages. As an employer, you're responsible for withholding taxes on every employee's wages from day one based on the information the employee provides to you on Form W-4.

Why is Box 3 on my W-2 blank?

You need to contact your employer and find out why Boxes 3 and 5 are blank. This is for Social Security and Medicare taxes. Do not file with the W-2 until you get an explanation or a corrected W-2 from them.

What happens if box 12 is empty on W-2?

Yes, if there is nothing entered in box 12 on the W-2 you received from your employer, then there is nothing to enter on the TurboTax W-2 screen for box 12. If for some reason the TurboTax program gives you an error by not entering anything in box 12. Just delete the W-2 and re-enter to clear the error.

How do I know if my W-2 is correct?

There are three easy steps to make sure your W-2 is correct:
  1. Check the spelling of your name. No nicknames here — you'll want to ensure your full name is spelled out.
  2. Verify that your social security number is listed correctly.
  3. Double-check that your taxable wages are correct.

What should you do if your W-2 contains an error?

Call the IRS toll free at 800-829-1040 or make an appointment to visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC). The IRS will send your employer a letter requesting that they furnish you a corrected Form W-2 within ten days.

Why is my employer not taking out enough taxes?

Your employer bases your federal tax withholding on your tax filing status and the number of personal allowances claimed on your W-4. The more allowances you claim, the lower your withholding. Accordingly, if you've claimed too many allowances, your employer would take out enough for your federal income taxes.

Will I get audited if I forgot W-2?

It may be. Sometimes the IRS will catch your missing W-2 and send you a letter letting you know about the missing information and they will correct it for you or if you have other issues on your return they may reject it. So, in the meantime, you will need to wait to see if it is processed or not.

Can my employer change my W-2?

When do you need a corrected W-2 form? You need to create an amended W-2 form if you make an error on Form W-2, such as including incorrect names, Social Security numbers, or amounts. Employers can make Form W-2 corrections on forms sent to employees as well as forms filed with the SSA.

Can I leave Box 12 blank?

If your box 12 on your w2 is blank, leave the Turbotax box 12 blank. Do not put zero or anything else in it, leave it totally blank.

Can I still get a refund if no federal taxes were withheld?

When you file exempt with your employer for federal tax withholding, you do not make any tax payments during the year. Without paying tax, you do not qualify for a tax refund unless you qualify to claim a refundable tax credit, like the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Why is Box 12 empty?

It sounds like your W-2 has Box T coded in box 12 for Employer-provided adoption benefits. Your employer may have used the wrong code and it will need to be corrected to ensure the income is reported accurately. You will need to reach out to your employer to correct your W-2 information.