Screenshot of IRS W2 Form PDF in PDF Expert on Mac

A W-2 Form is an IRS tax form that records each employee's annual wage and the amount of Income, Social Security, or Medicare tax withheld from their pay by the employer. Just like with other IRS forms, filling it out can be a hassle. Here, we'll tell you about where to download W2 form PDF, how to fill it out and common mistakes to avoid.


What is the difference between the IRS Form W-2 and IRS Form W-4?

The W-2 is officially titled as “Wage and Tax Statement” whereas the W-4 is titled “Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate”. Both these forms are supposed to be filled out by an employee and submitted to the employer. The W-2 form is used for reporting how much an employer paid the employee over the last financial year and how much tax was withheld from his pay. The employer has to submit the W-2 form to the IRS, so that IRS can ensure that the employee paid the necessary taxes.

On the other hand, the W-4 form is filled out by the employee to help his employer calculate the correct amount of federal tax to be withheld from your pay. Every time you change jobs, you have to submit a fresh form to your new employer, so that they can pay you correctly as per the IRS norms.

Always ensure that you’re filling out and submitting the correct tax form for your purpose.


Why do I need the IRS Form W-2?

The IRS Form W-2 is required to be filled out by you and submitted to your employer, so that they can report your earnings as well as the tax that was withheld over the past year, to the IRS. The information you enter in this form tells the IRS whether you paid the correct amount of taxes.

You DO NOT need the form W-2 if you are an independent contractor or freelancer.




   When must your employer provide W-2 form to you?

For the federal income tax deadline, your employer is required to give you the W-2 forms by January 31, 2024. If you haven't received your W-2 by this deadline, simply ask your employer for it. You can also call IRS at 800-829-1040; they will either contact your employer to request a missing form or send you a substitute form.


How to fill Form W-2 on Mac?

Follow these simple instructions to fill out Form W-2 on Mac:

  1. Download the IRS Form W-2 from here.
  2. Install PDF Expert on your Mac and open page 2 of the downloaded form.
  3. Type in information about yourself and your employer in the fields ‘a’ to ‘f’ on the left side.
  4. Type in the information about your wages, tips, and tax withheld in fields ‘1’ to ‘8’ on the right hand side.
  5. Fill out the rest of the fields carefully, especially field ‘12’. Refer to the instructions behind Copy-C for details.
  6. Save the form, sign it and send it to your employer.

Sample preview of how to fill W-2 form

Sample preview of how to fill W-2 form


Common mistakes to avoid while filling out Form W-2

Misspelling your name or SSN in the W-2 form will most likely result in your employer rejecting it; so make sure the information is entered correctly.

Proper entry of the wages and tips is extremely important to avoid surprises during the tax season as you may end up owing money to the IRS. On the other hand, if you overreport your deductions, you will end up with a smaller take-home amount in your paycheck, but a larger tax refund at the end of the year which is like giving the IRS a free loan.

Make sure you enter the correct value for dependent care benefits as it will also affect the amount of tax withheld from your paycheck.


How does PDF Expert Help with filling out tax forms?

PDF Expert is the best PDF editor for Mac with many fantastic features. PDF Expert makes it very easy to fill out your tax forms and save them for handy access later. It contains tools to let you quickly enter information or make corrections in PDF when needed. As the tax season approaches, make sure you download PDF Expert for some peace of mind.

Once again, make sure you provide accurate information on your W-2. If you are unsure of some items, always consult with your financial adviser.


PDF Expert does not offer any tax advice, and it is strongly recommended that you seek consultation with a qualified tax expert concerning your specific tax inquiries. To the fullest extent permitted by law, PDF Expert presents this material on an “as-is” basis. PDF Expert hereby disclaims and makes no representation or warranty of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including but not limited to representations, guarantees, or warranties, fitness for a particular purpose, or accuracy.