US W-2 Checker
Your W-2 is your employer's year-end statement of your wages and the federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax withheld. Pick your state, enter the box figures, and PayGlance checks the deterministic lines — Social Security, Medicare and any state disability levy — to the cent, and flags the withholding lines that reconcile on your return.
How to use it
- Get your W-2. Your employer issues it after year end (box 1 wages, box 2 federal tax, boxes 3–6 Social Security and Medicare, box 17 state tax).
- Pick your state and enter the boxes. Wages, federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
- See the check. PayGlance reconciles Social Security, Medicare and state disability (e.g. CA SDI) exactly, and shows expected vs reported for the withholding lines.
FAQs
What does the check do?
It recomputes the exact Social Security (6.2% to the wage base), Medicare (1.45% plus 0.9% over $200,000) and any state disability levy from your wages and reconciles them to the cent. Federal (box 2) and state (box 17) income tax are withholding estimates that depend on your W-4, so those are shown as review-only rather than pass/fail.
Why are Social Security and Medicare checked exactly but not federal tax?
Social Security and Medicare are fixed percentages of your Social-Security and Medicare wages, so they should reconcile precisely. Federal and state income tax withholding follow the W-4 and state allowance tables, which aren't meant to equal your annual liability — they reconcile when you file.
Is a flag an error?
A flag on a deterministic line (Social Security, Medicare, SDI) is worth checking with your employer. A gap on federal or state income tax is usually just normal withholding and reconciles on your return. Confirm against the IRS and your state.