Your W-2: what it is and what to send
A W-2 reports the pay and withholding from one employer. Here is how to gather every copy and check it is complete.
Guide · Version 2 · 2 min read · Reviewed by Meridian Review Team · Sep 15, 2026
What a W-2 is
A W-2 is the wage and tax statement an employer issues for the year. If you had more than one employer, you will have more than one W-2.
What to gather
- Every W-2 for the tax year, including from jobs you left early in the year.
- The corrected version (marked "W-2c") if an employer sent one. Send both so your preparer can see which replaced which.
- Any state or local copies that came with it.
Check before you send
- The tax year printed on the form matches the year being prepared.
- Your name is spelled as it appears on your identity records.
- All pages are present. Some payroll providers put the state box on a second page.
Where it goes
Upload it through your secure portal. Please do not send W-2s in text messages or ordinary email, because they carry identity numbers.
If one is missing
Ask the employer's payroll contact first. If it still has not arrived, tell your preparer in the portal and they will explain the next step. The hub cannot look it up for you.