W-2 Wage & Tax Statement

W-2  Wage & Tax Statment Image

Box A: Control Number
Your agency's payroll number and payroll distribution code are shown here to assist in the distribution of W-2s.

Box B: Employer's Identification #
This is the employer identification number (EIN) assigned by the IRS to The City of New York, Department of Education, City University of New York, New York City Housing Authority, or New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority.

Tax Year
This is the calendar year covered by the W-2.

Box 1 : Wages and Other Compensation
This box represents your taxable wages (requested when filing federal and New York State tax returns). This includes the gross wages and other compensation paid to you during the year and certain taxable fringe benefits. Taxable benefits include:

  • Union legal service
  • Motor Vehicle use
  • Parking
  • TransitBenefit administrative fringe fee for the Premium TransitChek MetroCard
  • Health insurance for a domestic partner
  • Health Club Reimbursement

Payments to the Health Buy-Out Waiver Program are also reflected in Box 1 .

Box 1 is reduced by contributions to deferred compensation and/or tax deferred annuity accounts, pension plan, TransitBenefit, and other programs that are not subject to federal taxes. These amounts are shown in Boxes 12 and 14.

Benefits Included in Box 1
Taxable fringe benefits, including union legal services, education, motor vehicle use, parking, TransitBenefit administrative fees for the Premium TransitChek MetroCard, and Health Club Reimbursement are shown in Box 14. The amount for taxable fringe benefits is included in Box 1.

Box 2 - Federal Income Tax Withheld
The amount of federal income tax withheld from your wages for the year is shown in Box 2.

Box C: Employer's Name, Address, and Zip Code
This is your employer's address for tax reporting purposes.

Box D: Employee's Social Security Number
Your taxpayer identification is your social security number (SSN). The IRS uses SSNs to verify the data it receives from the City against the amounts shown on employees' tax returns. The Social Security Administration uses SSNs to record employee earnings for future social security and Medicare benefits.

If your SSN is incorrect, present your social security card to your Personnel Office immediately. The Personnel Office will forward a copy of your social security card to OPA along with a W-2 Duplicate Request form or a W-2 Correction Request Form. OPA will verify your information with Social Security Administration and then issue a corrected W-2.

Copy
You receive three copies of your W-2.

  • Attach Copy B to your federal tax return
  • Keep Copy C for your records
  • Attach Copy 2 to your state and city or other local tax return

The City also sends wage and tax information to the Social Security Administration and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Box 3 : Social Security Wages
The total wages paid subject to social security are shown here. The total in Box 3 should not be more than $110,100, the maximum social security wage base for 2012. If more than $4,624.20 (4.2% of $110,100) was deducted during the year, OPA will issue you a refund by the beginning of April.

Social security wages are reduced for health insurance premiums, TransitBenefit, and some flexible spending program contributions. Social security wages are not affected by deferred compensation or pension contributions.

Box 4 : Social Security Tax Withheld
Box 4 shows the total social security tax withheld from your pay during the year. Most employees pay 4.2% of covered wages, up to $110,100 in 2012 for social security tax.

If more than $4,624.20 was withheld in 2012, OPA will issue you a refund by the beginning of April. If you do not receive a refund that is owed to you by the beginning of April, contact your agency's Payroll Office.

Box 5 : Medicare Wages
The wages subject to Medicare tax are the same as those subject to social security tax in Box 3, except there is no wage base limit for Medicare tax.

Medicare wages are reduced for health insurance premiums, TransitBenefit, DeCAP, and HCFSA contributions. Medicare wages are not affected by deferred compensation or pension contributions.

Box 6 : Medicare Tax Withheld
Box 6 shows the total Medicare tax withheld from your pay during the year. Most employees pay 1.45% of covered wages for Medicare tax. There is no maximum Medicare wage base for the Medicare portion of FICA. FICA is comprised of Medicare and social security.

Box 9 : Advance EIC Payment
Advance Earned Income Credit (AEIC) is a tax credit for certain workers. It reduces the tax you owe. It may give you a refund even if you do not owe any tax.

If you filed for AEIC, the amount you received in advance is shown in Box 9. You must file a tax return if any amount is shown here.

Box 10 : Dependent Care Benefits (DeCAP)
Box 10 shows contributions to DeCAP made through payroll deductions. Contributions to DeCAP are not subject to federal, social security, and Medicare taxes. Consequently, the amounts in Box 1 for taxable wages and Boxes 3 and 5 for social security and Medicare wages are reduced by the amount of the contribution.

DeCAP contributions are subject to New York State and City taxes and must be added back to Box 1 when filing New York State and City tax returns. Amounts for DeCAP are shown in Box 14 as well.

Box E: Employee's Name, Address, and Zip Code
This reflects your name and address in the City's Payroll Management System. If your name changes, your earnings cannot be posted by SSA until your social security records are updated.

You can report a name change to SSA by calling 1-800-772-1213. If your name is incorrect, you should notify your agency. A corrected W-2 will be issued. If your address is incorrect, you can still use the W-2. You should report address changes to your agency.

Miscellaneous Box
Messages regarding "Third Party Payor" will appear in the miscellaneous box when applicable.

Box 11 : Nonqualified Plans
Box 11 does not apply to NYC W-2s and will be blank.

Box 12 : Tax Deferred Annuities (TDA)
If you participate in a TDA plan, your contributions are shown in Box 12. Participation in a 401(k) Plan is designated by Code D. Contributions to a 403(b) Plan is designated by Code E. Contributions to a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan are designated by Code G.

TDA contributions are not subject to income taxes. Your taxable wages shown in Box 1 and state and City wages shown in Boxes 16 and 18 reflect a reduction because of your TDA contributions. You file your federal, state, and city tax returns on the lower reported wage amount.

TDA contributions are subject to FICA taxes. Consequently, your wages shown in Boxes 3 and 5, for social security and Medicare taxes, may be greater than the wages recorded for income tax purposes in Boxes 1, 16, and 18.

Box 13 : Retirement Plan
This box will indicate eligibility for pension plan membership. The IRS defines an employee as belonging to a pension plan if that employee is eligible to join a pension plan regardless of whether the plan is joined.

"Retirement Plan" in Box 13 will be checked, except for the following:

  • Retirees receiving W-2s for legal service fringe
  • Hearing Officers (PVB) with wages only from the Department of Finance
  • Retirees who retired prior to calendar year 2010 and are drawing a City pension and receiving wages from City employment
  • Terminated employees who have no wage record for calendar year 2010 but received other types of pay requiring a W-2

Box 14 : Other
IRC414H for Pension Contributions
If you are a pension member, your taxable wages in Box 1 are reduced by the amount of your pension contributions. Your contribution, shown in Box 14, is not subject to federal income tax, but is subject to FICA (social security and Medicare), state, and local taxes.

To obtain your taxable wages for New York State and City, add the amount in Box 14 to that in Box 1. Only standard pension deductions and certain "buy back" deductions are included in the IRC414H amount. Pension loan repayment deductions are not included.

IRC125 for Pre-Tax Benefit Programs
Payroll deductions covered under the Internal Revenue Code Section 125 for flexible spending account programs are shown in this box. These include deductions for:

  • Health insurance premiums
  • Dependent Care Assistance Program (DeCAP)
  • Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA)

If you added a domestic partner to your health insurance, a portion of the amount paid by the City is taxable and is included in Box 14.

The amount reflected in the IRC125 box is treated on a pre-tax basis for federal income purposes and reduces taxable wages in Box 1 and social security and Medicare wages in Boxes 3 and 5. The reduction in year-to-date earnings shows in your W-2, not in your pay statement.

The amount in the IRC125 box for health insurance premiums, DeCAP, and HCFSA is subject to state and City taxes and must be added back to the taxable wages in Box 1 when you file your taxes. The amount for DeCAP is shown in Box 14 and Box 10.


IRC132 for TransitBenefit
Payroll deductions covered under the Internal Revenue Code Section 132 for TransitBenefit are shown in this box.

The amount shown in the IRC132 box reflects pre-tax TransitBenefit contributions. Participating employees' taxable wages in Box 1, social security and Medicare wages in Boxes 3 and 5, and State and City wages in Boxes 16 and 18 will be reduced by the annual amount of TransitBenefit deductions.

Box 15 : Name of State
New York .

Box 16 : State Wages, Etc.
This box contains the wages subject to New York State tax. The following is not subject to state tax:

  • Tax Deferred Annuity and Deferred Compensation Plan ( Box 12)
  • IRC132 for TransitBenefit (Box 14)

The following are subject to state tax and included in Box 16:

  • Union Legal Service Benefit
  • Motor Vehicle Use Fringe Benefit
  • Parking Fringe Benefit
  • TransitBenefit administrative fees for the Premium TransitChek MetroCard
  • Health Buyout Waiver Payment
  • Domestic Partner Health Insurance Premiums
  • Health Club Reimbursement

The following are subject to state tax and must be added to state wages on your individual tax return:

  • Pension Deductions (Box 14)
  • Health Insurance Premiums (Box 14)
  • Dependent Care Assistance Program (DeCAP) Deductions (Box 14 and Box 10)
  • Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) Deductions (Box 14)

Box 17 : State Income Tax Withheld
This box shows the amount of state income tax withheld for the year.

Box 18A : Local Wages, Etc.
This box shows total wages subject to New York City tax.

Box 18B : Local Wages, Etc.
This box shows wages subject to Yonkers tax, for Yonkers residents only.

Box 19A : Local Income Tax
This box shows New York City taxes withheld.

Box 19B : Local Income Tax
This box shows Yonkers taxes withheld for Yonkers residents only.

Box 20A : Locality
This box shows New York City as the locality for tax purposes.

Box 20B : Locality
This box shows Yonkers as the locality for tax purposes, for Yonkers residents only.

Source: NYC.gov: Office of Payroll Administration