How to Read a W-2 to Determine Gross Income
W-2 forms contain several different types of important tax information, such as your gross income, income tax withheld and Social Security and Medicare contributions. Trying to determine your gross income from your W-2 can feel a bit overwhelming when you're looking at multiple boxes of information. Fortunately, your gross income is reported in just one box. Once you know where to find the information on your W-2, you can easily transfer your gross income to your federal tax return.
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Instructions
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Receive your W-2 form from your employer. Your employer is required to send you W-2 documents by January 31. If you do not receive your W-2 by the beginning of February, contact your employer.
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Locate box 1, Wages and Compensation on your W-2 form. The amount in box 1 equals your gross income for the year. If you have more than one W-2 form, add the amounts from box 1 from all your W-2s. The result is your gross income from all wages.
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Report the amount from form W-2, box 1 on line 7 of form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. In general, you must report your gross W-2 wages to the IRS each year.
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