Ohio State is required to furnish all employees with a Form W-2 showing their compensation and tax withholding amounts for the calendar year by January 31 of the following year. You will use the W-2 to complete your yearly tax return by April 15.
Go Paperless
Opt out of receiving a paper Form W-2 and take advantage of the secure, fast, and convenient electronic form that you can download and save to your personal records. To opt out of receiving a paper Form W-2, navigate to the Benefits and Pay Hub app. Detailed instructions can be found on the Administrative Resource Center.
An electronic Form W-2 ensures:
- Your W-2 is posted securely on workday.osu.edu
- You have the earliest access to your Form W-2
- You no longer have to deal with headaches and delays due to lost or misdirected mail
- You can easily print or download & save a copy to your personal computer or cloud application
How to Access Your Previously Issued W-2s
Access your electronic W-2s in the Workday Benefits & Pay Hub app.
A W-2 form that is compatible with accessible readers is available for employees. Employees can select the Accessible Form button on the My Tax Documents task. This button displays when employees select the Simplified View check box on the Change Preferences task. Type “Change Preferences” in the search bar within Workday to navigate to this task.
If you require accessibility assistance, contact the Accessibility Help Line at 614-292-5000.
Explanation of Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement
Forms and instructions are available for download at the following web sites: IRS web site www.irs.gov, State of Ohio web site www.tax.ohio.gov.
The University’s Tax Office does NOT provide tax preparation advice or services. You may wish to seek expert advice from an accountant or tax attorney in preparing your tax returns.
| W2 Box # | Description | Explanation | Section where information is located on your last paystub |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wages, Tips, Other Compensation | Taxable earnings for federal income tax purposes. This amount is computed as follows: Earnings for the year (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31) Plus:
Minus:
|
These items are listed in the Before Tax Deductions section of the paystub
|
| 2 | Federal Income Tax Withheld | Federal income tax withheld. | Taxes |
| 3 | Social Security Wages | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 4 | Social Security Tax Withheld | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 5 | Medicare Wages & Tips | Wages subject to Medicare Hospital Insurance tax: (Faculty and staff appointed on or after April 1, 1986, federal employees in OSU Extension, and students enrolled less than 6 credit hours are subject to this tax.) This amount is computed as follows: Earnings for the year (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31) Plus:
Minus:
|
These items are listed in the Before Tax Deductions section of the paystub |
| 6 | Medicare Tax Withheld | 1.45% Medicare Hospital Insurance Tax withheld on wages reported in Box 5 | Taxes |
| 9 | Advance EIC Payment | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 10 | Dependent Care Benefits | Dependent care contributions withheld and/or day care reimbursements | Before Tax Deductions |
| 12 | C | Cost of employer provided group term life insurance in excess of $50,000 | Employer Paid Benefits |
| DD | Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance | Not Applicable | |
| E | IRS Code Section 403(b) tax deferred annuity contributions | Before Tax Deductions | |
| G | IRS Code Section 457 deferred compensation contributions | Before Tax Deductions | |
| T | Adoption Benefit (Adoption Reimbursement) | Hours and Earnings | |
| 13 | Retirement Plan | Checked if any contributions were made to PERS, STRS, or an alternative retirement plan (ARP) | Not Applicable |
| 14N | Vehicle Reporting | Cost of personal use of university provided car(s) | Hours and Earnings |
| 15 | State & Employer’s State I.D. Number | Appropriate state abbreviation and employer’s state I.D. number | Not Applicable |
| 16 | State Wages, Tips, Etc. | Taxable earnings for state income tax purposes (same as Box #1 if State of Ohio) | Same as items listed in Box #1 |
| 17 | State Income Tax | State income tax withheld | Taxes |
| 18 | School District Code/Tax | School district code and school district income tax amount withheld | Taxes |
| 18 | Local Wages, Tips, Etc. | Taxable earnings for each locality withheld for (includes withholding for Work Locality & Resident Locality, if applicable). May have multiple localities listed. | Taxes |
| 19 | Local Income Tax | Local income tax withheld for each locality | Taxes |
| 20 | Locality name | Name of city, town or village for which tax was withheld - Local tax, earnings and name of locality. | Taxes |
Disclosure Statement
- Terminated Employees: All terminated employees will receive a paper W-2 mailed to the address on their employee record. Terminated employees can contact HR at (614) 247-myHR(6947) or HRConnection@osu.edu for instructions on updating personal information.
- Updating Information for Active Employees: It is the employee’s responsibility to notify Human Resources of any changes to personal information such as social security number or name by submitting a Change of Record form. Address changes must be made via Workday.
- Hardware and Software Requirements: The hardware and software requirements needed to access, print and retain Form W-2 electronically include an internet connection, web browser, and Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Inaccessible W-2s or Technical Problems: If an employee is unable to access their form online due to a technical problem, incorrect login or password, or incorrect e-mail address, the employee may request a paper copy.