How to Create or Get a W-2 — Free
A W-2 can only come from the employer who paid the wages. If that is you, the Social Security Administration lets you create, print and file W-2s free. If you are an employee looking for yours, the routes below are free — and they are the only ones a lender or the IRS will accept.
IRS Get TranscriptA W-2 made with any online tool — including this one — is not a record of your wages. Lenders verify W-2s directly against IRS records using Form 4506-C, so only your employer’s W-2 or an IRS transcript will hold up.
The free ways to do it
Ask your employer or payroll provider
Most employers post W-2s in their payroll portal, and any employer can reprint one. Employers must furnish W-2s by January 31 (the next business day when that falls on a weekend).
Get your wage and income transcript from the IRS
The IRS’s free transcript shows the W-2 figures your employer reported. It is usually accepted when a lender or landlord asks for proof of income.
IRS Get TranscriptIf the employer never sends it
The IRS can contact the employer for you. If it still has not arrived when you file, Form 4852 lets you file using your best figures from your final pay stub.
About Form 4852Create and file W-2s free with the SSA
Business Services Online, from the Social Security Administration, lets employers fill in W-2s, print the employee copies and file with the SSA at no cost.
SSA employer W-2 filingPaid contractors as well as employees?
Contractors get a 1099-NEC instead of a W-2. Our 1099-NEC generator builds the recipient and payer copies for 2026, with a free preview.
Open the 1099-NEC generatorFrequently Asked Questions
What is a W-2 form?
Form W-2, the Wage and Tax Statement, is the form an employer sends each employee and the Social Security Administration after the year ends, showing wages paid and taxes withheld.
When do employers have to issue W-2s?
Employers must furnish W-2s to employees and file them with the Social Security Administration by January 31, or the next business day when January 31 falls on a weekend.
Can I make my own W-2?
Only the employer who paid the wages can issue a W-2. An employer can create them free through the SSA’s Business Services Online. An employee who needs one should ask the employer or get a free wage and income transcript from the IRS — a self-made W-2 is not a record of wages and will not pass a lender’s IRS check.
I lost my W-2. How do I get a copy?
Ask your employer or check their payroll portal first. You can also get a free wage and income transcript from the IRS, which lists the W-2 information your employer reported.