You must use Wave in a web browser to complete the steps in this article.
Understand Form W-2
Form W-2 is a Wage and Tax Statement. It’s used by employers to report wages, tips, and other compensation paid to employees throughout the calendar year, as well as record FICA and withheld income taxes. Every employer who pays an employee for services must file a Form W-2 for each employee.
In general, employers are required to file a Form W-2 for each employee who received wages during the year, including employees from whom:
- Federal income, Social Security, or Medicare tax was withheld, or
- Federal income tax would have been withheld if the employee had not claimed more than one withholding allowance, or exemption from withholding, on Form W-4.
More information about Form W-2 and filing requirements is available from the IRS in About Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.
Download Forms W-2 and W-3
Only the last four digits of an employee’s SSN will appear on their Form W-2. This is for security and compliance purposes.
To download Forms W-2 and W-3 in Wave, you must have an active or limited access payroll subscription.
To download W-2 Forms:
- On the left-side menu, click Payroll > Tax Forms.
- To the far right of your W-2 Forms, click Preview.
- Click View forms.
- Next to Preview tax returns, click Go.
- Select the 2026 tab, then click Start download for all.
Employee Forms W-2 will become available in your Wave account between January 11 and 15, 2027. The Form W-3 will become available in Wave by early February 2027.
Distribute Forms W-2
Wave automatically files Forms W-2 with the Social Security Administration and with applicable states on your behalf. A W-3 annual summary form is provided for your reference.
You must distribute Forms W-2 to your employees no later than January 31, 2027.
Once forms are posted, employees who have accepted invitations to view their payroll information online will be able to access their W-2s in Wave. If an employee has not been invited to view their payroll information, they cannot access their Form W-2 online through Wave.