W-2 Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know my W-2 is ready?

You will receive an email notifying you that your Form W-2 is available for you to view online or download. Be sure to indicate a valid email address for your notification when you elect for electronic delivery.

Can I request a W-2 with unmasked SSN?

Yes, a W-2 with unmasked SSN can be requested by completing the Request a Duplicate Tax Form.

What if I don't receive my W-2 or lose the form?

Your W-2 remains available online. Visit the W-2 Tax Form task tile in One.IU to access all of your available W-2 forms. Please note, you must first consent for electronic delivery before you can access your W-2 form online.

Request a duplicate form by completing the Request a Duplicate Tax Form. If you no longer have access to university systems, complete the Request for IU Duplicate Tax Form PDF and submit it using the instructions on the form.

How do I change my delivery method back to mail delivery?

Revoke your electronic consent by visiting the W-2 Electronic Consent task tile in One.IU. You will be prompted to enter your IU username and passphrase and DUO authenticate. If you no longer have access to IU systems and would like to update your delivery method, complete the Revoke eConsent Request for IRS Form W-2 PDF and submit it using the instructions on the form.

When is Indiana University required to issue a Form W-2?

A W-2 is required to be issued to employees to report taxable wages, and the associated income and employment taxes that were withheld, during the calendar year. There are a few situations where an employee may expect a W-2 but one is not issued by Indiana University:

• the payments issued to you did not constitute wages although they may be considered taxable income (ie income from fellowships), OR
• the wages you received were exempt from reporting on the W-2 because you claimed the benefits of an income tax treaty, OR
• the wages you received were earned outside of the United States AND you are not a U.S. person (foreign sourced income).

I was paid during the year but did not receive a W-2. Why?

The Form W-2 is generally required to be post-marked by January 31 each year. Forms are printed and mailed during the last week of January.

Forms are mailed to the Employee Home address recorded in university records as of January 7. If you moved but failed to update your Employee Home address prior to January 7 but established mail forwarding to your new address, the US Postal Service will forward the tax document to your new address. Update your Employee Home address using the Employee Center task tile in One.IU as soon as your address changes. Undeliverable W-2s are returned to the UCO Customer Service office in Bloomington, Indiana.

What information is represented by each box on the form?

Review the Form W-2 Boxes page for descriptions of the information available on the form.

My name is incorrect or my tax ID is missing from my form. Can this be corrected?

Yes. The Form W-2 should contain the last name and tax ID that appears on your Social Security card. The information used on the Form W-2 reflects official university records. If this information is incorrect, please submit a copy of your Social Security card with your request for a corrected tax form. University Tax Services will work with the appropriate offices at Indiana University to correct the official records and will issue a corrected Form W-2.

The address used on my W-2 is inaccurate. Does this need to be fixed before I can file my taxes?

No. The Employee Home address is used for issuing Form W-2. A corrected W-2 will not be issued to correct an address. The IRS requires that you include your most current mailing address on your income tax return. Employees can update their Employee Home address electronically through the Employee Center task tile in One.IU.

The locality listed on my W-2 is inaccurate. Does this need to be corrected?

Indiana requires your Indiana wages to be subject to local income tax based on your principal place of residence or your principal place of employment as of January 1. When an employee is hired, we default the locality to be based on the campus associated with your job. If an updated WH-4 tax form is not submitted, your wages will be recorded on the W-2 with this default locality. If you did submit an updated WH-4 tax form but were not in Indiana as of January 1, your wages were not subject to local income tax. In either case, use the Employee Center task tile in One.IU to review and update your Indiana WH-4 tax form.

If you are working outside of Indiana, note that some states do not have taxing localities and therefore those states will not have an amount stated in Box 18 on the Form W-2.

This is my first W-2 from IU. I'm a salaried employee and Box 1 does not include my December paycheck. Why?

Salaried employees receive their December wages on the first business day of the following year. Since these wages are paid in the following calendar year they will be included in that year’s W-2.

How do I re-calculate Box 1 of my W-2?

To re-calculate Box 1 of your W-2, view your Payroll Year to Date totals. Visit the View Year to Date Totals page for instructions on accessing this page.

In the "As-of Date" field enter 12/31/XXXX, with XXXX being the previous calendar year or the tax year you are reviewing. Once completed, you will see a year to date summary of your earnings, before tax deductions, after-tax deductions (if applicable), and taxes withheld. Your Box 1 total on your W-2 will be your total earnings less your total before-tax deductions.

I disagree with at least one of the financial amounts reported on the Form W-2. Who do I contact about this?

University Tax Services produces the W-2 based on the transactions that have occurred on your payroll record. These transactions reflect paychecks issued, overpayments processed, refunds issued, non-cash fringe benefit adjustments, and corrections to balances based the instructions for properly reporting information on Form W-2.

Generally, the figures used on the W-2 match the figures on your final pay advice for payments issued in that calendar year. If an adjustment was required after the final pay was issued, you may find an additional pay advice representing the adjustment in your list of pay advices even though you may have not been aware that this adjustment occurred. Please compare your W-2 to the Payroll Year to Date Totals available in One.IU. Visit the View Year to Date Totals page for instructions on accessing this information.