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A pay stub shows the details of one paycheck; a W-2 summarizes wages and tax withholding for an entire calendar year. Use the stub to check a payday’s earnings, deductions, and take-home pay, and use the W-2 for annual tax reporting. They cover different periods and tax categories, so their totals are not automatically supposed to match.
Pay stub vs. W-2 at a glance
| Document | Period covered | What it is for | What amounts it typically shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay stub | One paycheck or pay period | Reviewing how a specific paycheck was calculated | Earnings, deductions, withholding, net pay, and often year-to-date totals; exact labels and layout vary by employer and payroll system. |
| W-2 | One tax year | Reporting annual wages and tax withholding for tax filing | Tax-defined wage totals and tax withheld, reported in separate boxes. |
The records are related but not interchangeable: a stub is a paycheck-level payroll record, while Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, is an annual tax document. The IRS says employers use Form W-2 to “Report wages, tips, or other compensation paid to an employee.” (IRS FAQ on Forms W-2 and 1099)
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What a pay stub shows
A pay stub, sometimes called a paycheck stub or earnings statement, is associated with an individual payday. It commonly breaks down the pay period’s earnings and deductions and shows net pay—the amount paid after applicable deductions and withholding. Many stubs also show year-to-date figures, which accumulate totals from the start of the calendar year through that paycheck.
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Employers and payroll systems can use different formats and labels. IRS guidance explains paycheck withholding, but it does not establish one nationwide pay-stub template. Read the labels on your employer’s stub rather than assuming every employer presents the same fields.
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What a W-2 shows
A W-2 summarizes wage and tax information for a calendar year. The employer furnishes it to the employee and files it with the Social Security Administration. Its numbered boxes separate amounts used for different tax and payroll purposes; they are not simply a recap of gross pay and take-home pay. (See the IRS Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.)
Key wage and withholding boxes
- Box 1: Taxable wages, tips, and other compensation for federal income tax purposes.
- Box 2: Federal income tax withheld.
- Box 3: Social Security wages.
- Box 5: Medicare wages and tips.
Boxes 1, 3, and 5 can have different totals because each uses a distinct tax definition. For example, elective deferrals to some retirement plans may be excluded from Box 1 while remaining included in Box 3. For higher earners, Social Security wages may also differ from Medicare wages; the Social Security wage base is $184,500 for 2026, according to the IRS’s 2026 W-2 instructions. That threshold is specific to 2026 and can change in another year.
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A W-2 may also include state and local wage or tax information. Those entries depend on the relevant jurisdiction; the federal boxes do not tell the whole story of every state or local tax situation.
Why pay-stub totals may differ from W-2 boxes
Do not compare one paycheck’s gross earnings or net pay directly with an annual W-2 box. The periods differ, and the amounts may be defined differently. Net pay is what remains after deductions and withholding; W-2 boxes report annual tax categories, not take-home pay.
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If you are checking a possible discrepancy, compare the W-2 for the correct tax year with the corresponding year-to-date figure on your final pay stub for that year. Then check that you are comparing the same category: taxable wages with Box 1, Social Security wages with Box 3, or Medicare wages with Box 5. Differences can reflect tax treatment, such as retirement-plan deferrals, rather than an error.
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Use a pay stub to review payroll
Check an individual stub when you want to verify a paycheck’s pay-period earnings, deductions, withholding, or net amount. If a line is unclear or an amount appears wrong, ask your employer’s payroll or human-resources contact how it was calculated.
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Use a W-2 for annual tax reporting
Use the W-2’s annual figures when preparing your tax return. IRS employee guidance says employers generally provide W-2s by January 31 for the preceding year. For current details, exceptions, or steps to take if a form is missing, consult the IRS guidance on Form W-2.
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