From paystub, does Federal Withholding show total tax paid before W2 arrives?
I'm kind of freaking out trying to figure out what my tax return might look like this year. My W2 isn't ready yet, but I really want to estimate if I'm getting money back or if I'll owe (please don't let me owe!!). I grabbed my last paystub from December and I'm looking at the Federal Withholding line. Does this number show the total amount of federal tax I've paid for the year? Like, is this the same number that would show up on my W2 as federal tax withheld? I'm just trying to plug some numbers into a calculator to see where I stand before the actual W2 shows up. Anyone know if I can trust this number from my paystub? Thx!
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Natasha Petrova
Yes, the Federal Withholding on your last paystub of the year typically shows the cumulative amount that has been withheld for federal income taxes throughout the year. This should match Box 2 on your W-2 when it arrives. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. Some employers make year-end adjustments that might not be reflected on your last paystub. Also, the Federal Withholding amount only shows federal income tax - it doesn't include Social Security or Medicare taxes (FICA), which are separate line items on your paystub and separate boxes on your W-2. If you're trying to estimate your tax situation, you'll need more than just the withholding amount - you'll need your total income for the year and any tax credits or deductions you plan to take.
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Javier Morales
•Thanks for explaining! So if my last paystub shows I earned $58,450 for the year with $7,932 in federal withholding, would those be the same numbers on my W2? Also what about state taxes - does the same principle apply?
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Natasha Petrova
•The gross earnings ($58,450) and federal withholding ($7,932) should generally match what appears on your W-2, though as mentioned, there can sometimes be last-minute adjustments. So while these numbers are usually reliable, they might not be exact. Yes, the same principle applies to state taxes. Your state withholding on your last paystub should match what appears on your W-2 for state income tax withheld. Just like with federal taxes, there might occasionally be year-end adjustments, but your paystub is typically a good estimate.
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Emma Davis
I was in the same situation last year trying to figure out my taxes early. I discovered this tool called taxr.ai which helped me estimate my return using just my paystub info. You upload your last paystub and it extracts all the withholding info automatically, then estimates your refund or amount owed. I was stressing about possibly owing but https://taxr.ai showed me I'd actually get a decent refund! Their estimates were really close to what I ended up getting when I filed with my actual W2 later.
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GalaxyGlider
•How accurate was it compared to your actual return? I've tried estimators before and they've been way off because they don't account for my student loan interest deduction and child tax credit.
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Malik Robinson
•Does it work with irregular income? I had a lot of overtime this year and bonuses that were taxed at different rates. Can it handle that complexity or is it more for people with steady paychecks?
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Emma Davis
•It was surprisingly accurate for me - within about $75 of my actual refund. I remember being shocked because I was expecting a bigger discrepancy. Yes, it actually handles irregular income pretty well. The tool looks at your YTD totals on the paystub, not just your regular salary. So all those overtime hours and bonuses that show up in your YTD earnings and withholdings are factored in. That's what made it useful for me since I had some commission payments that varied month to month.
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Malik Robinson
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above! It was super helpful - I uploaded my last paystub and it pulled out all the withholding amounts automatically. The federal withholding did match what I expected, but I didn't realize how much the other deductions would affect my final tax situation. According to their estimate, I'm getting back around $1,900 which is way better than I thought! The tool explained how my overtime affected things too, which answered my earlier question. Definitely less stressed now waiting for my W2!
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Isabella Silva
If you're still waiting on your W2 and getting anxious, you should try Claimyr to get through to the IRS. I was in the same boat last year but my employer was super late sending W2s and I needed to file. Used https://claimyr.com to actually get a human at the IRS on the phone (without waiting for hours!) and they helped me figure out what to do. There's even a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line. Saved me so much frustration.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Wait, you can contact the IRS about a missing W2? How does that help exactly? My employer always sends mine late and it's really annoying.
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Freya Andersen
•I don't believe this works. I've tried getting through to the IRS for 3 years now and it's literally impossible. Their hold times are insane and they disconnect you after like an hour. How could a third party service possibly get through when millions of people can't?
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Isabella Silva
•Yes, you definitely can contact the IRS about missing W2s! If your employer doesn't provide your W2 by January 31st, the IRS can send a notice to your employer. They can also provide you with a Form 4852 (substitute W2) that you can file if you don't receive your W2 in time. This service actually does work - that's why I recommended it. I was skeptical too, but they use some kind of system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they finally get a human, they call you and connect you. I'm not sure exactly how they do it, but I got through in about 45 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own with no success.
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Freya Andersen
Wow I need to apologize and eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment yesterday, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation because I still haven't received my W2 from a job I left in October. I figured it wouldn't work but what did I have to lose? It actually got me through to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes! The agent was super helpful and is sending me a substitute W2 form so I can file without waiting for my old employer. I'm honestly shocked this service worked after all my failed attempts to call the IRS directly.
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Omar Farouk
A tip from someone who's been doing their own taxes for years: Your last paystub FED W/H amount is usually right, but if you have multiple jobs, you need to add up the federal withholding from ALL of them. I had a surprise tax bill one year because I only looked at my main job's withholding and forgot about my side gig where hardly anything was withheld. Also check if you have any 1099 income where no taxes were withheld at all!
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CosmicCadet
•This is such an important point! How do you handle 1099 work throughout the year to avoid a surprise tax bill? I started driving for DoorDash on weekends and I'm nervous about owing a bunch.
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Omar Farouk
•I set aside about 25-30% of all my 1099 income in a separate savings account specifically for taxes. That usually covers both federal and state obligations. I also make quarterly estimated tax payments using Form 1040-ES to avoid potential penalties for not paying throughout the year. For gig work like DoorDash, don't forget you can deduct your mileage (65.5 cents per mile for 2025) which can significantly reduce your taxable income from that work. Track every mile you drive for deliveries using an app - it adds up fast and can save you hundreds in taxes!
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Chloe Harris
Your YTD fed withholding is probably accurate, but I noticed last year my December paystub showed $6,842 withheld and my W2 had $6,897. My company said they made a small adjustment for some benefit thing that happened at year-end. So expect it to be close but maybe not exact!!!
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Diego Mendoza
•Is that normal? I'd be concerned if my W2 didn't match my paystub exactly. Seems like there could be errors.
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Noland Curtis
•It's actually pretty normal for there to be small differences! Companies often make year-end adjustments for things like 401k catch-up contributions, health insurance premium corrections, or other benefit adjustments that might not show up on your last paystub. Usually these differences are pretty minor (like the $55 difference Chloe mentioned). If there was a major discrepancy of hundreds of dollars, then yeah, you'd want to question it. But small adjustments are totally normal in payroll processing.
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