I got two different W2's from the same employer this year - why?

This is actually pretty common! Companies often issue multiple W-2s when there's been some kind of administrative change during the tax year. The most likely reasons are: 1) The company changed payroll systems mid-year 2) There was a corporate reorganization (maybe they were acquired or merged) 3) You had a change in your employment status they didn't mention (even something small) 4) They have multiple EINs (Employer Identification Numbers) for different divisions The good news is that when you file your taxes, you just enter both W-2s exactly as they appear. Tax software like TurboTax handles this situation all the time - you'll just be prompted to enter a "second W-2" and fill in all the information. The IRS will combine the information correctly. The only thing to double-check is that both W-2s have the same employer name but look for different EIN numbers in Box b - that would explain why they had to issue two forms.

Had this same issue last year and discovered taxr.ai which was a lifesaver for me! I was confused by multiple W-2s and wasn't sure if I was filing correctly. I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai and it immediately identified that my employer had changed payroll systems mid-year (which they never bothered to tell us about). The site explained exactly how to handle multiple W-2s from the same employer and even pointed out some credits I was missing. Super helpful when you're trying to make sense of complicated tax documents!

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after my skeptical question. It actually was super helpful! I uploaded both my W2s and it immediately pointed out that the employer ID numbers were different on each form, which explained the split. It even caught that my state withholding was calculated incorrectly on one of them and showed me exactly what to do about it. Saved me from what would've been a headache later for sure. Way more helpful than the generic advice I got from my tax preparer who just said "enter both forms.

If you're still having trouble understanding why this happened or want to talk to someone at the IRS about it, good luck getting through to them. I spent 3 HOURS on hold last year trying to ask a simple question about my multiple W2 situation. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you back when an agent is about to pick up. Got through to a real person in about 40 minutes instead of waiting on hold all day. The agent confirmed that multiple W2s from the same employer is common and exactly how to report them.

I need to come back and eat my words. After complaining about Claimyr sounding like a scam, I was struggling to get through to the IRS about my own W2 issue (employer filed under wrong SSN). After wasting an entire morning on hold, I reluctantly tried the service. Not only did it work exactly as advertised, but I got through to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes while I was making lunch. The agent confirmed I need to contact my employer about the mistake and file a paper return with both W2s attached if they don't fix it soon. Honestly shocked at how well it worked - definitely not a scam.

Make sure you check if the Social Security numbers on both W2s are correct! My company issued me two W2s last year and one had my SSN wrong by one digit. Could have caused major problems if I hadn't caught it. If there are any errors, contact your employer's payroll department ASAP.

Has anyone else noticed that TurboTax charges you for the "deluxe" version if you have multiple W2s? Such a ripoff. H&R Block online lets you enter multiple W2s on their free version. Just FYI for anyone in this situation.

This is a great question and you're definitely not alone in this situation! The most common reason for receiving multiple W-2s from the same employer is that your company likely uses different Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for different purposes - maybe different divisions, or they went through a merger/acquisition during the year. Since you mentioned the numbers add up correctly when combined, that's actually a good sign that everything is legitimate. When you file with TurboTax, you'll simply enter both W-2s as separate forms. The software will walk you through adding a second W-2 and will handle the calculations properly. A few things to double-check before filing: - Make sure your personal info (name, SSN, address) is identical on both forms - Verify the employer names are the same (or reasonably similar if there was a name change) - Look at Box b on both forms - you'll likely see different EIN numbers, which explains the split You don't necessarily need to contact HR unless you notice errors in your personal information or the wage amounts seem wrong. This is a normal tax situation that happens to thousands of employees each year, especially at larger companies with complex corporate structures.

This happened to me a few years ago and I completely understand the confusion! In my case, it turned out my employer had switched from processing payroll internally to using ADP midway through the year. Even though I never noticed any difference in how I got paid, the backend change meant they had to issue separate W-2s for each payroll system period. The key thing is that both W-2s should have the same employer name but different EIN numbers in Box b - sounds like you already confirmed this with the 5493 vs 7281 endings. When you file, TurboTax will ask if you have additional W-2s to enter, and you'll just input both exactly as they appear. One small tip: when you get to the summary screen in TurboTax, double-check that your total wages match what you expect for the full year. The software should automatically combine everything correctly, but it's always good to verify the math matches your final paystub of the year. You're handling this exactly right - no need to stress about it!