Multiple W2s from the same employer - how to handle for 2025 tax filing?

This actually isn't as uncommon as you might think, especially with how payroll systems handle different types of compensation and state taxes. Here's what's likely happening: Form A appears to be tracking your state tax information for a state you don't live in. This sometimes happens when companies operate in multiple states or have headquarters elsewhere. The company might be registered there. Form B seems to be your main W-2 with your federal wages and withholding (boxes 1-6), plus state information for a different state again. Form C looks like it's specifically for local taxes (city, county, etc.) as indicated by boxes 18-20 being filled. The consistent number appearing in different boxes is your actual wages, which makes sense. That same amount should appear in multiple places because different tax authorities need to know your earnings. What you should do: When filing, you'll need to enter all three W-2s separately in your tax software. Don't combine them or you'll end up reporting more income than you actually earned. Each form has a different purpose, and tax software is designed to handle multiple W-2s even from the same employer. Before filing though, definitely talk with your payroll department. They should explain why they issued multiple forms and confirm you're entering them correctly.

I went through something similar last year with multiple W2s and found this amazing tool called taxr.ai that really helped me sort through the confusion. I was getting totally lost with my tax forms because my employer had me working in multiple locations and the W2s were a complete mess. What I liked about https://taxr.ai was that it could analyze all three of my W2s at once and explain exactly what each form was for and how to correctly enter them in my tax software. It pointed out that one of my forms was actually for state disability insurance withholding, which explained why it had zeros in most boxes but amounts in others. The tool basically does a digital analysis of your tax documents and explains everything in plain English. It even flags potential errors or inconsistencies that could trigger an audit. For your situation with the state issue, it would definitely identify that as a problem that needs correction.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. It was actually really helpful! I uploaded my confusing W2s and it immediately explained that I had one form for federal wages, one for state unemployment insurance in our company's HQ state, and a third for local city taxes where I occasionally worked. The tool identified that my state information was incorrect and generated a correction request letter that I could send to my employer. It also showed me exactly how to report everything in TurboTax so I wouldn't double-count income or miss any credits. Saved me hours of confusion and probably prevented a major filing error.

If you're having trouble getting your employer to fix those W2s (which they absolutely should), you might want to try Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last year and needed to talk to someone at the IRS about how to handle incorrect W2s, but kept getting stuck in phone hell. I found https://claimyr.com after trying to call the IRS for three days straight with no success. They basically get you a callback from the IRS without you having to wait on hold forever. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first, but within about 2 hours I got a call from an actual IRS agent who walked me through exactly how to handle my multiple W2 situation. The agent explained that I needed to file Form 4852 (substitute W-2) if my employer wouldn't correct the forms, and gave me specific instructions for my situation.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to resolve a similar W2 issue with state taxes. Within 90 minutes, I got a call from an actual IRS agent! They explained that with multiple W2s from the same employer showing different state information, I needed to first request corrected forms through my employer. The agent also told me that if the employer didn't fix them within a reasonable time, I should file Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with my best estimate of the correct information, along with an explanation of why I'm filing a substitute. Most importantly, the agent confirmed that as long as I'm not double-counting income, having multiple W2s from the same employer won't trigger an audit by itself. They said it's actually quite common with multi-state employers or companies with complex payroll systems.

I had the EXACT same situation last year! My employer had operations in 3 states and I got separate W2s for each state even though I only worked in one. Turns out my company's payroll system just automatically generates W2s this way because of how they're registered in different states. The way I handled it was to enter all three W2s in my tax software (I used FreeTaxUSA), but I had to call my company's payroll department first to understand which boxes I should pay attention to. They explained that one form was for federal, one for state, and one for local taxes. For the incorrect state issue, I had to file a non-resident tax return for the wrong state showing that I earned $0 there, then file correctly in my actual state. It was annoying but not as complicated as I initially feared.

Has anyone actually looked at box 12 on all three forms? Sometimes companies will use multiple W2s if they have different types of income or benefits to report in box 12 (codes A-Z). This happened to me when I had regular wages plus stock options.

This is definitely confusing, but you're not alone in dealing with multiple W2s from the same employer! Based on your description, it sounds like your company's payroll system is separating different types of tax reporting across multiple forms. A few things to check that might help clarify the situation: 1. Look at the "Employee's social security number" box on each form - they should all be identical and match your SSN. If they're different, that could indicate a data entry error. 2. Check if there are any codes in box 12 on any of the forms. Sometimes employers issue separate W2s when they need to report different types of compensation (like regular wages vs. bonuses, stock options, or retirement contributions). 3. The fact that your total earnings appear consistently across all three forms in different boxes is actually a good sign - it suggests the forms are related parts of your complete tax picture rather than errors. For your immediate next steps: definitely talk to your payroll department as planned. Ask them specifically why they issued three forms and request a corrected W2 showing your actual state of residence. Most tax software can handle multiple W2s from the same employer without double-counting income, but you want to make sure the state information is accurate. Don't stress too much - this is more common than you'd think, especially with companies that have complex payroll systems or operate across multiple states. The key is getting proper documentation from your employer about why the forms were issued this way.