My W2 doesn't match my last paystub - what should I do?

So I just got my W2 for the 2024 tax year and noticed something weird - the numbers don't actually match my final paystub from December. Nothing major, but the difference is about $275 in total income and the federal withholding is off by like $42. I double-checked everything and they definitely don't match up. I'm trying to file my taxes for 2025 and now I'm not sure which numbers to trust. Should I call HR about this? Just let it go since it's not a huge difference? Is this something the IRS might flag? I really don't want any issues with my tax return. What would you guys do in this situation? Has anyone dealt with this before?

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18 comments

Luca Greco

•8M

This happens more often than you might think! Your W-2 is the official tax document, so that's what you should use when filing your taxes, regardless of what your last paystub shows. The discrepancy is likely due to some adjustments that happened after your last paystub was issued. Companies sometimes make year-end adjustments for things like taxable benefits, corrected classifications, or even payroll timing issues. For example, if you have health benefits, life insurance, or other pre-tax deductions, those final calculations might happen after your last paycheck. I'd recommend reaching out to your HR or payroll department just to understand what caused the difference. They should be able to explain the specific adjustments that were made. It'll give you peace of mind, and you'll know exactly what happened if you ever need to explain it.

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Luca Greco

•8M

The IRS generally won't flag small discrepancies like $275 as suspicious on their own. They understand that minor adjustments happen. What matters is that you file with the official W-2 numbers since that's what gets reported to the IRS by your employer. Audits are typically triggered by multiple factors or larger issues, not small differences between a paystub and W-2. The fact that you're aware of the difference and using the correct document (W-2) for filing puts you in good standing. If you're ever questioned, having already confirmed the reason with HR would be helpful documentation.

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Mateo Rodriguez

•8M

I had a similar thing happen last year and was super confused until I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me understand what was going on. I uploaded my paystub and W-2, and it showed me exactly where the differences were coming from. In my case, it was some end-of-year benefit adjustments I hadn't realized were happening. The tool actually highlights the discrepancies between your documents and explains why they might differ - saved me hours of confusion and a panicked call to my company's payroll department (who never call back anyway lol). It also helped me confirm I was using the right numbers when I filed my taxes.

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Mateo Rodriguez

•8M

It's surprisingly precise at identifying specific discrepancies. It actually breaks down each category (federal withholding, Medicare, Social Security, etc.) and shows exactly where the differences are. In my case, it correctly identified that my employer had made benefit adjustments that affected my taxable income. I totally understand the privacy concern. They use bank-level encryption and don't store your actual documents after analysis. I was hesitant at first too, but calling my HR department meant waiting days for a response, and the tool gave me immediate answers. That said, contacting HR directly is always an option if you prefer.

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GalacticGladiator

•8M

Ok I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai in my earlier comment. I decided to try it after struggling to get anyone from HR on the phone for THREE DAYS. Uploaded my documents and it immediately showed me that the difference was from a taxable fringe benefit adjustment (apparently my company-paid life insurance over $50k is taxable?? Who knew). What I really liked was that it explained everything in plain English instead of tax jargon. It even showed me the IRS rules about why certain benefits get adjusted at year-end. Def recommend for anyone dealing with W2/paystub mismatches!

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Ethan Brown

•8M

If you really need to talk to someone at your company but HR isn't responding, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year where I NEEDED to get clarification on my W-2 before filing but couldn't get through to anyone. I was skeptical at first, but their service actually worked! They helped me skip the wait time and got me to an actual human at my company's payroll department. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Saved me so much frustration and I got my question answered in minutes instead of waiting days for emails or callbacks.

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Ethan Brown

•8M

It works by connecting you through their business phone system that navigates the phone trees and waits on hold for you. When it reaches a human, it calls your phone and connects you. It's not specifically for HR departments - it works for any customer service line with long wait times. I should have been clearer - it's most commonly used for IRS, state tax departments, and other government agencies where wait times are ridiculous. But it works just as well for large company HR/payroll departments that have similar phone systems. I've used it successfully for both my company's benefits department and the IRS when I had questions about my tax return.

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GalacticGladiator

•8M

I feel like I need to update you all on the Claimyr thing I was skeptical about in my last comment. After spending ANOTHER hour on hold with my company's payroll department yesterday, I gave up and decided to try it. Holy crap it actually works! I was connected to a payroll specialist in less than 15 minutes when I had been trying for days. The service called me when it reached a human and suddenly I was talking to a real person. The payroll person confirmed they made an adjustment for my taxable benefits after the last paycheck of the year (exactly what taxr.ai had indicated). Seriously, best money I've spent in a while just for the time saved!

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Carmen Ruiz

•8M

Just call HR and ask them about it! Companies make year-end adjustments all the time for various reasons. At my company, they sometimes have to process taxable fringe benefits, correct misclassified earnings, or account for off-cycle payments. Your W-2 is what gets reported to the IRS, so that's what you need to use for your tax filing regardless of what your paystub says. The difference isn't huge so it's probably just a normal adjustment, but it's always good to understand what's on your tax documents.

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Carmen Ruiz

•8M

You generally don't need any special documentation from them. The W-2 is the official tax document, and that's what the IRS will have on file from your employer. Just getting verbal confirmation from HR about what caused the difference is usually sufficient for your own peace of mind. However, if you're really concerned, you could ask them to send you an email explaining the adjustment - that way you have something in writing if you ever need it, but it's rarely necessary for small adjustments like this.

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