Why are box 1, 3, and 5 identical on only one of my five W2s for 2023 tax return?

I'm in the middle of entering my 2023 W2s into tax software and noticed something weird. After entering my fifth and final W2, my federal refund suddenly dropped to almost nothing! When I looked closer, I realized that on this particular W2, boxes 1 (Wages), 3 (Social Security wages), and 5 (Medicare wages) all have the exact same amount. This doesn't appear on any of my other four W2s. Is this normal? Does it indicate an error? I work similar jobs in the same industry and I'm pretty sure I filled out all my W4s the same way (minimal allowances hoping for bigger refunds... though I'm not even sure if that logic makes sense). When the amounts in those boxes are different on my other W2s but identical on this one, it seems suspicious - especially since it tanked my refund. Could my employer have made a mistake? Should I contact them about it? Any insight would be really appreciated! I need to file soon and want to make sure everything is correct.

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19 comments

CosmicCaptain

•8M

That's definitely something to look into. Here's what those boxes actually mean: Box 1: Taxable wages (after deductions like 401k, health insurance, etc.) Box 3: Social Security wages (capped at $160,200 for 2023) Box 5: Medicare wages (no cap) Usually Box 1 would be lower than Boxes 3 and 5 if you have pre-tax deductions. When they're identical, it typically means either you had no pre-tax deductions OR you hit the Social Security wage cap with this employer. The fact that your refund dropped after entering this W2 suggests this employer might not have withheld enough taxes. Check your tax rate from this employer compared to the others - they might have used an incorrect withholding table.

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CosmicCaptain

•8M

You're absolutely right - if someone hit the SS wage cap, Box 3 would typically be lower than Box 5, not equal to it. The SS wage cap for 2023 was $160,200, and anything above that wouldn't appear in Box 3 but would still show in Box 5. In this case, since all three boxes are identical, the most likely explanation is that this employer didn't process any pre-tax deductions. Pre-tax deductions typically reduce Box 1 but not Boxes 3 and 5. Things like 401k contributions, health insurance premiums, and FSA contributions would normally make Box 1 lower than the other boxes.

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Isabella Ferreira

•8M

I had a similar issue last year and found taxr.ai super helpful with analyzing my W2s. I was confused about why my boxes had different numbers and if my employer had made an error. I uploaded all my tax documents to https://taxr.ai and it compared them to spot inconsistencies and errors. Saved me a ton of time trying to figure out what was happening with my withholdings. Their system actually highlighted that one of my employers wasn't calculating my Social Security withholding correctly, which sounds similar to what you're experiencing.

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Isabella Ferreira

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works with multiple W2s! That's actually one of the best features - it can compare across different employers to spot patterns or inconsistencies. It helped me identify which employer was using different withholding calculations. As for security, they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. I was hesitant at first too, but they explain their security measures on their site. They're also SOC 2 compliant, which means they have to follow strict security protocols. I wouldn't have used it if I didn't feel it was secure.

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Freya Thomsen

•8M

I was super skeptical at first about taxr.ai but I'm glad I tried it. After seeing how my W2 boxes were so different between employers, I uploaded everything and it immediately flagged that my third employer wasn't withholding correctly. The analysis showed exactly why my refund was lower than expected - turns out one employer was treating my retirement contributions differently than the others. Once I understood the issue, I was able to fix it with my employer for this year's withholdings. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with multiple W2s.

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Omar Zaki

•8M

If you need to ask your employer about this, good luck getting through to HR or payroll! I tried for WEEKS to resolve a similar W2 issue last year. After dozens of unanswered emails and voicemails, I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to a real IRS agent in under 15 minutes to confirm what I needed to do. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an agent is available. I was about to give up on resolving my W2 issue until I saw their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent I spoke with explained exactly what the box discrepancies meant and what documentation I needed to request from my employer.

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Omar Zaki

•8M

It absolutely gets you through! They use a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. Once an agent picks up, they call you and connect you directly to the agent. No more waiting on hold for hours. It works because they have technology that can stay on hold indefinitely and monitor for when a human answers. I was skeptical too, but it's actually pretty simple technology - just automated hold waiting that calls you when it detects a human voice. The IRS hold times are ridiculous (often 2+ hours), but with this service I didn't have to sit there listening to the hold music the whole time.

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Chloe Martin

•8M

I have to apologize for my skepticism. After my frustrating comment, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation because I needed to resolve a W2 issue before filing. I was absolutely shocked when I got a call back in about 45 minutes connecting me to an actual IRS agent! The agent confirmed that when boxes 1, 3, and 5 are identical, it usually means the employer didn't process any pre-tax deductions. In my case, they helped me confirm that my employer had indeed made a mistake on my W2 and advised me to request a corrected W2 form (W2-C). Never would have gotten this information without actually speaking to someone at the IRS. I'm officially eating my words on this one.

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Diego Rojas

•8M

You're right, that's a good point. If OP had already maxed out their Social Security contributions at previous employers, Box 3 on the final W2 would likely be zero or at least lower than Boxes 1 and 5, not equal to them. What's more likely happening is that this employer didn't process any pre-tax deductions (like retirement contributions, health insurance premiums, etc.). When there are no pre-tax deductions, all three boxes often show the same amount. The drop in the expected refund suggests this employer might have also under-withheld taxes compared to the other employers.

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AstroAlpha

•4M

This is actually a pretty common issue! When boxes 1, 3, and 5 are identical, it usually means one of two things happened with this employer: 1. **No pre-tax deductions were processed** - Things like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, or FSA contributions normally reduce Box 1 but not boxes 3 and 5. If this employer didn't offer these benefits or you didn't enroll, all three boxes would show your full gross wages. 2. **Different payroll system setup** - Some smaller employers or temporary agencies use simplified payroll systems that don't handle pre-tax deductions the same way. The refund drop is likely because this employer didn't withhold enough federal income tax relative to your actual tax liability. You should check Box 2 (Federal income tax withheld) on this W2 compared to your other employers - I bet the withholding rate is lower. Before contacting your employer, double-check: Did you sign up for any pre-tax benefits with this employer? If not, then the identical boxes are actually correct. If you did have pre-tax deductions that aren't reflected, then definitely reach out to payroll for a corrected W-2. The good news is this doesn't necessarily mean there's an error - it might just reflect different benefit elections at different jobs.

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