https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=17149

Thanks for your info on another post, AtlantaTaxExpert. About the W-2,
I am a little confused. I tried to read the W-2 guideline but still could not get it (I am new to this... ).

First what is the difference between State wage (box 16) and Local Wage (box 18) on W-2? I never paid attention to the numbers on my W-2... the one from my past employer.. box 16 and 18 are the same amount, but the W-2 from my present employer is showing different amount. I thought it supposed to be the same. In what situation, the amount will differ ('cuz mine is like 20k difference)?

Second the local income tax (box 19) is the tax you pay to the county where you live in?

Thanks a lot.

ZMedia:

Box 16 (State Wages) shows the wages earned in that particular state?

Box 18 (Local Wages) shows the wages earned in that particular locale, which could be a county but can also be a city.

Did you work in different locations? If so, that explains the different figures in Boxes 16 and 18.

Box 16&18 have different figures, I did not work in different locations, what do I do about box 18, should I add it to the box 16? Thanks.

Some states and localities do NOT recognize deductions which reduce the taxable salary, such as 401K or 403B contributions. Hence, the diffierent amounts for salary.