Nanny Tax DeskNanny W-2 for 2026, box by box
Give your nanny Copies B, C and 2 of Form W-2 by February 1, 2027, and send Copy A with Form W-3 to the Social Security Administration. You need an EIN, not your Social Security number. The calculator fills in boxes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 from what you paid.
General information from IRS Publication 926, not tax advice. Check with a tax professional for your household.
The boxes on $36,000, worked out
- Boxes 3 and 5Social Security and Medicare wages: $36,000 each (box 3 stops at $184,500).
- Boxes 4 and 6What you held back: $2,232.00 Social Security and $522.00 Medicare.
- Box 1Wages for income tax: $36,000. If you paid the worker's half yourself, add it: $38,754.00. Boxes 3 and 5 stay at $36,000.
- Box 2Federal income tax you withheld, only if you both agreed to it; otherwise leave it empty.
You can file Copy A free online through the Social Security Administration's Business Services Online, which builds the W-3 for you. No W-2 is due for a worker paid under $3,000 if you withheld no income tax.
General information from IRS Publication 926 (2026) and the Schedule H instructions, not tax advice. Check with a tax professional for your household.
Questions people ask next
How do I get an EIN as a household employer?
Apply free on the IRS's EIN page, or by fax or mail with Form SS-4. Use the same EIN on the W-2 and on Schedule H.
What if my nanny left during the year?
You still give them a W-2 for what you paid in 2026. You can give it early, any time after their last payday.
What happens if the W-2 is late?
The IRS can charge a penalty for a W-2 that is late, missing or wrong, including one without the worker's correct Social Security number.
Does the W-2 match Schedule H?
It should. Schedule H lines 1 and 3 add up boxes 3 and 5 of every household worker's W-2.