Introduction
What if the tax deadline is approaching and you still haven’t received your W-2? No need to panic. TurboTax allows you to use your last paycheck stub to estimate income and tax withholding so you can file your return on time. This guide walks you through how to gather the correct data, enter it carefully, and avoid common mistakes.
1. Gather Your Paycheck Stub Information
Before you start using TurboTax, make sure you have your final paycheck stub ready. You’ll need several key numbers from it, including:
- Your gross income (total earnings for that last pay period before deductions)
- The federal income tax withheld
- Any state or local taxes withheld (if applicable)
- Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld
- Other deductions: could include retirement contributions (401(k) or similar), health insurance premiums, or similar withholdings
Having accurate numbers here helps TurboTax estimate your year-end totals more reliably.
2. Log into TurboTax and Start Your Return
Go to TurboTax and sign in to your account — or create a new one if you haven’t yet. Begin your tax return by choosing “Start a New Return” or continue with your existing return if you’ve begun earlier. When asked, fill in your filing status, number of dependents, and other basic personal info first.
3. Go to Income Section and Indicate No W-2
Within TurboTax, find the “Wages & Income” section. When prompted about W-2 forms, choose the option that says something like “I don’t have a W-2” or “No W-2 yet.” This tells TurboTax you will manually enter your income and tax withholding data rather than uploading a W-2.
4. Manually Enter Pay Stub Data
Here’s how to correctly enter the data from your stub:
- Enter your gross income as shown. If your pay stub represents one pay period, note how often you are paid (weekly, biweekly, etc.). TurboTax may ask you to annualize it if needed.
- Enter the amount of federal tax that was withheld on that stub.
- Enter any state or local tax withholding if applicable.
- Input Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld.
- Include any pre-tax deductions shown on your stub (if required) to help reduce the taxable income calculation accurately.
5. Confirm Annual Income Estimate
Once you’ve entered the numbers from your last pay stub, TurboTax will make a rough estimate of your annual income. If your job has been consistent, this will closely match what you’ll see on your eventual W-2. If there were changes (hours, employer, pay rate), you may need to adjust the estimate manually or note those changes where TurboTax asks.
6. Complete Deductions, Credits, and Other Income Sections
After entering your income and withholding info from your stub, don’t skip the sections that ask about other income sources (side work, freelancing, etc.), deductions (student loan interest, healthcare, retirement contributions) or credits (child tax credit, education credits). These can reduce your tax liability significantly and help avoid overpaying.
7. Review, File, and Retain Records
Before hitting “Submit,” carefully review everything. Check that income matches what your stub shows, withholdings are correct, and deductions are accurate. Once satisfied, you can file electronically for faster processing. After filing, it’s smart to save a copy of your return and keep your last paycheck stub (and any other documents used) for your records. If your W-2 arrives afterward and differs, you may need to amend your return.
8. What to Do When Your W-2 Arrives
If your W-2 shows different figures than what you entered based on the stub, don’t panic. You may need to file an amended return using the W-2 data. Keep both the stub-based entry and the official form. TurboTax provides tools for amending returns so your final status matches the official documentation.
Need a Sample Stub for Accuracy?
If you want to ensure your stub data matches expected formatting or for comparison before entering it into TurboTax, you can generate a clean stub example. This helps you verify the fields and ensure nothing is missed.
Generate a sample pay stub now or review standard layouts in our Regular Pay Stub guide.
Conclusion
Filing taxes using your last paycheck stub on TurboTax is doable and often necessary if you don’t yet have a W-2. By gathering accurate stub data, entering withholding and income carefully, and reviewing all estimated numbers, you can file on time and avoid penalty. And once your W-2 arrives, adjust or amend if needed to ensure everything is in alignment.
