Header and identifiers
Employee name, employee ID, employer name, EIN, pay period, and document version number for traceability and audit references.
Clear, complete wage results reduce payroll disputes, support correct tax filings, and document compliance with FLSA and state pay-stub laws. They provide a single source for employee earnings history and evidence for audits or benefits eligibility determinations.
Maintain a clear chain of custody and version control so recipients and auditors can trace calculations and authorizations.
Employee name, employee ID, employer name, EIN, pay period, and document version number for traceability and audit references.
Detailed lines for regular hours, overtime, holiday pay, bonuses, commissions, and reimbursements showing hours, rate, units, and amounts.
Separate federal, state, local, Social Security, and Medicare withholdings with YTD totals to support tax reporting.
Itemized benefits, retirement contributions, garnishments, and voluntary deductions, with employer contributions shown where applicable.
Net pay amount, payment method, deposit date or check number, and year-to-date net figures for clarity and bank reconciliation.
Approver name, timestamp, and digital audit trail showing who prepared, reviewed, and approved the wage results for compliance.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Name fields | Auto-fill from HRIS with validation |
| Date format | MM/DD/YYYY enforced |
| Sensitive data | Mask SSN, limit visibility |
| Distribution | Secure email or employee portal |
Ensure platform-level encryption, access controls, and retention settings meet your legal and internal policies before sending wage results electronically.
Provide wage results at each pay date per state law
January 31 each year
January 31 to recipient and IRS
April 15 for individual returns
Retain 3 years/1 year post-termination
| Document | Employee Wage Results | Pay Stub | W-2 Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | detailed earnings | payment proof | annual tax reporting |
| Frequency | per period | per pay date | annual |
| Required fields | full breakdown | basic itemization | tax year totals |
| Use case | reconciliation | bank proof | irs filing |
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day free trial | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Employees submit hours and adjustments for the pay period.
Gross pay, taxes, and deductions are computed and validated.
Payroll manager reviews exceptions and signs off on totals.
Final Employee Wage Results distributed and archived securely.