W-2 Employee Tax Checklist

Gather a W-2 from every employer. If the total Social Security wages across all W-2s exceed the annual wage base, you may be eligible for a credit for excess Social Security tax withheld on your federal return.

Gather support for property taxes, mortgage interest, charitable gifts, medical expenses, and other potentially deductible items, then compute both federal methods under the rules for the year. For TY2026, itemized charitable contributions are subject to the new 0.5%-of-contribution-base floor, while eligible nonitemizers may claim a separate cash-charitable deduction of up to $1,000 ($2,000 MFJ); those rules mean the answer is not a simple comparison of gross receipt totals. The TY2026 standard deduction is $16,100 Single/MFS, $24,150 HoH, and $32,200 MFJ. New Jersey has no standard deduction.

ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters) provides property tax relief credits for NJ residents. Eligibility is based on your filing status and income. Check the NJ Division of Taxation website for current income limits.

No. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspended the miscellaneous itemized deduction for employee business expenses (IRC Section 67(g)) starting in 2018. This suspension is now permanent. W-2 employees cannot deduct home office costs.