How to Redact a W2 Form

Your W2 contains some of your most sensitive information: your full Social Security number, your employer's EIN, and your exact income. When a landlord or lender asks for income verification, you don't need to hand over all of it.

This guide shows you exactly what to redact on a W2—and what to keep visible—so you can prove your income without exposing yourself to identity theft.

What's on a W2 (And Why It's Sensitive)

A W2 form contains:

• Box a: Your full Social Security number
• Box b: Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Box c: Employer name and address
• Box d: Control number (internal use)
• Box e-f: Your name and address
• Box 1: Wages, tips, other compensation
• Boxes 2-20: Various tax withholdings

With your SSN and income details, a bad actor has enough to open credit cards, file false tax returns, or commit other identity fraud.

What to Redact vs. Keep

Field	Action	Reason
Full SSN (Box a)	REDACT (show last 4 only)	Primary identity theft risk
Employer EIN (Box b)	REDACT	Not needed for income verification
Control Number (Box d)	REDACT	Internal use only
Your Name (Box e)	KEEP	Proves it's your document
Your Address (Box f)	Optional	Keep for rentals, redact for others
Employer Name (Box c)	KEEP	Verifies employment
Wages (Box 1)	KEEP	This is what they need to see
Tax Withholdings (Boxes 2-6)	Optional	Usually not needed; redact if preferred
State/Local Info (Boxes 15-20)	Optional	Redact unless specifically requested

Redacting by Use Case

W2 for Apartment/Rental Application

Landlords want to verify you earn enough to pay rent (typically 2.5-3x monthly rent). They need:

• Your name
• Employer name
• Box 1 wages

Redact everything else, especially your full SSN. Some landlords will run a credit check anyway, which gives them your SSN through proper channels.

W2 for Loan Application

Mortgage lenders and banks need income verification. For initial applications, a redacted W2 is usually fine. For final underwriting, they may require unredacted documents—ask your loan officer.

W2 for Background Check

Employment verification services typically only need to confirm your employer and general timeframe. You can redact income entirely in some cases.

How to Redact a W2 Properly

Method 1: AI-Powered Redaction (Recommended)

1. Upload your W2 PDF to SafeRedact
2. AI automatically detects SSN, EIN, and other sensitive fields
3. Review and confirm what to redact
4. Download the permanently redacted document

This takes about 30 seconds and ensures data is actually removed—not just covered up.

Method 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro

1. Open PDF in Acrobat Pro ($23/month)
2. Tools → Redact
3. Mark content for redaction
4. Critical: Click "Apply Redactions"
5. Save as new file

Method 3: Print and Marker (Not Recommended)

Some people print the W2, use a black marker, and scan it back. This works but:

• Light can sometimes show through marker ink
• High-resolution scans may reveal text
• It's time-consuming

Can Employers Verify a Redacted W2?

Some landlords or lenders may call your employer to verify the W2 is legitimate. This is fine—a redacted W2 doesn't prevent verification, it just protects your SSN from being copied and shared in emails, filing cabinets, and databases.

Is It Legal to Redact a W2?

Yes. Redacting personal information for privacy protection is completely legal. What's illegal is altering the numbers—changing your income from $50,000 to $80,000, for example, would be document fraud.

Redaction hides information. Falsification changes information. Know the difference.

What If They Require an Unredacted W2?

Some situations require full documents:

• Final mortgage underwriting
• Government security clearances
• Certain visa applications
• Court orders

In these cases, ask why it's needed and how it will be protected. Legitimate institutions have data security protocols. If someone insists on your full SSN via email with no explanation, that's a red flag.