How to redact a W-2
Open the W-2 in PDFRedax, press one button to find the sensitive boxes, review, and export a copy with the text removed. The file stays on your device.
Runs in your browser. The file is never uploaded. First page free, no account.
What is sensitive in a W-2
Your Social Security number (box a)The most sensitive field on the form. Detected automatically.
Wages and withholding (boxes 1 to 6)Redact if you only need to prove the employer relationship.
Employer EIN (box b)A tax ID that identifies the employer.
Your name and address (boxes e and f)Highlight by hand to redact.
State and local IDs (boxes 15 to 20)Additional tax identifiers in the lower rows.
Three steps
- Open your PDFIt opens in your browser and stays on your device. One file or many.
- Press one buttonSensitive info is found and blacked out. Untick anything you want to keep, or highlight more.
- Save the safe copyRedacted text is removed from the file for good, not hidden under a box.
Your document never leaves your device
- Everything runs in your browser, even OCR for scanned pages.
- Redacted text is removed from the file, not hidden under a box. Once exported, it cannot be recovered.
- No account, no uploads. You can verify it yourself.
Questions
- Why not just draw a black box in a PDF editor?
- A drawn box sits over live text. Anyone can select, copy, and paste it back. PDFRedax removes the text from the file so it cannot be recovered.
- Is my W-2 uploaded to a server?
- No. It is processed in your browser. Watch the network tab and you will see the file is never sent.
- How much does it cost?
- A single page is free. A multi-page set is priced once by total pages, no subscription.