How to redact a W-2 for a mortgage application
Sending W-2s for a mortgage or pre-approval? What the lender usually looks at, what you can ask to cover, and how to redact a W-2 PDF without uploading it.
Updated · 2 min read
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Open W-2 formThe short answer
Ask your loan officer first whether a redacted W-2 is acceptable. Lenders verify income, and some need the full document to match it against your application. If they accept a redacted copy, keep your wages and employer details visible and cover your SSN and the control number. If they need the full copy, send it only through the lender's secure upload portal.
What a lender usually looks at
A W-2 shows your SSN, your name and address, your employer's name, address and EIN, a control number, and your wages and tax withheld. For a mortgage, the useful parts are typically:
| Detail | Usually needed by a lender? |
|---|---|
| Wages and tax amounts | Yes: this is the point of the form |
| Employer name and EIN | Usually: it shows who paid you |
| Your name | Yes |
| Your SSN | Ask: they already have it from your application |
| Your address | Sometimes |
| Control number | Rarely |
Requirements differ between lenders and loan types, so treat this table as a starting point for the conversation, not a rule.
Redact the W-2
- Open Redact W-2 and drop in the PDF from your payroll portal, or a photo of the paper form.
- Your SSN, name and address, and the control number are covered by default. Untick your name and address if the lender needs to see them.
- Leave wages and the employer EIN visible unless you've been told otherwise.
- Repeat for each year requested, or add them all at once and export a single PDF.
- Export. Pages are rebuilt from pixels and metadata is removed, then the file is checked again for anything still legible.
The exported PDF isn't searchable, because text is rebuilt as an image. If your lender's system needs a text-based PDF, ask before sending.
Who else sees your W-2
A mortgage often involves more people than the lender: a broker, a real estate agent, sometimes a co-signer or relative helping with the deposit. Those people rarely need your SSN. A redacted copy for anyone outside the lender's own portal is a sensible default.
The same goes for the bank statements that usually travel with W-2s: Redact bank statement covers account numbers while leaving balances and deposits visible. For renting rather than buying, see Bank statements for an apartment application.
Questions
Can I hide my salary on a W-2 for a mortgage?
Usually not. Income is what the lender is checking. Hide wages only on copies going to people who don't need them.
Is it safe to email W-2s to a loan officer?
Prefer the lender's secure upload portal. If email is the only option, send a redacted copy and ask how they'll store it.