No, 1040 is not the same as a W-2. W-2 is a form provided by the employer to the employee that states the gross wages in a given year and all the tax withheld and deductions," says Armine Alajian, CPA and founder of the Alajian Group, a company providing accounting services and business management for startups. "Form W-2 information is used to enter into Form 1040 to show the income and income taxes will be calculated based on that income.