What a W-2 earner can actually do
Employment income is reported and withheld before you see it, so the levers sit in accounts, timing, and what you own outside the job.
- Max the employer plan, catch-up contributions, and any after-tax or Roth option offered.
- Health savings accounts where eligible — deductible in, tax-free out for qualified costs.
- Equity compensation timing: exercise windows, holding periods, and withholding elections.
- Deferred compensation plans where offered, with the credit risk understood.
- Investment-side work: asset location, loss harvesting, and charitable giving with appreciated shares.