form w-2
employers must complete, file electronically or by mail with the social security administration (ssa), and provide their employees with the w-2 form, wage and tax statement in pdf format showing wages paid and taxes withheld per year for each employee. Since employees’ Social Security and Medicare benefits are calculated based on the information on the W-2 form, it is very important to prepare the W-2 form correctly and on time.
form w-3
Anyone required to file Form W-2 must also file Form W-3, Transmission of Wage and Tax Statements in PDF Format to transmit a copy of Form W-2 to SSA. The totals of the amounts reported on the related payroll tax forms (Form 941, Form 943, Form 944, or Schedule H (Form 1040), for the year) must match the amounts reported on the Form W-3. If you have questions about a particular box on Forms W-2 or Form W-3, see the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and Form W-3, which provide a detailed explanation of each box. The address for mailing the copy to Form W-2 and Form W-3 is also found in the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and Form W-3PDF. be sure to request form w-3 when you request forms w-2.
where and when to apply
the official w-2 form is available as a multi-copy form packet. The form packet provides the six copies the user may need for each Form W-2 (Copy A, Copy 1, Copy B, Copy C, Copy 2, and Copy D). You must mail or electronically submit a copy of your Forms W-2 to SSA with the Form W-3 Transmittal, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements by the last day of January. special expiration dates apply if you have finished your business. Form W-3 and a copy of each Form W-2 you submit to SSA must be a scanned version and can be ordered online or by calling 800-tax-form (800-829-3676). See the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 for additional information. send copy 1, if applicable, to your state, city, or local tax department. contact that state, city, or local tax department for requirements and transmission information. you must keep the employer copy, copy d, for 4 years.
you must deliver copies b, c and 2 of form w-2 to your employees by January 31, 2022. you will meet the delivery requirement if the form is properly addressed and mailed by the due date or before. If an employee stops working for you before the end of the year, you can give your former employee the W-2 form any time before January 31, 2022, but no later than. If your employee requests Form W-2, you must give your employee copies B, C, and 2 within 30 days of the request or within 30 days of final salary payment, whichever is later.
prepare form w-2
- Type all entries in black ink and, if possible, in 12-point courier font. the inputs are read by a machine. handwritten, cursive, or italicized fonts and entries made in ink other than black cannot be read.
- make all dollar entries without the dollar sign and comma, but with the decimal point (00000.00). show the cents portion or use zeros to not use cents.
- do not erase, cross out, or cross out. copy a must be error free. If you make a mistake, put an “x” in the “empty” box, use the following w-2 form, and start over. do not write “corrected” on the following form w-2.
- because the form w-2 is printed with two forms on one page, please send the full copy of one page (the page printed with red ink) to the ssa even if a form is blank or null. do not cut or bend the page. do not staple forms w-2 together or to form w-3s.
- if a box does not apply, leave it blank.
make corrections
If you discover an error on an employee’s W-2 form after you submit it to SSA, submit a W-2C form, a corrected wage and tax statement. File Form W-3C, Transmission of Corrected Wage and Tax Returns every time you file a Form W-2C with SSA. Please refer to the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 for information on filing employees’ social security tax and deferred rrta tax in 2020 under Notice 2020-65.
electronic requirement
Employers who file 250 or more W-2s must file electronically unless the IRS grants them an exemption. All employers are encouraged to file W-2 forms electronically. the due date is January 31. For more information on electronic filing, see the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 and topic no. 801, issue no. 802, and issue no. 803. Additional information about electronically filing W-2 forms can be obtained from SSA Business Services Online (BSO) or by contacting the SSA Employee Reporting Branch at 800-772-6270 (TTY 800-325). -0778).
the first taxpayer law of 2019 (pub. l. 116-25), enacted on july 1, 2019, authorized the treasury department and the irs to issue regulations reducing the 250 return requirement for tax returns. tax year 2021. If those regulations are issued and take effect for tax year 2021 returns due in 2022, the IRS will post an article on irs.gov/form1099 explaining the change. however, until regulations are issued, the number remains at 250.
additional information
- publication 15, (circular e), employer’s tax guide
- publication 51, (circular a), agricultural employer’s tax guide
- publication 15- a, Employer Supplement Tax Guide
- Form 8809, Request for Extension to File Information Returns
- Form 8508, Request for Exemption from Filing Information Returns Electronicallypdf
- publication 1141, General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Forms W-2 and W-3
- Publication 1223, General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Forms W-2C and W-3C