Own a Small Business? File Your W-2s Online
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 21, 2016
If you’re a small business owner, you know you have to file your Form W‑2 information with Social Security every year. You might not have realized you can save time and avoid errors by filing online.
The filing deadline for tax year 2016 is January 31, 2017. Getting started is easy. Just register for Business Services Online. It’s free, fast, and secure! Simple fill-in pages guide you through each step of entering your W‑2 information for each employee, and providing it to Social Security. The website automatically totals your entries and creates Form W‑3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements. The site also includes fill-in pages for filing Forms W‑2c, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement.
File up to 50 W‑2s with each online wage report. You can even produce W‑2s for your employees that satisfy state and local tax laws. There’s no reason to hurry when completing the online forms because you can save your reports while they’re in progress. If the website detects a questionable entry, it alerts you on the spot. This can save you time on correcting mistakes down the road. It also helps your employees by reducing errors that could affect their future Social Security benefits.
Larger businesses may prefer to take advantage of our file upload service. Instead of entering your W‑2 or W‑2c information online, this Business Services Online feature lets you upload a file containing formatted wage data. Visit our Employer W‑2 Filing page for file specifications and software you can use to check your data format. Businesses that need to file 250 or more W‑2s may not use paper forms unless the Internal Revenue Service grants them a waiver.
While you’re registering for Business Services Online, consider signing up for the Social Security Number Verification Service. Use this feature to verify employee names and Social Security numbers for wage reporting. Verify up to 10 names and numbers at a time and receive immediate results. For larger quantities, you can upload a formatted data file. We’ll usually have your results the next business day.
Social Security is with the public through life’s journey. This includes joining hands with employers to secure today and tomorrow.
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About the Author
Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Lillian D.
can I change my social security withholding
online or do I have to mail it in?
V.V.
Thank you for your question, Lillian. To change your withholding, you will need to complete another Form W-4V and mail it to your local Social Security office. You can download the form or call the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-3676 and ask for Form W-4V. When you complete the form, you can choose to have 7, 10, 12, or 22 percent of your monthly benefit withheld for taxes. Mail the completed, signed form to your local Social Security office. Use our Social Security Office Locator to obtain their mailing address.
Check out our Withholding Income Tax From Your Social Security Benefits web page for more information. We hope this is helpful!
Neal W.
I need to file W-2s for 2019. How do I go about doing that.
V.V.
Hi Neal, thanks for using our blog. Check out our Business Services web page for details on how to file W-2’s. We hope this helps!