Social Security Online | Business Services Online | |||||
www.socialsecurity.gov |
|
|||||
Business Services Online Handbook |
These features are described below. About W-2 Online NOTE: No test feature is provided for W-2 Online. Submitting a W-2 Online report will cause your data to be given to the Social Security Administration for processing. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or higher recommended) to view and print your Forms W-2 and Form W-3. For a free copy of Acrobat Reader go to www.adobe.com.
IMPORTANT: Using W-2 Online does not relieve employers of the obligation to provide annual wage statements to employees and State and local jurisdictions. Forms W-2 for Tax Year 2004 must be distributed to employees before February 1, 2005. You may enter State and local data in W-2 Online so that this information is included on Forms W-2 that you can print and distribute to employees. The Social Security Administration will not examine this information or forward it to any State or local entity. NOTE: The State and local totals from the W-2s will not be calculated for the employer file copy of the Form W-3 [Copy D], but they can be manually entered before saving or printing. To make your wage reporting experience as simple as possible, organize your wage information before using W-2 Online. If you need help with the content of your wage report, contact the Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov and download instructions for completing Forms W-2 and W-3 or call 1-800-829-4933. For TDD/TTY call 1-800-829-4059. Restrictions
NOTE: Self-employment income and applicable taxes must be reported on the Internal Revenue Service Form Schedule SE, as required by the Internal Revenue Service. If you have questions on self-employment income and tax reporting, visit the Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040. For TDD/TTY call The following restrictions apply specifically to W-2 Online:
Entering Forms W-2
NOTE: If you registered without an EIN and want to file for your own company’s employees, you must obtain an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service, deactivate your PIN, and re-register.
NOTE: You may return to this page at any time while using W-2 Online, but you cannot change your selection for Kind of Payer.
NOTE: If you need to change information displayed on the W-2 Online Form W-3 page, select the Return to W-2 Online Data Review link .
Communication Disruptions If you used your Social Security number to log in to BSO, your W-2 Online Report will not be saved. After You Submit Your W-2 Online Report
IMPORTANT: Employers are required by law to keep copies of Forms W-2 for four years. USE YOUR BROWSER MENU OR TOOLBAR TO SAVE OR PRINT THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR YOUR RECORDS. You will need the WFID to check the status of your submission. To save your Forms W-2 and Form W-3 on your computer:
TIP: You can download your Adobe file for up to 30 days after the submission date by selecting the Download Submitted W-2's link from the BSO Home Page. If you have already installed Acrobat Reader on your computer, select the Adobe file link to view or print your Forms W-2 and Form W-3. Otherwise, save the file as described above and use the link provided to obtain the software from Adobe’s Web site. By using BSO to create and submit your Forms W-2 online, you have provided your Forms W-2 and Form W-3 to the Social Security Administration. Please do not mail paper copies of these forms to the Social Security Administration. The file has been sent to us electronically. Resuming Work with Unsubmitted Forms W-2 You may have up to five 'saved' reports. Five is the maximum number of 'saved/unsubmitted' reports allowed at any time. When you have reached the five 'saved' report limit you will not receive the option to Start a new W-2 report on the W-2 Online Unsubmitted Reports for Tax Year 2004 page. You must complete and submit one of the five 'saved' reports before you will be given the option to Start a new W-2 report. If you have more than one, but less than 5 saved reports, you will receive the Start a New W-2 Report option on the W-2 Online Unsubmitted Reports for Tax Year 2004 page. To review and/or edit these reports, you may use either the Resume Unsubmitted W-2s link or the Enter Forms W-2 for Tax Year 2004 link from the BSO Home Page. Downloading Submitted Forms W-2 The W-2 Download for Tax Year 2004 page includes the WFID, Date Submitted, and Purge Date information.
CREATING FORMS W-2c ONLINE
Back to Table of Contents
|
Enter Forms W-2c for Tax Year 2004. | |
Create, print, and submit your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c for Tax Year 2004. | |
Download a file containing Forms W-2c and Form W-3c you have submitted using W-2c Online. |
NOTE: W-2c Online does not contain a ‘Save’ feature. Therefore, you must enter and submit your corrections in one session.
About W-2c Online
W-2c Online is a service of the Social Security Administration that lets you create, print, and submit up to five Forms W-2c per W-3c on the Internet. Review the list of restrictions below carefully, verify your registration information and specify whether you are filing for yourself or another company to determine whether you can file using W-2c Online.
NOTE: W-2c Online does not contain any test features. Please do not submit any data you do not want processed by the Social Security Administration.
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or higher recommended) to print your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c. For a free copy of Acrobat Reader go to www.adobe.com.
To make your corrected wage reporting experience as simple as possible, organize your wage information before using W-2c Online. If you need help with the content of your corrected wage report, contact the Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov and download instructions for completing Forms W-2c and W-3c or call 1-800-829-4933. For TDD/TTY call 1-800-829-4059.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply to all W-2c Reports, including those filed on paper:
Previous W-2s where both the Name and SSN fields were blank may not be corrected. | |
Third-party sick pay recap forms may not be corrected. | |
Agent Indicator Codes may not be corrected. | |
You must verify your W-2 report has moved to COMPLETE status before attempting to file a correction. | |
Corrected wage reports for employers in the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia may not be filed using Forms W-2c. Employers should complete Internal Revenue Service Form 1120X. | |
Self-employed individuals may not file correction reports. |
NOTE: Self-employment income and applicable taxes must be reported on Internal Revenue Service Form Schedule SE, as required by the Internal Revenue Service. If you have questions about self-employment income and tax reporting, visit the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov or call 1 800-829-1040. For TDD/TTY, call 1-800-829-4059.
The following restrictions apply specifically to W-2c Online:Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are attempting to file Forms W-2. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are filing corrections for a tax year other than 2004. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are attempting to correct address information. Please complete IRS Form 8822. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are attempting to correct the Employment Type or the Estab-lishment Number. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are correcting a previous W-2c report. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are correcting only State wage/ tax data (Boxes 15 through 20 on Form W-2c). SSA does not pass W-2c information to the States. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are correcting wages earned in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands. | |
Do NOT use W-2c Online if you are correcting United States military wages or using a military Employer Identification Number (EIN). | |
Corrections cannot be made to incorrectly filed EINs. | |
You may enter up to five Forms W-2c per Form W-3c. |
Entering Forms W-2c
Select the Enter Forms W-2c for Tax Year 2004 link on the BSO Home Page to begin working with W-2c Online. This will open the W-2c Online Information page. Proceed as described below for each W-2c Online page.
The restrictions listed above are repeated on the W-2c Online Information page. If any of these restrictions apply, select the Cancel button to exit W-2c Online. | |
Verify the registration contact information displayed on the W-2c Online Information page. If this information is no longer accurate, use the link provided to update it. This information will be saved with your report so that the Social Security Administration can contact you if a problem arises with your submission. | |
Indicate whether you are filing for your company’s employees or another company’s employees. This information will be requested only if you provided an Employer Identification Number (EIN) when you registered. | |
Select the Continue button. This will open the W-2c Online Employer Data page. |
Provide the information requested on the W-2c Online Employer Data page. The fields on this page correspond to boxes on the paper Form W-3c and should be completed the same way. Contact the Internal Revenue Service if you need assistance with providing this information. |
Select the Continue button. This will save your information and open the W-2c Online Form W-2c page. |
You may download the IRS Form W-2c Corrected Wage and Tax Statement Instructions from the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. |
Provide the information requested on the W-2c Online Form W-2c page. The fields on this page correspond to the same boxes on the paper Form W-2c and should be completed the same way. Contact the Internal Revenue Service if you need assistance with providing this information. |
The following are specific instructions for completing the boxes on the W-2c:
A name, SSN, or money correction is required to create a W-2c. | |
The entire original name must be entered as it appeared on the previous Form W-2. | |
The Correct SSN, Name, City, State/Province, Country, and Zip/Postal Code are required to create a W-2c. | |
If the SSN was incorrect on the previous W-2 form, the correct SSN must be entered in Box b and the incorrect SSN entered in Box h. | |
Changes to only Box 13 through 20 will not be permitted. A name, SSN, or money correction in Boxes 1 through 12 must also be made in order to use W-2c Online. | |
You may enter data in Boxes 15 through 20 so this information is included on the individual Forms W-2c that you can print and distribute to employees. The Social Security Administration will not examine this information, total it on the Form W-3c, or furnish it to the State or local entity. However, this information may be manually entered on the Form W-3c before submitting or printing. | |
Medicare for Qualified Government Employment (MQGE) filers must complete the Previously Reported and Corrected Information fields for Box 5 if data for either Box 3 or Box 7 is entered. | |
If a box was left blank on the original W-2, enter an amount of zero ($0.00) for 'originally reported'. | |
If more than four codes in Box 12 must be entered, select the New W-2c button and enter the additional Box 12 codes necessary. If more than one Form W-2c is needed, they all count towards the limit of five Forms W-2c. | |
When you are ready to enter the next Form W-2c, select the New W-2c button. This will open another W-2c Online Form W-2c page. | |
When you have finished entering Forms W-2c, select the Done button. This will open the W-2c Online Data Review page. |
The W-2c Online Data Review page lists sum-mary information for each Form W-2c that you have entered. Use the View/Edit and Delete buttons to view, change, or delete the corresponding Form W-2c. | |
Select the New W-2c button to create another Form W-2c. | |
Select the Edit Employer Info button to change the employer information you entered on the W-2c Online Employer Data page. | |
Select the Go to W-3c button when you have finished entering Forms W-2c. This will open the W-2c Online Form W-3c page. | |
Select the Exit W-2c Online button if you want to exit W-2c Online without submitting any data entered. This will DELETE your entire report, including your employer information and Forms W-2c entered during this session. |
The W-2c Online Form W-3c page displays the Form W-3c you have created and lets you print or submit your report. You cannot edit the information displayed on this page, but you may enter additional information in some fields. |
NOTE: If you need to change information displayed on the W-2c Online Form W-3c page, select the button provided to return to the W-2c Online Data Review page.
Select the Print Corrected Wage Report button if you want to view or print your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c before submitting your report. You do not need to select this button if you want to view or print your forms after you have submit-ted your report. Follow the instructions provided to print your report. | |
When you are ready to submit your report, read the legal statements on the W-2c Online Form W-3c page and, if you agree with these statements, select the Submit Corrected Wage Report button. This will cause your report to be submitted to the Social Security Administration. |
If you have already selected the Submit Corrected Wage Report button and a communication disruption occurs, select the Download Submitted W-2cs link on the BSO Home Page to verify that the Social Security Administration has received your submission.
After You Submit Your W-2c Online Report
When you submit your W-2c Online report, BSO will display an acknowledgment of receipt that includes the date and time, Employer Identification Number (EIN), employer name, Wage File Identifier (WFID), and a link to an Adobe file containing your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c.
USE YOUR BROWSER MENU OR TOOLBAR TO SAVE OR PRINT THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR YOUR RECORDS . You will need the WFID to check the status of your submission.
To save your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c on your computer:
Right-click on the Adobe file link (or tab to it and press Shift + F10) and | |
Select Save As |
If you have already installed Acrobat Reader on your computer, select the Adobe file link to view or print your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c. Otherwise, save the file as described above and use the link provided to obtain the software from Adobe's Web site.
By using BSO to create and submit your Forms W-2c online, you have provided your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c to the Social Security Administration. Please do not mail paper copies of these forms to the Social Security Administration. The file has been sent to us electronically.
Downloading Submitted Forms W-2c
Select the Download Submitted W-2cs link on the BSO Home Page to download the Adobe file containing your Forms W-2c and Form W-3c for a W-2c Online report submitted within the last 30 days. Adobe files will only be available for 30 days.
W-2/W-2c Comparison Chart
Media |
Paper |
Tape/ Diskette |
Internet Upload |
W-2 Online |
W-2c Online |
Number of W-2s /W-2cs |
Up to 249 |
500,000 |
500,000 |
Maximum of 20 |
Maximum of five |
SSA Processing Speed |
Slower |
Slower |
Faster |
Faster |
Faster |
Tax Year (TY) |
1978-present |
1978-present |
1978-present |
Current only |
Current only |
Print employee and employer copies of W-2s/W-2cs from file you created on the SSA Web site |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Notify you of name/SSN mismatches |
By letter if certain criteria are met |
By letter if certain criteria are met |
By letter if certain criteria are met |
Online instantly |
Online instantly |
Save W-2s you created on the SSA Web site |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Yes |
No |
Use for territorial reports |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Requires a software program |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Receive instant receipt from SSA for your file |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Select the View Submission Status/Errors/Notice Information link on the BSO Home Page to:
If you filed using magnetic
Check the status of your W-2 and W-2c data submissions. | |
View notices from the Social Security Administration asking you to resubmit your data. | |
Browse information about errors found in your submitted data. | |
Review summary information for the reports contained in your submission. |
If you filed using magnetic media or electronic data transmission, allow one to six weeks for your submission information to be available. Submission information is not available for paper submissions.
Use the drop-down list to specify a receipt year. The receipt year is the year that the Social Security Administration began processing your original submission. For resubmissions, the receipt year is identified on your original resubmission notice.
You may specify up to five submissions by entering the Wage File Identifier (WFID) for each. If you do not enter one or more WFIDs, all submissions will be displayed for the receipt year that you selected. For tax years prior to 2002, enter the Tape Library Control Number (TLCN) instead of a WFID.
If you are self-employed without an EIN and want to view information for Internet submissions, you must specify one or more WFIDs.
You can choose how you want to view submission information for the receipt year that you select. For example, select Processing Status to group submissions with the same processing status together. |
After you have specified the above selection criteria, select the Continue button to display your submission information. The following information will be displayed for each identified submission:
Receipt Date. The date that the Social Security Administration received the submission. If more than one version of the submission was received, the receipt date for the original submission will be displayed. | |
WFID. The Wage File Identifier that the Social Security Administration assigned to the submission for tracking purposes. | |
Version. A sequential number used to distinguish multiple submissions for the same WFID. Multiple versions are the results of corrected files resubmitted because the earlier file had critical errors. | |
Submission Status. The date the submission assumed the indicated status. | |
Status Date. The date the submission assumed the indicated status. | |
Resubmission Notice. If the Social Security Administration asked you to correct your W-2 data and resubmit it, a View link will be displayed in this column. Select this link to view your resubmission notice. | |
View Errors. If the Social Security Administration found errors in the submitted data, BSO will display two links in this column. Select the By Error Description link to view your error information by error description. Select the By Report Number link to view your error information by report number. All error descriptions will be identified as either Informational or Critical. | |
CRITICAL ERRORS WILL CAUSE A SUBMISSION TO BE RETURNED AND MUST BE CORRECTED WHEN THE FILE IS RESUBMITTED. Informational errors will not prevent a file from being processed to completion, but should be noted and avoided in any future submissions. |
Submission Details. A Details link will be displayed in this column for every submission. Select this link to view the filing method (including volume serial number for tape and cartridge submissions), number of Forms W-3 or W-3c contained in the submission, and the original filename. | |
Reports. Select this link to review summary information for all the reports contained in a particular submission, including report type, W-2/W-2c count, Social Security Wages, Medicare, Federal Taxable Income, and report status. |
Select the View Employer Report Status/Errors/Notice Information link on the BSO Home Page to check the status of employer reports for your company, or to browse information about errors found in your company’s submitted data.
Use the drop-down list to specify the tax year for which you wish to view employer report information. The tax year is the year in which the wages were earned. Report information is not available for tax years prior to Tax Year 2002.
|
After you have specified a tax year, select the Continue button to display your employer report information. The following information will be displayed for each identified report :
Report Type. Whether the employer report is a regular or corrected report. | |
W-2 Count. The number of Forms W-2 or W-2c contained in the employer report. | |
Social Security Wages, Medicare, and Federal Taxable Income. The original (W-2) or corrected (W-2c) Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Taxable Income for the employer report. | |
Report Status. The current processing status for the employer report. Select results in this column for an explanation of status codes. |
Status Date. The date the employer report assumed the indicated status. | |
Employer Report Details. Select the Details link to view the tax jurisdiction, earnings control number, reported number versus processed number of Forms W-2 or W-2c, employment type, establishment number, reported, processed and amended Social Security wages, Social Security tips, Medicare wages and tips, and Federal Taxable Income, as well as error information. | |
View Errors. If errors were present in the report, a View Errors link will be present below the money totals. Select this link to view a description of the error. All error descriptions will be identified as either Informational or Critical. | |
CRITICAL ERRORS WILL CAUSE A SUBMISSION TO BE RETURNED AND MUST BE CORRECTED WHEN THE FILE IS RESUBMITTED. Informational errors will not prevent a file from being processed to completion, but should be noted and avoided in any future submissions. | |
Name/SSN Validation Notice. This notice will provide information about names and SSNs that failed to match SSA’s records and what action should be taken. |
Select the Acknowledge a Resubmission Notice link on the BSO Home Page to acknowledge that you received a notice from the Social Security Administration requiring you to resubmit your W-2 data. You must acknowledge receipt of resubmission notices.
You will be asked to provide the Employer Identification Number (EIN), Wage File Identifier (WFID), and receipt year for the returned submission. Provide this information exactly as it appears on the notice you received from the Social Security Administration. You must also indicate whether the Social Security Administration returned your physical media (tape, cartridge, or diskette), if applicable, or whether you filed using electronic media (the Internet or electronic data transmission).
If you require help with acknowledging a resubmission notice, call the Employer Reporting Assistance number at the front of this booklet.
If you have requested access to online notices, you may select the View Submission Status/Error/Notice Information link on the BSO Home Page and select the corresponding View link in the Resubmission Notice column.
Select the Request a Resubmission Extension link on the BSO Home Page if you received a notice from the Social Security Administration requiring you to resubmit your W-2 data and you need to request a one-time 15-day extension.
Before requesting an extension, acknowledge the resubmission notice as described in the Acknowledging a Resubmission Notice section.
You may NOT request an extension if:
You have previously resubmitted data for this Wage File Identifier (WFID) or | |
More than 45 days have passed since the date on the resubmission notice. |
You will be asked to provide the Employer Identification Number (EIN), WFID, and receipt year for the returned submission. Provide this information exactly as it appears on the notice you received from the Social Security Administration.
If you require help with acknowledging a resubmission notice, call the Employer Reporting Assistance number at the top of this page.
If you have requested access to online notices, you may select the View Submission Status/Error/Notice Information link on the BSO Home Page and select the corresponding View link in the Resubmission Notice column.
Select the Logout link at the top or bottom of BSO pages when you are finished using BSO. This will open a page to confirm that you want to end your BSO session. Select Yes to exit BSO.
Use the Help throughout BSO to view this handbook or other applicable online resources. Selecting the Help link will open a new browser window in addition to the one you are already using. You may need to manipulate your display to see both browser windows.
To speak with a Social Security Administration representative, see the telephone support numbers at the front of this booklet. For help by e-mail, select Contact SSA at the top and bottom of BSO pages or address your e-mail message to bso.support@ssa.gov.
CAUTION: The Social Security Administration recommends that you not include private information, such as your Social Security Number, in Internet e-mail messages . |
Please be as specific as possible about your question or problem, including details about the Web page you were using, any error messages received, and all other relevant information. Include your phone number so that the Social Security Administration can contact you if necessary.
Visit the Employer Reporting Instructions & Information Page at www.socialsecurity.gov/employer for a wealth of information of interest to filers. Select the Business Services Online Tutorial link on this page for an online tour of BSO. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or higher is recommended) to view the BSO tutorial. For a free copy of Acrobat Reader, go to www.adobe.com.